FlyInLove - Holiday - Part Two - Hotel

We arrived in Puerto de Santiago and found our hotel Tamaimo Tropical. Our apartment was on the fourth floor but easily accessible using the lift.

We had a bedroom, bathroom, living area / small kitchen and a balcony that overlooked Los Gigantes hills and one of the pools. The view from the balcony was gorgeous - I could have just sat and looked at those hills/cliffs all day.

We were staying on a self catering basis but in actual fact we didn't really cook there. We had fruit juice and pastries/fruit for breakfast then a main meal out midafternoon. Followed by some snacking of spanish meats and cheeses in the evening. We did however hope to have coffee in the morning but we couldn't find either a kettle or a coffee machine (although there did appear to be part of something coffee related in the cupboard). We did find a toaster in a cupboard...but no kettle.

The hotel was perfectly nice but it was slightly odd. On the first day we wanted to put the F1 on in the background as we unpacked...we did but the tv volume wouldn't go down and there was no sign of a remote. We asked at reception and were told that we had to pay a 10E deposit for one.

I have to say that puzzled me - who would steal a remote control?! Anyway, maybe you have to put a deposit down on a kettle or coffee machine, I don't know we didn't ask.

I had read some questionable reviews of the hotel before we left home so wasn't quite sure what to expect. We didn't eat in the hotel so I can't comment on the food. Yes some bits of the hotel might be a bit tired looking, but generally it was absolutely great for us - our own wee space with a nice view.

I will however say that the bathroom wasn't really Rhoda friendly. There was a shower over the bath but no nonslip pads. I had a bath while I was there but again there were no handles to get in and out and the bath was very slippy. We managed though and thankfully there were no accidents but it's just a simple thing that could be easily addressed.

My Mum has these stick on handles that she can take with her and they would have been really handy here - but do you really want to take a set of handles in your luggage?

Again, not complaining, just an observation that might help others.

So, the hotel was fine. Nice and comfortable (I did a lot of napping so I can declare the couch was conducive to napping) with plastic furniture on the balcony which was perfect for us.

Ok, enough about the Hotel and on to the holiday itself.....Tenerife!

Post three coming soon! :D

Dear Thing by Julie Cohen

With subject matter that could be very close to the heart of many, Dear Thing tells the story of Claire and Ben. A couple who's life's plans seem to have been derailed when Claire can't carry their baby. 

With numerous failed attempts at IVF Claire wants to give up but her husband doesn't share the same opinion. 

On discussing the situation with his best friend Romily, she offers to conceive via artificial insemination and carry the baby for them.  She already has a daughter, Posie, who Claire and Ben dote on and so they know she can carry a baby to full term.

On the surface it seems like the perfect solution....... however once Romily is pregnant with Ben's child she finds feelings that she has quashed for years coming rising to the surface - her love for Ben.

Julie Cohen beautifully captures these three main characters. We feel the pain that Claire is going through as she realises that is just isn't going to happen for them. We can relate to the jealousy she feels as Romily carries her husband's baby.

Then there's Romily. She's doing this in good faith, she genuinely thought it would be easy for her... it isn't. We feel for her too...is that allowed? Are we allowed to root for both women? 

Ultimately a baby appears, a baby who has two mothers, a baby who is loved by both, but only one can keep.

This book will capture your heart. It is a book that tackles the emotions of surrogacy, from the perspective of all involved. From the father who is so excited that his child is growing inside his best friend, to the wife who is heart broken that she can't make her husband feel that way, to the surrogate mother who is so in love with the father she would do almost anything for him. I found that all I wanted was a "happy ending" for all three main characters, and Posie too. 

It's a beautifully written book. Easy to read, captivating and emotional. It's not the kind of thing I would usually read but as soon as I read the blurb I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of, and I'm so glad I read it!

Dear Thing is available now in Hardback, with the paperback due out in September! Enjoy.

An e-copy of Dear Thing was received free of charge via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

FlyInLove Holiday - Part One - Travel

I recently found myself sat on a balcony, over looking Los Gigantes, sipping sangria and reading a novel.

Nope this wasn't a dream (although it felt like it). I actually won a competition with Fly Thomas Cook who whisked hubby and I away to the beautiful island of Tenerife for a week!

Some of you may remember my #FlyInLove My Blogger Crush post back in February. Well my poem won the competition! I was shaking for two days afterwards, I couldn't believe we were actually going on holiday!

I kept it on the low down as I wasn't sure if my health would allow us to go....but we made it, and had the most fantastic time!!

I'm actually going to write a few posts about our holiday as I want to write about it from an accessibility point of view. We've not been abroad or flown since I've had my own wheelchair so it was all an experience in itself. I didn't know how we would cope but it all went really well.

Our prize from Thomas Cook was two return flights from Glasgow to Tenerife and accommodation for a week in Tamaimo Tropical on a self catering basis. Amazing right? All this for just writing a wee poem (I am still pinching myself).

Thomas Cook were very helpful during the organising phase and made sure they chose accommodation suitable for me and my wheels :D I contacted flythomascook directly myself regarding the flight and they were helpful in adding my wheelchair to the book and also the assistance I would require. I should point out the guy I spoke to had no idea I was a competition winner or was going to blog about this so I was especially impressed with the service. I had waited quite some time on hold and he was extremely apologetic and even gave me his email address so I could email him details about my wheelchair rather than having to  phone up again. I did wonder if he might have regretted that when I emailed him with several questions! He was really helpful though so thanks.

So, 3am on a Sunday morning we got ourself out of bed and along to Glasgow airport. (We parked in the short stay carpark having paid in advance. We were allowed to put a photocopy of my blue badge in the car so that we could take the badge itself away with us.)

Have to say that all went well with checkin; we were ushered to the priority desk when the lady saw me and my wheels which was much appreciated by hubby who was juggling two suitcases and pushing me!

There is one fault at the airport though...and I hope Glasgow Airport reconsider this. I went to use one of their accessible toilets. I got in fine, but when I tried to get out I couldn't! The door opened inwards and was heavy. I honestly couldn't manoeuvre my wheelchair and get out of the loo! Thankfully hubby was waiting on the other side of the door and opened it for me. NOT good if you were travelling alone though or independent enough to go the loo alone. A rethink is required Glasgow Airport!

On to the plane and everyone was very helpful. We had priority boarding and my wheelchair was pushed to the door of the aircraft. Thankfully we were in a row right beside the door (pure luck) so I didn't have far to walk with my stick. The wheelchair was removed and put in the hold.

Everyone was really helpful but I do have one issue. With Thomas Cook you can book your seats online...for a fee. I guess this way you can try to ensure you are all sitting together. The thing is that when I was on the phone regarding the wheelchair I asked if I could book the most accessible seats. I was told that I would require a letter from my GP to do this. Now, I wasn't taking a wheelchair on my holidays for fun! Surely if they are carrying your wheelchair in the hold and helping you access the plane that should be enough to book an accessible seat?! Apparently not. I didn't want to bother my GP with a letter request, they have enough to do. So we just guessed seats and booked ones which we hoped would be near the door and toilet.

This was my main stress before getting on the plane - would our seats be near the door? What if we boarded at the back? It turned out we boarded at row 11, we were row 10, perfect. As I said, that was pure luck. I think perhaps TC should take a look their procedure for disabled passengers. That was the only fault with the TC airline experience. I'm not complaining - it was free! Just an observation that perhaps TC could take on board?

After watching Skyfall and sleeping for a large chunk of the journey we arrived to a beautifully warm Tenerife (30C)!

The airport staff in Spanish airports are brilliant with passengers who need assistance (I had help in Malaga once when my mobility was better than it is now, as well as in Tenerife). They have a whole team of folk in yellow tops who take your wheelchair and whisk you through the airport (both ways, incoming and outgoing). It is an absolutely BRILLIANT service that perhaps the UK should be looking at introducing? I can't big it up enough - just fab! I can imagine it is great for older travellers too, I mean hubby is physically capable of pushing me round an airport in a wheelchair but many companions aren't.

OK, I appear to have blethered on for quite a while....and we have only just reached Tenerife. OOPS! I think the post might have to be Part One - Travel.

We had prebooked with Hertz to rent a car from them for the week. It was all very straight forward and they gave us a slightly bigger car as they felt it would be more suitable for our needs.

MONEYSAVING TIP - if you are renting a car with an excess waiver I highly recommend getting insurance that will cover that waiver but NOT from the rental company. They charge an absolute fortune. We were offered insurance for £90 for the week... we took out our own insurance for about £17! I recommend taking a look at moneymaxim.co.uk for quotes and save yourself some money!

So there we were, in Tenerife, heading for our hotel and I was just waiting to wake up and realise it was all a dream...........

PART TWO coming very soon.....

*Win* Shloer Raspberry and Rhubarb Punch Prize Packs!

The sun is shining today - it finally feels like spring! We've not gone so far as to dig out the BBQ yet but today gives us hope that maybe we can have a BBQ get-together with friends soon.

To supplement this sunny mood we're sipping on some chilled Limited Edition Raspberry and Rhubarb Punch from Shloer.

I've blogged about Shloer before and the memories that a glass of Shloer holds for me - memories of dinner with my late Grandpa for example. It's been a firm favourite in our family throughout the years, so we were delighted to be asked to try the latest addition to the Shloer family.

Pouring it into a glass and having a sniff it smells like Jolly Ranchers (do you remember them?), it's a sweet, fruity smell. It tastes lovely, sweet but not too sweet although I don't think I could drink a lot of it at one go.

I'd say it's a great compromise for those who don't drink alcohol - drivers, new mums, mums-to-be etc. A special, chilled punch that will make you feel part of the party.

The lovely people at Shloer are offering Rhoda Reviews readers the chance get ready for summer and BBQ season with a great giveaway to win 1 of 4 Shloer Party Packs (12 bottles in each, worth £25)!!

To be in with a chance of winning this fab prize just complete the rafflecopter entry form below....simple! You can do as many of the entries as you want but please make sure you are honest, I do check.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!!

There are two more competitions over on the Shloer website - but be quick, they end at the end of April!

Thank you to Shloer for providing the prizes for this giveaway. A sample was sent for us to try. All opinions are completely our own and entirely honest.

Lunch with Sistema

Packed lunches - how do you deal with them? A carrier bag? A retro style lunchbox? (I used to have a transformers one....I seem to remember it had snakes and ladders on the back) Or do you just throw it loose into a schoolbag / workbag / handbag?

I don't know about you but when you are looking forward to lunch and then find a squashed, sad looking sandwich at the bottom of your bag it doesn't exactly look particularly appetising!

I don't really spend a lot of time thinking about packed lunches...in fact hubby just normally throws his stuff in his work bag on the way out the door. However, we were recently sent a sample of Sistema's uniquely designed lunchboxes to try out and it got me thinking.

I must admit I was pretty excited when the Slimline Quaddie lunchbox arrived. It's so much cooler than I expected. It's BPA free and feels good quality, nice and sturdy. This box has four compartments and a wee drinks bottle too.

Certain members of our family... not naming names... don't like it when their food touches or gets mixed up. As soon as I saw this I knew it would be perfect for them.

The main, large compartment is large enough to fit sandwiches in, or leftovers from last night's dinner. However when the lid comes down it's not quite as deep as you think it's going to be, due to the compartments in the lid. That said there's plenty room.

Here's my lunch today....

A prawn & avocado salad in the large compartment, medjool dates in one small compartment, some peanuts for snacking in the other and smoothie in the juice bottle.

I have to say that this box is just perfect for me. Due to my illness I can't go making lunch and wandering about the house. My husband makes lunch for me, and leaves me with snacks and juice for the day while he is out at work. This is perfect for housing my days rations! Everything is kept hygienically in one place.

Obviously most people take their lunchboxes out and about with them and I can tell you that all the compartments are secure and stay closed so you don't need to worry about finding a rogue egg sandwich in your bag!

I'd say this is perfect for kids lunches, all in one place with sections for fruits, treats etc. It's dishwasher safe (top rack only) so it's easy to clean.

Have to say I'm really impressed with this box....Liz tried to steal it when she was round recently as it really is a great design!

Sistema products are available from Asda, Cargo and John Lewis.

We received a sample Sistema lunchbox free of charge. All opinions expressed are entirely our own and completely honest.

The Body Finder Series....Dead Silence

Three of my favourite things are based in and around Seattle - Frasier, Grey's Anatomy and The Body Finder series of books. I guess you could say 4 if you count my coffee obsession (Seattle is famous for its coffee roasting & shops).

I've been waiting all year for book four of the Body Finder series, Dead Silence. I was put on to Kimberly Derting by a friend on Twitter and after reading the first chapter of the first book I have been hooked. So when I was offered the chance to review Dead Silence I jumped at the chance. Yes, I may have stalked the postie for a while until the book arrived through the door, such was my excitement.

I'd love to launch in and discuss Dead Silence but it occurs to me that since this is the fourth book in the series I'd better not spoil anything for those of you who haven't discovered Kimberly Derting yet. So instead let's start with a bit of information about The Body Finder.

Violet is a teenager with a difference. She has an ability, one that she must keep secret - she can sense the echoes of the murdered and imprints upon their murderers. For years Violet has been finding murdered animals and together with her parents burying them in their garden so that they might rest in peace. Over the course of The Body Finder series things step up and she finds herself not only finding human bodies but also tracking down their murderers.

While the "body finding" aspect of Violet's life may separate her from other teenagers, she still leads a teenagers life, school, friends and a special male friend all keep her busy.

I absolutely love this series of books, they never fail to disappoint. Derting has a unique writing style and really captures the readers imagination. I love that while she writes as Violet for the majority of the chapters we also get chapters written from the killer's perspective - these chapters are written in italics. As a result I feel we, as readers, get a full picture. We get two stories, that of the killer and of Violet, and eventually these stories will converge.

It's not very often that I read a book that keeps me thoroughly gripped, however I find myself turning page after page of Derting's books, desperate to know what's going to happen next.

I love the Body Finder concept. I'd love to know what inspired Derting, how she came up with this ability for Violet. Whatever it may be, it's a fascinating idea that will keep you gripped!

Dead Silence absolutely did not disappoint. I love how invested I've become in all the characters, Violet and the two boys in her life Jay and Rafe.

I've been deliberately vague in this post as I really don't want to spoil anything for you. Suffice to say these books are really easy to read, great young adult fiction. It's not all body finding, there's some romance thrown in there too!

There's just one problem with these books - finishing them! After I've read them I am just desperate for the next one.

Dead Silence will be published in paperback in the UK on 25 April 2013.  If you are looking for a new series to read I highly recommend The Body Finder!

Now....... will there be a fifth book?!

We received a review copy of Dead Silence free of charge. As always our review is completely honest and all opinions are entirely our own.

Slowing The Blog Down

Things are particularly tough right now healthwise for me and familywise for Liz. With this in mind we are joining in the Tots100 Slow Blogging Movement.

I won't bore you with all the details of our lives right now but we will blog when we can/feel up to it.

I'm sure you will all understand and appreciate where we are coming from with this. So for April we are Slowing the Blog Down. 

......we do have a treat or two lined up for you this month though ;-)