“Bulletproof Retirement:” New book shares how not to be a casualty of the biggest financial scandal nobody is talking about.
#BookTalk Bulletproof Retirement by Martin Wilcocks
“Bulletproof Retirement: Live your Dreams, Avoid Excess Fees and Secure your Legacy” by Martin Wilcocks
A veteran of 30 years in the financial services market, Martin Wilcocks is one of the UK’s leading financial and investment advisers. In his book, Bulletproof Retirement, he explains how to keep your share of the £64 billion that is haemorrhaging from pensions and investments at the hands of those that administer our nest eggs.
Bulletproof Retirement: Live your Dreams, Avoid Excess Fees and Secure your Legacy is destined for a place on the non-fiction best seller list. In this significant and life-changing read financial guru Martin Wilcocks explains how we can retain our hard-earned nest eggs, in their entirety, by taking control of our finances ourselves (and therefore negating the need to collectively give away billions to those that administer our pension and investment portfolios on our behalf).
Concise and written in a manner to ensure the least financial amongst us can benefit from his sage advice, Bulletproof Retirement will undoubtedly rattle the cages of many involved in the industry. But, more importantly, the author should be congratulated for putting his head above the parapet and shining the spotlight on what he describes as ‘the biggest scandal that nobody is talking about.’
Synopsis:
From endowment mis-selling and the global financial crisis to pension transfer and PPI scandals: UK financial services exploit customers rather than serve them. Our pensions and investments are also under attack – high-cost financial advisers, glossy financial networks and ineffective expensive investment managers are taking £64 billion out of our pensions and investments every year.
Make a stand against these archaic practices and save yourself and your retirement from the biggest scandal that nobody is talking about. Read Bulletproof Retirement to understand how to:
• Identify what your future ideal lifestyle looks like and plan ahead to achieve it
• Become financially organised and set clear goals for investing, with a portfolio linked to these goals
• Enhance the monetary value of your plan and portfolio by maximising your pension, ISA and CGT allowances
• Reduce exposure by establishing a backstop that strips out risks within your personal and business life
• Protect your hard-earned wealth and pass it on to children and other beneficiaries safely and tax-efficiently
• Remain focussed on your plan, keep your goals on track and avoid making emotional decisions about your wealth.
Published by Rethink, Bulletproof Retirement: Live your Dreams, Avoid Excess Fees and Secure your Legacy. Buy the book here.
About the author
Martin Wilcocks is a financial services veteran of some 30 years’ standing who has featured in The Times, The Telegraph and The Mail on Sunday as one of the UK’s top financial and investment advisers. Wilcocks & Wilcocks currently manage over £124m of assets and investments for their clients.
Eye of the Tiger A Redcliffe Novel by paranormal author Catherine Green
Note: This article contains affiliate links, meaning that if you buy books using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting SpookyMrsGreen and small, independent publishers! Updated 2026.
Some kids love to learn; they have a natural thirst for knowledge and can’t wait to crack the spine on a new book. For others, learning doesn’t spark the same joy. Just like most things in life, if you make something fun, you are going to enjoy doing it more.
Learning is part of a lifelong process, and while there are times it will be harder than others, for the most part, it is possible to make education fun.
Getting hands-on with your learning can change the way we think about what we are learning. Getting to create, make, touch, and use can bring a new level to the activity.
It is one thing to do maths in a book, but another to count using gummy beards, beads, stones, or apples!
This type of gamification can be seen in many different subjects. In some cases, it means that children can use voice recognition, apps, and other fun stuff that offer an ideal solution for educators.
Child-led
If you let your child lead the way when it comes to what they learn about outside of the classroom, you might uncover a huge range of interests. One of the best things about child-led learning is that it can span so many different types of learning.
Heading to museums, art galleries, shops, reading, creating, and watching movies. Learning doesn’t have to be just one thing – you can let your child explore all of the available options.
Downtime
Our brains love to learn, but they also love relaxing time too. If you choose something like art or listening to music peacefully to fill up your spare time, it enables the brain to make some connections and lock in what your child has been learning.
Not only that, but there is so much that these creative hobbies can bring in terms of knowledge.
Something as simple as finger painting offers the opportunity to practice colours, coordination, motor skills, communication, and let their imaginations go wild too.
You
Children learn a lot by watching and mimicking what their parents and older siblings do. If you want education to be one of the most fun things you can do, you need to lay that foundation and keep building on it.
Take part in learning opportunities, spend time creating, and make a list of things you want to know or places you want to go.
Once your child has expressed some specific interests to further encourage their exploration of the topic, look for groups of clubs in the area that are within the right age group.
Getting together with a group of like-minded children can quickly realize that having specific interests and groups to hang out with and talk about it with is just one of the coolest things.
One of the most important things that make learning enjoyable is that it isn’t a pressure-filled environment – instead, take it easy and let your child go at their own pace.
Love Redeems A Redcliffe Novel by paranormal author Catherine Green
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Note: This is a collaborative article. Updated 2026.
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Note: This article contains affiliate links, meaning that if you shop using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting SpookyMrsGreen! Updated 2026.
Mother’s Day is almost here! If you want to give your mum or mother figure a nice gift, we’ve got a special selection of products to choose from. If you want to celebrate the diversity of women’s fiction writing in English, don’t forget to check out The Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022 Longlist on our website and pick out the ones that sound best to you!
We’ve got the best books at the best prices, including Signed & Special Editions that you won’t want to miss.
Waterstones Books for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day Gifts + Special Edition Books
Still looking for the perfect gift to give your mum on Mother’s Day? We’ve got you! Check out our hand-picked selection of books to celebrate the date. We’ve got everything from heart-warming romances to fascinating non-fiction books. Click here to choose your gift.
Women’s Prize for Fiction
The Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022 Longlist recently came out. If you want to read any of these books ahead of the shortlist publication on Wednesday 27 April and the announcement of the winner on Wednesday 15 June, you can find them on our website for the best prices.
Special & Signed Editions
A special edition is always a great addition to your bookcase, and we’ve got the best signed and special editions to offer you, including a special Waterstones edition of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and The Six and an Exclusive Hardback Edition of Dolly Parton and James Patterson’s new book Run, Rose, Run on sale for half price.
Love Kills A Redcliffe Novel by paranormal author Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Note: This article contains affiliate links, meaning that if you shop using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting SpookyMrsGreen! Updated 2026.
Relationships can impact us both positively and negatively. Focusing on relationships that enrich and uplift you can make a huge difference to your mental health and wellbeing.
In this guide, we’ll discuss how to boost mental health through strong, supportive relationships.
Communication is an essential component of any healthy relationship. From relationships with partners and friends to the ties you have with colleagues at work, it’s important to understand the benefits of talking and listening. Speak up if you have things on your mind, take the time to listen to other people if they want to talk to you and try to be as open as possible. It’s always best to air grievances and discuss concerns or worries, rather than bottling up emotions and letting them fester. Talking can also be reassuring. It’s crucial to know that the people who love and cherish you will be there to help and support you. Speaking out can help you figure out who is there for you.
Look for like-minded souls
There are some people we come across in our lives who we seem to be magnetically drawn to or pulled towards. Whether you’re looking to date or find a partner, or you’re developing friendships and exploring new social opportunities, look for like-minded souls with whom you have a connection. You may not feel like you’ve known everyone you meet for the first time forever or form instant connections with lots of people but hold onto those who give you this feeling. Many of us are aware of soulmates, but some people also stumble across twin flames and people who make an instant difference to their lives. If you have a strong connection with another person, explore it further.
Focus on the people who make you feel good
Relationships have highs and lows and some are much healthier and more nourishing than others. As we get older, we often realize that quality is more important than quantity. Don’t worry if your social circle shrinks. Focus on the people who make you feel good and reduce the amount of time you spend or cut ties with those who put you down or make you feel worthless. Look for people who allow and encourage you to be yourself. Compromise is part of building relationships, but you shouldn’t have to change the way you behave or put on a façade around others. If you feel that you hold back around certain people, or you can’t truly be yourself around friends or people you’re dating, this is a sign that the relationship isn’t right. You deserve to be surrounded by people who love you for you.
Positive relationships can make you feel strong, safe, confident and happy. Whether you’re in a relationship with a partner, you’re questioning your friendships, or you’re looking for ‘the one,’ focus on enhancing and enriching your mental health by establishing and nourishing relationships that make both people feel good. Prioritize communication, be open and honest and take time to listen. Look for like-minded souls and spend time with people who lift you up and support you.
Love Hurts A Redcliffe Novel by paranormal author Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Note: This is a collaborative article. Updated 2026.
“Let’s face it, even when it’s an accident, someone must take the blame.” – from This is What You’ll Get by Bobbie Collings.
I received a copy of this book to review. Read my review and see if it entertained me.
Book Review for This is What You’ll Get
#BookReview: This is What You’ll Get by Bobbie Collings
I really enjoyed this book! It appears to be a cheerful romance novel, something not too heavy that will take you away from the stresses of daily life for a while. Featuring older characters (30-something), some with children, some without, and the protagonists being wealthy and carefree, there are elements of this story that I can relate to and some that I aspire to. I did identify with a few of the characters, although some of the younger ones did come across perhaps more self-aware than I think young people generally are. However, I speak from the experience of a woman who grew up before social media became the norm, so maybe I’m out of touch myself.
This book is definitely one for 21st century attitudes but featuring older characters that I could relate to. It is a hefty tome at 533 pages, and it could benefit from another proofread and editing session to tighten it up and correct some grammatical errors, but I don’t think that detracts from the overall story. I was a little irritated that the female characters were described as “girls” throughout the novel, even though for the most part they were mature women. That might just be my attitude, however, or maybe it was intentional by the author, I don’t know.
There is a lot of sex in this book
There is a lot of sex in this book so be warned if that is not your thing. I enjoyed it, but there were a few scenes that left me feeling squeamish. I suppose it depends on what your kink is. The characters did seem overly mature and understanding with each other and I would have expected more animosity or conflict in some of the scenarios. That said, I also find it refreshing to read a book where people are not immediately judging each other for their lifestyle choices, and it is made clear throughout the story that all characters are consenting adults. There are no nasty games here, only adult fun.
The ending is not what I expected and does provide an interesting twist that will leave you pondering about social norms, morals and our attitudes towards love and relationships. I am open-minded myself and do not conform to traditional marriage norms, so I enjoyed reading this book for that reason. It is nice to know that there are people who can integrate a healthy sex life into their world without it being taboo or hidden. We all do it, we just don’t like to talk about it! Well, in this book, they do talk about it a lot and while it was a bit much sometimes, generally I enjoyed the subject and the way it was described.
My Vampire Boyfriend by paranormal author Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Note: I received a copy of the book in return for an honest review. This article may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you shop using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting SpookyMrsGreen! Updated 2026.
It brings us delight and enriches our lives to be able to pursue a passion that we are interested in. It gives us something entertaining to do in our leisure time while also giving us the opportunity to develop new skills and competencies. With so many options available to us now, we should consider ourselves fortunate. Even entire websites have been created in the name of a particular hobby or interest.
When it comes to discovering a new hobby, the most effective strategy is to experiment. Many amazing and exciting activities from throughout the world are available for us to research and embrace. The first and most obvious reason is that we are all individuals with a variety of interests and activities. After discovering a hobby that we enjoy and are passionate about, we become addicted to it. In a very personal way, it becomes part of our daily lives and mesmerises us.
There are several reasons why everyone should engage in at least one recreational activity, but the following are the most significant ones to consider:
As a result of this, you become more captivating. The ability to share experiences and tales with others is available to those who have a common interest. They also have specific knowledge that they may offer to anyone who has a similar interest in the same topics as they do.
Do you ever find yourself struggling to hold a conversation or come up with new topics to speak about? A hobby can help with this. When you see the same people day in day out or don’t fill your time with various activities it can sometimes be hard to find something to chat about. When you have a hobby you have a conversation starter for both you and the people you are talking to. Whether you are talking about your real live steam train set, the fact you ran your quickest mile, or about a book you’ve started reading, it all sparks a conversation. You may even find new hobbies you want to try as you hear other stories from your friends, work colleagues, and family.
Has A Calming Effect
The fact that you’re occupied with an activity that you enjoy helps to alleviate stress levels. Diverting your focus away from the stresses of everyday life is possible through hobbies. They give you the opportunity to decompress and enjoy activities that are not tied to work, housework, or other obligations, such as travelling.
Makes You A More Patient Person
Participating in hobbies may help you become more tolerant of others. If you want to start a new activity, you must first learn how to do a new task. Most likely, you will have a learning experience, and in order to develop your abilities, you will need to be patient and persistent.
Increase The Quality Of Your Social Interactions
It is possible to improve your social life by engaging in a hobby that allows you to create ties with other individuals. A hobby is something that you can do with other people on a regular basis, usually with their permission. An activity that you enjoy is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and become closer to those who share your interests, whether you join a group, participate in a league, or try something new and require the purchase of equipment such as breast forms or sewing kits.
Self-Confidence Is Boosted
Self-esteem and confidence are boosted as a result. Having fun with something increases your chances of being successful at it. You can build confidence and pride in your accomplishments by participating in any activity in which you do well.
Boredom Is Alleviated
With the help of hobbies, you can decrease or eliminate boredom. In the event that you have nothing better to do with your time, they provide an activity. You will also have an activity that you can look forward to and be enthusiastic about.
Enhances The Development Of New Capabilities
New powers are developed as a result of this. If you have an interest in which you dedicate a large amount of time, it will allow you to discover and develop new abilities. As you dedicate more time to your recreational activity, you will improve at it.
What Steps Do You Need to Take to Begin?
Taking time out of our hectic daily routines to engage in things that are meaningful to us is critical to living a happy life. Hobbies are activities that allow us to pursue topics that interest us and to have a creative outlet that is separate from our professional lives and responsibilities.
Being involved in a recreational activity can be quite good to our mental health. Hobbies have been demonstrated to lower stress levels, improve physical health, promote more sleep, increase social connections, improve work performance, and increase enjoyment in people who participate. Perhaps you’ve decided that you’d want to take up a new pastime, but you’re not sure what you should do with your time and resources. This set of three-pointers should assist you in your initial endeavours.
Locate A Topic That You Are Truly Interested In
Take a few minutes to think about what you’re truly passionate about. This might be anything from creating art to attempting a new sort of exercise to playing an instrument to baking to writing to learning a new language or skill, as well as anything else in between. Describe the topic that most piques your curiosity. Perhaps it’s going back to something you enjoyed as a child or chasing a dream that you’ve had for a long time.
We can enrol in classes or lessons to assist us in getting started with our hobbies and interests. Alternately, we might view ordinary activities such as cooking, training dogs, decorating the house, reading, and organising as viable hobbies. Considering how easily they may be incorporated into our daily lives, these concepts are low-cost and simple to implement.
Reconsider Your Time Scheduling Methods
Most individuals don’t pursue hobbies because they believe they don’t have enough time for them, which is a valid point of contention. We may be really busy at work, but we are almost certain to be able to find a few free hours each week to include our hobbies into the schedule. Keep in mind what you already do in your spare time to avoid duplicating activities. You might be amazed at how much of it you could spend doing something else instead of staring at a screen. We’re considerably more likely to persist with our hobbies if we can schedule time for them on a regular basis.
Prioritize The Pursuit Of A Goal Over The Pursuit Of Efficiency
Final point: it’s critical that we distinguish between our personal interests and our obligation to be productive in our jobs. It is difficult to shut off when it comes to our work, money, or deadlines because we live in an achievement-oriented culture. Consider habits in a separate way from anything that requires you to work hard. It is important that our habits are low-pressure, soothing outlets for our downtime, and most importantly, that they bring us genuine satisfaction.
An enjoyable hobby can be extremely useful to our overall mental health and well-being. It’s wonderful to have a healthy outlet through which we can express ourselves and challenge ourselves. Getting started is always the most difficult stage, but maybe these suggestions will assist you in taking that first step in the right direction.
“It’s Complicated” (A Redcliffe Short Story) by paranormal author Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
Note: This is a collaborative article. Updated 2026.
My children love to play with toys that help them create new worlds and stories. We were excited to receive a new toy from Playmobil, and their dad especially likes this one because it is a recycling truck, and he is a Chartered Waste Manager by trade!
Read my article to see our review of the Playmobil City Recycling Truck.
Playmobil Toy Review
My Review of the Playmobil City Recycling Truck
The Playmobil City Recycling Truck came with two Playmobil figures, and my daughters loved these because they like to collect these figures and build worlds with them during playtime. The truck has flashing lights and working parts, so you can attach the wheelie bins and the large waste container to the back of the truck, lift it up and empty the rubbish into the truck for removal. We thought that the little bits of “trash” were cute, and our cat had lots of fun stealing the smaller pieces to play with.
I like that these playsets encourage fine motor skills and coordination, because my daughters had to assemble the truck before they could play with it. They also had to follow an instruction manual to work out where to put all the stickers. Admittedly they did leave a few for their dad to help with, but he wanted to play with the bin lorry anyway! Once assembled, the Playmobil City Recycling Truck looks cheerful, colourful, and practical. My daughters quickly incorporated it into their game, and they took turns to empty the bins using the mechanism on the back of the truck.
Another feature that we like is that you can lift off the roof from the cab of the truck and sit the Playmobil figures inside. Then you can put the roof back on and take the truck on its rounds to empty the bins. Never underestimate how much fun a bin lorry can be for children. If it has flashing lights and moving parts, and if it includes figures and stickers, you are onto a winner. We love all the Playmobil toys, and the City Recycling Truck has now been added to our collection.
Playmobil Toy ReviewPlaymobil Toy Review Playmobil Toy Review
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Note: This article contains affiliate links, meaning that if you shop using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting SpookyMrsGreen!
Dear Boobs: A book of poems about the love, leaks and let-downs of breastfeeding by Claire Foskett.
I was excited to receive a copy of Claire’s new book for review, since I am a former breastfeeding mother myself. It is several years since I breastfed my second child, but I still remember those crazy days and all the mood swings and mess.
#BookReview Dear Boobs Poems by Claire Foskett
My Review
Poems are a great way to represent our feelings, and Claire approaches her observations with humour and emotion mixed together. Her style of writing reminds me of Roald Dahl, and I love the illustrations in this book, and especially the Recipe for Breastfeeding Mums. There are some laugh-out-loud funny poems including A Cautionary Tale and Flashing, and there are more serious thought-provoking ones including Tired and Day Three.
Claire has included her own breastfeeding experiences in these poems, and her husband wrote a lovely poem to finish the book as well, which I thought was a nice touch. We often get so involved in supporting the mother that we forget about the father standing helplessly watching. Husbands and partners do take an active role, but it may not always be recognised.
I would recommend this book if you are a breastfeeding mum, if you are pregnant, or if you still remember those days and want to chuckle and reminisce. I will pass the book on to my sister who just had her first baby, and then to my friend who is pregnant, and I know they will relate to the poems and enjoy reading them.
#BookReview “Dear Boobs” A Book of Poems About the Love, Leaks and Let-Downs of Breastfeeding by Claire Foskett
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Note: I received the book in return for an honest review. This article contains affiliate links, meaning that if you buy books using the links I share, I receive a small income at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting SpookyMrsGreen and small, independent publishers!
I am very sad to report that we lost one of our beloved kittens during the school half-term holiday.
Little Cora was an adventurous soul, and she would not stay in the house.
Remembering Cora Green
Grieving for Our Cat
We live on a busy road, but we do have a large back garden and we tried to encourage our kittens to stay at the back where they would be safe. Cora’s sister seemed happy with the arrangement, but Cora decided she wanted to explore the world.
Unfortunately, she stepped into the road at the wrong time and was hit by a car. It was a tragic accident, and I am very grateful to the lady that stopped and picked up our baby, and then set about finding her family so that we could get her back. She ended up with a local animal rescue volunteer, who scanned her microchip and confirmed that she was ours. I then had to collect our baby, arrange for cremation, and my husband and I had to spoil our daughters’ holiday away with their nanna and tell them the tragic news. Cora belonged to my younger daughter, who is only 8 years old, so you can imagine the trauma.
We must learn to live without her
It has been a long and emotional ten days as we process what happened, learn to live without Cora, and try to reassure her sister that she is safe. Nora seems mostly alright, but she has been restless, and we believe she is looking for her sister. We have shown her Cora’s collar that was recovered at the scene, and her casket, and I think she is slowly making sense of the loss in her own way. She does have the company of our dog, Marley, at least.
Farewell, little Cora. I trust you are having lots of adventures across the rainbow bridge. We have eight months of memories and plenty of photos and videos to remind us of our time together. We will never forget you, sweetheart.
The Wolf and the Fairy by paranormal author Catherine Green
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
