If you’re getting married sometime soon, maybe you’re trying to figure out honeymoon options.


Honestly though, not everyone wants or can afford the typical beach honeymoon on a remote island somewhere - so if an exotic vacay isn’t in your plans, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a wonderful honeymoon - even if it’s just a few days away together. In fact, sometimes a shorter minimoon is actually more enjoyable after the stress of planning a wedding, and after all, you have your whole lives together to take fancy vacations. Travelling internationally wasn’t an option for hubby and I when we got married because we were on a tight budget, but we still had the best time and truthfully, our honeymoon is still one of the best weeks of our lives that I look back on often and smile.


In this post, I’m sharing some tips for where to have a great minimoon no matter what kind of things you’re interested in, and no matter what kind of budget you’re working with.




Las Vegas

Although Vegas may not be the most budget-friendly place in this list, it’s also not impossible to visit on a budget - especially if you’re not going to be throwing all your money away at the Blackjack table. Vegas could be a fun change from your daily life and a memorable way to start your new married life together after the formalities and stress of planning a wedding over the past months. Vegas offers hotels to suit a variety of budgets, and also has some of the best shows and musicals in the world. We’re actually taking our first trip to Vegas together next month, so keep an eye out for a recap of that trip!




Sedona

Sedona is said to be a truly magical and unique place by all who have visited, and even if you’re not overly convinced of the magical aspect of this charming town, it’s undeniable that it’s one of the most beautiful places in the US, if not the world. There’s really nowhere else quite like it, and with so many hiking options and nature trails nearby, you can visit places like the Grand Canyon and Horseshoe Bend through some of the tours offered to those visiting Sedona. Phoenix is just about two hours away, as well, if you’re looking for a bit of a day trip.




Road Trip

Road trips are fun, and taking one for a few days or a week will be a budget-friendly and fun way to explore some of the country and will pretty much cover every interest, so both you and your new spouse will be able to find something you enjoy. Whether you want to take a drive to explore some national parks, or head south and visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail hotel, you’ll find so many options for amazing places to explore on visit on your road trip minimoon. I never even rode in a plane until I was 24, and so far, every plane ride I’ve taken has been for work. Road trips were part of our vacation rituals growing up, so I’m forever a fan of hitting the road with those you love.




Denver

Denver is not only a beautiful and quite unique city as far as cities go, it’s also the perfect place to visit if you enjoy winter sports, such as skiing, or even if you just enjoy being in nature and making the most of the fresh mountain air. Flights to Denver are available often and affordably from many places, and even if you don’t want to venture into the mountains, then Denver itself is one of the most walkable cities in the US, so it’s the perfect place to get out and explore the city and all that it has to offer. A visit to Colorado has always been high on my bucket list, so this is one city I’m yearning to see.























*This is a collaborative post.

Brief synopsis: When Newt Scamander arrived to New York in 1926 with a suitcase full of magical creatures, an accidental suitcase swap causes many of the creatures to escape into the city. Simultaneously, there's a force wreaking havoc about the city. Is it one of Newt's creatures, or is something more sinister happening that's threatening to break MACUSA's statute of secrecy revealing the wizarding community to the non-Maj population?


I was in the drama club in high school so I've certainly read my fair share of plays before, but I'm fairly certain reading Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them was my first time reading a screenplay. I've had the book for a little bit, but I finally picked it up to read it before the sequel, Crimes of Grindelwald, was released in theatres. Surprisingly, it only took me a little over two hours to read the entire screenplay - so just about the same amount of time it would have taken me to re-watch the film, so that was definitely an interesting experience.

I will say I've watched the movie a handful of times, which was probably a major factor in how I was able to read the screenplay. I already had all the actors, outfits, and voice fluctuations in my head from watching the movie. It has been a couple months since I've seen it, so I didn't expect it to feel so exact, but it truly was just like watching the movie. Reading the screenplay was very easy to read and understand, and though I can't be certain, I feel it would also be easy-peasy if you'd never actually watched the movie before, as well.

It was an interesting experience reading something so quickly, but I rather enjoyed it. Honestly, as a Hufflepuff, I feel very inclined towards Newt and his character. He's a fantastic human (pun actually not intended when I wrote that out, lol). Even reading the screenplay made me laugh out loud at all the proper points.

One of the very important pieces of the reading the screenplay alongside watching the film is realizing what some of the creatures are that you may not have otherwise. It lists out many of the creatures that you see in the film but may not know what they are; and vise versa - the movie shows you what the screenplay doesn't quite describe. It's certainly worth speeding through the screenplay, I would say!

I love the holidays! October through December are such a wonderful time of the year (some say the most wonderful). I wanted to celebrate the season by hosting a book and gift box swap. It doesn't matter what holidays you do or don't celebrate, this is gift swap filled with love. I have included a response box where you can place in which holidays you celebrate, so appropriate celebratory items can be included in your box, or you can fill out N/A if you celebrate no holidays. Either way, this swap is open to all!






Here are the rules:

1. Sign up on the form below, or click here to find the form, and complete by Sunday, November 25.

2. You will receive your assigned giftee via the provided email by Friday, November 30.

3. Send at least one new or gently used book to your assigned giftee plus additional gifts or goodies, but you should stay around the $20 range. If you spend more than $20, just don't expect to receive the same amount in return. Make sure to send your package no later than Monday, December 10.

4. When you receive your book, feel free to post on social media with the hashtag #apabookswap and tag me (@kaylakedavra) and your gifter! (optional)



Gift boxes should total $20 prior to shipping and should include at least one book and any other goodies you'd like to send your friend. Be detailed when filling out the form so you can get the perfect gifts from your buddy.


The Halloween swap went really well and I'm excited to host this winter swap, as well. Let me know what you're hoping to get in your gift box swap this winter!

October was another month of exhaustion - work was the busiest I've ever been and I've literally been to exhausted to do much of anything. Plus between ghost tours, musicals, and traveling across the country - reading has been at a low. I'm still reading every single day, just not at my usual pace. I've been enjoying the season, though, so I'll commit to not being angry at myself with not reading as much as I'd like to. Check out what I read in October.






Dracul by J.D. Barker & Dacre Stoker ★★★★☆
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Prompt: N/A
Brief synopsis: Bram Stoker was an ill child who hardly left his bed during the first seven years of his life. Luckily, his nanny Ellen Crone had an odd way of making Bram feel better from the moment he was born. But when Bram and his sister Matilda find some odd items in Ellen's room one night, they decide to follow her out to the old Artane Tower - and what they see is nothing short of terrifying. Then they don't see Ellen again. Years later, Bram and Matilda, alongside their brother Thornley go in search of Nanny Ellen, only to find mysteries much more disturbing than they could have imagined.
See full review here.







The Shining by Stephen King ★★★★☆
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Prompt: A book mentioned in another book
Brief synopsis: After losing his job over a scandalous incident, Jack Torrance picks up a caretaker job at the fancy, high-end Overlook Hotel during the harsh winters of Colorado. His wife Wendy and son Danny come along, and for many months will not be able to leave the hotel. Danny's peculiar. He's got a way of knowing things that he shouldn't know, and sometimes sees things that others can't. And hotels, especially big, old hotels, have their secrets.
See full review here.







The Gates by John Connolly ★★★★☆
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Prompt: A book about or set on Halloween
Brief synopsis: Samuel Johnson thought it would be a good idea to go trick-or-treating a few days early. Just to get a head start, ya know? Unfortunately, when Samuel and his dachshund Boswell stop by a neighbor's house and get the door shut in their faces, they see something terrible instead. The neighbors have opened a portal to Hell - yes, that Hell- and now it's up to Samuel to stop it.
See full review here.

Brief synopsis: Samuel Johnson thought it would be a good idea to go trick-or-treating a few days early. Just to get a head start, ya know? Unfortunately, when Samuel and his dachshund Boswell stop by a neighbor's house and get the door shut in their faces, they see something terrible instead. The neighbors have opened a portal to Hell - yes, that Hell- and now it's up to Samuel to stop it.



I had The Gates sitting on my bookshelf for literally years and finally picked it up to read it. Honestly, it's not at all what I expected - I expected it to be very dark, but honestly it was a fun, friendly, goofy book that just happened to be about Hell.

The story itself was enjoyable and pretty easy-to-follow. The characters weren't overly complex, but honestly could have used much further development. My biggest complaint were the footnotes - while I think they were meant to add humor and context to the story, footnotes really just make me think of textbooks or academic papers and I felt the kind of took away from the story itself.

The novel very much reminded me of a much more child-friendly, toned down Doomed (by Chuck Palahniuk). Though I did enjoy the story and it was a pretty quick read, I probably wouldn't continue with the other books in the Samuel Johnson series. I wasn't pulled in enough to really crave more.

That cover sure is pretty though.