posts in favourites

Welcome To Blogmas! + New Christmas Favourites

11/30/2020

 
Yup, I'm taking the plunge and have decided to participate in Blogmas! Am I crazy given the fact that Blogtober ruined my brain? Very likely. But I'm hoping with enough prep and organization this will be possible (she says, deciding this on November 29th with no drafts ready to post. Gulp.) 2020 has been crazy and I hope that at least one of these posts will bring someone somewhere some joy. Christmas will be different for so many of us this year, which is a hard pill to swallow. I had originally planned to travel home to the UK with my husband over the holidays to spend our first Christmas with my family, but ya know.. Covid happened. I'm saddened by the change and am feeling very homesick, but no way am I travelling during all this craziness. Stay home, stay safe, and don't be stupid. Basically. 
Side-note: I've had to unfollow so many people over social media this year because of their irresponsible behavior during lockdown. Where are peoples brains at? Humanity is mental. 
I'm lucky that both my mother and my Granddad know how to video chat, so it isn't all gloom and doom. So many of us who are away from home are lucky that this pandemic happened during these times with the power of the Internet and free calls through WhatsApp. It makes it just a smidge easier. As I've been living away from home for a few years now, would a post on how to manage being away from your family during the holidays interest you? As I have a few tips that help lift the weight on your heart. Let me know!

For me, Christmas begins the day after Halloween. So naturally our tree and decorations are already up, our snack bags are filled with more chocolate than we could possibly eat, and I've officially finished my Christmas shopping. (Have yet to wrap, but that's a joy filled day made for December 20th) Me and my husband are trying to start new traditions, such as exchanging a festive gift on December 1st and decorating gingerbread houses which is such a joy. New starts are hard, ya know?

Vlogmas is a huge part of my December as I love seeing more content from my favourite creators. This year I'm eagerly anticipating Rhiannon Ashlee, Lauren WadeLoseitlikeLauren, and BookswithEmilyFox's videos. I'm hoping Grackle will bless us with Vlogmas too. Which Youtube channels do you watch religiously in December? I'd love some suggestions!

Music is been my background noise for a few months now, no matter what I'm doing. It's become a type of comfort, I suppose. Spotify Premium is the best. So naturally I've been on a bit of a Christmas music kick since Halloween. My favourites are still the classic Fairytale of New York, the entirety of Lea Michele's Christmas in the City album, and I already know the soundtrack to Dolly Parton's new movie Christmas on the Square will be replayed a bunch.

Speaking of movies, we're blessed with so many new gems this year! Christmas on the Square looks like a really fun spin on the traditional Scrooged plot. Christine Baranski is a joy. On Hulu, Happiest Season was released last week and.... dayum. Dan Levy, Kristin Stewart, and Aubrey Plaza? YES. I've already seen this and am already wanting to rewatch. Queer goodness that has a impeccable cast. (I'm with everyone else on the planet, Kristin Stewart should've got her smooch on with Aubrey Plaza). Jingle Jangle was fun, but not necessarily my jam. Great for a family movie night. And lastly, we're all eagerly waiting for The Prom, right? I'm so excited.

For Blogmas, I have a few posts planned that mainly revolve around books, food, and festive goodness. So if any of those topics interest you, be sure to check back! I would also love to read any Christmas content that you may be writing up, so be sure to share.

So, yeah, welcome to the start of 24 blog posts. Happy Holidays!

Current Life Favourites | February, 2020

2/23/2020


I used to do favourites posts quite a bit over on this corner of the Internet, but I fell out of doing them as I wasn't sure whether people found them pointless. But having recently realised that I will always read someone's life favourites as I'm a nosy person, I figured what's the harm in doing one myself? If this is something you enjoy to read, let me know! Feedback is always welcome.



I've never been someone who played video games, so I'd never heard of Animal Crossing or Pocket Camp until having met my partner. I know, where was I living? Does Wales count as living under a rock? Anne, asking the big questions. Anyhow, after having seen my husband play around on the app and dressing up his little cartoon character, I wanted in. Since then I have reached level 154 and have wasted many hours playing around with my camp an awwwing at the cat characters. But in all seriousness, I find the app also really helps occupy my mind on those nights where your thoughts are acting as boulders on your sanity. The innocence of it all is far better than finding yourself scrolling through the toxicity of social media at 3am.


Ever find a mug that not only fits perfectly in your hand, but also holds just the right amount of liquid for that nighttime cup of peppermint? This Cat Mug by Now Designs is my version of just that. I absolutely adore it. It's also dishwasher and microwave safe which is now something I look for in a mug because apparently, I'm an adult. When did that happen?


I'm not really a TV show binger unless I'm with my mum as that seems to be our only mutual hobby. However I recently put on the first episode of Jane The Virgin on Netflix to act as background noise and found myself, 5 days later, finishing season one. I'm obsessed. It's made me laugh, cry, and feel empowered as a woman. What more can you possibly want from a show? This is about a girl named Jane who is a virgin (bet you didn't see that one coming) and accidentally gets inseminated during a standard check-up. When she finds out she's pregnant, things begin to change in her life. The plot seems silly and far-fetched, but instead it makes for a hilarious show that could rival any telenovela. And it may have a bigger love triangle than Twilight. Yup, I said it.


I recently became a member of the Bookstagram community by starting up my own page @BranchingPages. I was constantly posting book photos on my regular Instagram account and wanted something entirely dedicated to this niche. I have fallen entirely out of love with social media, I got my heart broken through a lot of them and it's made the entire world bitter tasting to me. I always sign out hating myself for some new reason, or just feeling deflated as memories refuse to not resurface with scrolling. It's my own personal demon. However, since joining this wonderful community of readers, I've experienced such a joyful attitude to taking photos again. I lost my passion and though it hasn't 100% resurfaced (I'm no longer sure whether it will) it's lovely to have something of my own back again. Plus the community on there is so kind, generous, and active that I never once felt out of a place. A feeling that I think the blogging community too often causes.


Snacks are the way to enjoy life, I will forever stand by this statement. Being more of a savoury person, crisps (or chips if you're in America) are my guilty-pleasure. So when I spotted these more 'acceptable to eat the whole bag' option, I thought I'd give it a try. Here starts our love story. Okay, bit dramatic. The Harvest Snaps Green Pea Snack Crisps in the Caesar flavor are wonderful and I've embarrassingly woken up a few times and wanted them for breakfast. On a recent trip back to the UK, they were the only thing I craved and nothing could satisfy the urge as there really isn't anything like these. Sure, pea crisps have become more popular but the texture can be entirely off and cardboardy. It's only the Harvest Snaps brand that has aced it in my eyes, and I may be reaching for some as I type this. Is this paragraph too lengthy for the subject of crisps? Probably. Try them if you can, I strongly recommend.

I've recently been looking into fonts to design what will hopefully be my first tattoo and it's really sparked my joy for graphic editing again. Granted, I do it entirely for fun but I think it's healthy to have hobbies that stay in the 'enjoyment' bracket of life. I've personally been spending hours scrolling through the Dafont site ogling and downloading too many new fancy fonts that I may not use. Yay! Efficient use of my time. What's your favourite site to download fonts from?


Did I ever think that a Cat Litter Genie would be on this list? No, never. But alas, here it is. I couldn't write this post without mentioning the genie that has made life so much easier for both me and my husband. I won't go on and on as I wrote up an entire review of it which you can read over at Is The Cat Litter Genie Worth It? It is a luxury item that you most definitely don't need in life, but it truly makes for an easier morning and night. No longer do I have to wrestle with poop bags that will forever slide down into the bin and make for a messy and icky situation.

So there are a few life favourites that I've been enjoying lately! What would be on your list? Let me know! And please, as I mentioned above, tell me what you think of these type of blog posts. Do you find them boring, interesting, or just meh?

Bruno's Current Favourites || That Cat Life

1/14/2018

Disclaimer: I allowed my darling son Bruno to write up a post for you all. Now, I truly believe that you'll be safe in his paws but if things get aggressive toward birds or he goes on a tunangent (get it? Tuna + tangent? No?) I cannot be held responsible. 



Yo, my kitty homies. Have you tried this? Hilife chicken is my favourite thing in the world. Well except for myself, obviously. And Mama. Her and chicken are like equal. It's succulent pieces of freeze dried chicken that are so yum they'll make your tail stand up. Every week when Mama goes Bruno shopping I ask for 10000001 packs but does she deliver? Nope. Big fat nope. She says Tesco nor Asda sell it anymore (whoever they are) but I think she just can't count to that many. Sometimes she gets that strange human who gives us paper and boxes to play with to bring some to Bruno, but it doesn't always get delivered. When we do have some, I ask for it multiple times a day and she does give it me when she understands, she's just a bit oblivious sometimes. Like, I'll be sitting right next to the cupboard that holds my food, treats, bowtie and chicken - you know, the necessities to keep Bruno alive - but she just comes and gives Bruno some lovin' and doesn't give chicken, even when I'm asking REALLY loudly. I blame my good looks. She gets so distracted by me. It's difficult being a kitty stud. It's yummy though. Trust me, cats, tuna is so pase. Hilife chicken is the future.

Free Apps You Need As A Blogger

11/11/2017

We all love to fill our phones storage space with apps that add something to our valuable screen time. Whether it be Candy Crush, shopping, or that weird farm thing that people are now playing, apps can be a form of free entertainment so we hoard them like kids with candy. When I first got a smartphone, I didn't know what the heck to download. I looked on Google Play, got overwhelmed, and stuck to trying to figure out Instagram. Yup, I'm that uncool. Alas, over the years I have found my own personal favourites and I thought I'd share them to give you an insight on which make my blogger life easier.


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