Harry Potter Haul: Updated

Jan 9, 2018Jan 1, 201820 Comments

A few years ago I posted my Harry Potter Haul when Primark was just starting to do Harry Potter merch and I spent a lot of my Student Loan on it (sob, I’m getting so old). Anyway, of course, there is now so much Harry Potter stuff that Primark on Oxford Street has a whole section dedicated and decorated to it.

I was lucky enough to receive a LOT of Harry Potter merch for Christmas. So here is my new and updated Harry Potter haul!

Boggart as Snape Exclusive Funko Pop

Now, I have a confession to make in regards to this. While it was a present from my parents I ordered it because it was an exclusive and came from Australia but it is brilliant! I’m a big Funko collector and this was a perfect present.

Gryffindor Onesie & Knee High Socks

This onesie is so, so fun! Now I can be a toasty little Gryffindor on the cold nights to come. Also, I’ll be rocking those knee high socks!

Hogwarts School Bag

My Sister got me this beauty. It’s absolutely stunning and you’d never guess that it was from Primark. It’s exactly what I think I’d use at Hogwarts.

Harry Mug & Hogwarts Shopper

This mug is super cute andd I knew I wanted it as soon as I saw it, thankfully Mum found it first! Also this shopper is so useful it folds up to an absolutely tiny size but you can fit so much in.

Hogwarts Alumni Jumper

The jumpers that Primark have been doing recently make up a good chunk of my wardrobe. Of course, I wanted this one so that I could seek out my fellow Witches and Wizards!

Hogwarts Notebook

My boyfriends Mum got me this beautiful notebook for Christmas, I’ve seen them a few times but never picked one up. It’s a good size and really great quality, I mean look at that crest!

Hedwig Pillow

I have wanted this since I saw it on Instagram. It is so cute, incredibly fluffy and despite its shape, really comfortable. Bless my Mum and Nanna for carrying this all the way around London and home for me.

Hogwarts Make Up Bag

My sister is a wonderful human being for finding this for me. It’s also got a second bag within it which is really useful for brushes, which I also got from my sister (she’s trying to teach me how to use makeup).

Funko Plushies

These are SO CUTE. I opened these on Christmas day and squealed, I think they’re newish and I’ve been hunting for Hermione ever since with no luck! So damn cute.

The Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition

The boy did good, the boy did very good this year.

Harry Potter – A History of Magic

I was lucky enough to get tickets to go to the Harry Potter exhibit at the British Library (more info here). It was a wonderful exhibition but I’m SO glad this exists because you just can’t take everything in, now I can relive it!

Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them Illustrated Edition

This came out back in November and was on my Christmas Wish List and it’s a beautiful companion to see another idea of what these creatures look like.

Lupin as Werewolf Limited Edition Pop Vinyl

I have wanted this for sooooooooo long. This came out as a US exclusive on Hot Topic at first, before a limited quality were also at EMP but I missed them all. So I might have had to buy mine off of eBay, but I couldn’t not have it!

Gryffindor Jumper

This was in my local Primark in the sale for £5. I snatched this up it’s big and cosy as well as showing my house pride. I also got the matching leggings as an extra treat from my Mum!

What catches your eye from this haul or maybe you already have some of these pieces, let me know in the comments below!

Why You Don’t Need to Reinvent Yourself in 2018!

Jan 8, 2018Jan 3, 2018Leave a comment

You’ve seen it all around you. New Year, New You! 50% off Gym joining fees and weight loss programmes blah, blah, blah, blah. I can bet that I’m not the only one who’s bored and a bit pissed off with the messages that surround us in January.

There’s a lot of pressure in January that we put on ourselves and each other to give things up or change ourselves. I’ve mentioned in previous posts , while it might be a good time for some to be extra motivated, this isn’t the case for me and many others. It’s dark, it’s miserable, a lot of people are struggling with SAD . Not exactly the most motivating, right?

That’s not all though. Think about the messages you are seeing, what do they all have in common? I can guarantee 90% of them have some kind of financial gain from making you want to change yourself! Of course, there are some resolutions which are personal and healthy and I have no judgement on that.

I’ll level with you, currently, I am medically classed as overweight on the BMI scale, which isn’t ideal. That’s something I’ve been working towards changing for myself BUT I’m not getting stupid because it’s a certain month on the calendar. I’m going to take my time and do it slowly rather than losing a lot of weight in a short space of time and then put double the amount back on.

While there’s so much pressure and you can see other people doing it you can be yourself. This doesn’t need to be the year you do everything and reinvent yourself and if you don’t in the next 12 months your a failure. At the end of your life, your last thought isn’t going to be ‘I wish I spent more time working on New Years Resolutions, etc.’

Do things on your own terms, when you feel ready. Don’t let pressure from other people force you into doing things. Resolutions can be a great way of motivating yourself, but only if that works for you. As for me? I’ll be carrying on as I was, working towards my goals one step at a time for as long as it takes. You know yourself best, no one else.

Why I’m HALVING my Goodreads Challenge in 2018

Jan 6, 2018Dec 31, 20172 Comments

For the last few years I have set myself the challenge of reading 100 books in a year and in 2016 and 2017 I managed it, which is a really impressive accomplishment for anyone. I love to read, love, love, love it BUT in the last few months of the year I became obsessed with getting to that number and didn’t read books because of their size.

I’m my toughest critic and I am also incredibly competitive with myself. That comes in handy sometimes because I push myself but not in terms of reading. While the challenge has made me read more short story collections, anthologies and poetry collections I want to just read things because I want to, not because of a number.

That said, as I write this the thought of actually reducing that number fills me with dread. Complete and utter dread. On the flip side though I am going to be more picky about what I read. If I’m reading a book and within a few chapters I really don’t care about it, I’m not going to finish it. I did that a lot last year and can’t believe I wasted SO MUCH time on books that, honestly, I couldn’t have cared less about!

So, there we have it, I’m halving my Goodreads challenge in 2018. What about you guys? Do you use the challenge? Are you thinking about dropping it to read more books you enjoy? Let me know in the comments below!

My December Book Haul!

Jan 3, 2018Dec 28, 20174 Comments

Hello fellow book lovers!

I know that normally I only post the books I received in my monthly wrap-ups BUT as it was Christmas and the sales I thought it would be worth my book haul getting its very own dedicated blog…because there are so many! So, let’s get stuck in!

Harry Potter – A History of Magic

I asked for this for Christmas as I was visiting the exhibition at the end of the month. This really goes into another level of detail about the world of Potter and history of magic itself.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition – J.K Rowling

The boyfriend did good on this one, these illustrated editions by Jim Kay are something else. These illustrations are so beautiful and you can tell they’ve been born from imagination rather than the films.

Fantastic Beasts Illustrated Edition – J.K. Rowling

This is illustrated by a different artist but is, again, so beautiful and unique. With the Fantastic Beast films coming out every few years this is a perfect companion and there is so much detail in these illustrations.

A History of Britain in 21 Women – Jenni Murray

Hearing about kick-ass women who made the country? Of course, I wanted this so on my Christmas list it went. My parents picked this up for me for Christmas, I can’t wait for even more inspiration from reading this.

Hello, Goodbye, Hello – Craig Brown

I saw someone recommend this on Youtube and the premise of this is fascinating. This links 101 meetings between interesting figures in history and connects them all in a very satisfying circle.

Sleeping Beauties – Stephen King & Owen King

Confession, I’ve never read a Stephen King book. This is because I am a wuss and cannot watch a horror film, but books are different. This really intrigued me, although it is absolutely huge. It considers what the world would be after women are infected with a virus, making them feral and violent, sign me up.

The Stepford Wives – Ira Levin

I loved the film of this as a teenager and thought it was only proper that I read the book too, I can’t wait to see how it compares.

Rosemary’s Baby – Ira Levin

I’d heard about this novel before and it was in the offer with the above, so it was worth picking up.

Animal Farm -George Orwell

I read this when I was at school, I must have been about 13 (I’ve just realised that’s 10 years ago and I feel so old). I absolutely loved this novel and what it stood for but think it’s going to be fascinating to read it all these years later.

Down and Out in Paris and London – George Orwell

I’ve only ever read Animal Farm cover to cover, so why not read another of Orwell’s works?

Night – Elie Weisel

I haven’t read this before and found it in a cheaper bookshop for only £3 and I know it’s a classic piece of Holocaust literature. It’s something, I believe, we need to read about and remember so that so many can be remembered.

Fools and Mortals – Bernard Cornwell

I was offered a copy of this book for free, so of course, I said yes. This is set in Elizabethan times and focuses on William Shakespeare’s younger struggling actor brother.

Are any of these on your TBR for the year, or maybe you’ve read one? Let me know in the comments below!

My Goals For 2018

Jan 1, 2018Dec 26, 20173 Comments

Welcome to 2018! January 1st, the start of a whole new year. If you’ve been following my blog for longer than a year, first of all, thank you so much you’re amazing, anyway, you’ll know I don’t like New Year’s resolutions. I say it, again and again, every year. Long story short, it’s cold, it’s miserable. Why start something new when it’s kinda shitty and everyone feels a little down?

So I’m all about making goals and they don’t need to be big or have a huge final solution. They can be whatever you want them to be and you can start them when you feel ready! So I do have a few goals for myself BUT with the idea that I want to start them. It doesn’t have to be finished by the 31st December 2018 at 11.59 but if it’s started then I’m pleased.

Get to 5000 Twitter Followers

Originally I wanted to do this in 2017 but it didn’t happen but I did get to 4000 which is a great start. So I’m going to work to get to this goal and connect with more people.

Start working on my first book…whatever that may be!

I’ve wanted to write a book for years, I get ideas, I start writing, I hate everything I write, I stop. The cycle goes on and on. I need to carry on writing, even if I think it’s awful because the end result might not be…

Work towards a healthy weight

My weight has really changed in the past few years there’s a lot of factors, the biggest of which was breaking my spine, but other things too. Emotionally I wasn’t in a good place during the early part of last year but I did make a change. Between July and November, I lost just under half a stone, which is a start but I want to continue to make progress. I know what my goal is but it’s very personal and I don’t want to share it.

Write more poetry

I’ve loved writing poetry more this year and really getting into it. I’ve even published a poem here! I want to work on it and maybe share a little more…

Be a kinder to myself

Sometimes I’m too hard on myself, I’m gonna try and change that this year.

Work my ass off in my job and see results

I started a job as a Social Media Manager in 2017 on a new project which is really exciting. I want to work hard and see results and see it grow. I’m so excited.

Manage my Anxiety in a healthy way!

I’m a lot better than I was with my Mental Health but it’s an ongoing thing, I want to carry on getting my anxiety under control.

What are your goals for 2018? Let me know in the comments below!

2017 in review.

Dec 31, 2017Dec 30, 20174 Comments

I’ve thought about, and more than slightly dreaded, writing this post for a few weeks now. What first came to my mind about this year was the negatives, because there have been more than a few. I’ve had more jobs this year than I wanted to, I’ve seen both the best and the worst in people and I’ve struggled myself. That said, when I was driving on Christmas Day, I realised I felt content.

Let me explain. This time last year we were living at Ali’s Mums, I’d just started a new job that I wasn’t happy in and all in all I was quite low. In 12 months so much has changed for me and Ali. We’re in our own place, which was so special, we’re both working in jobs that we feel good at and enjoy and we’re happy. I’ve realised I can survive Ali being away for months at a time, and we can still get through tough times apart (I lost my job when he’d started the second month of tour, not great timing).

I’ve definitely seen the best and the worst of people this year, but through it, all learnt that I have some wonderful friends and that my family will always support me. When I was going through awful times this year, job hunting, going through the pain of spinal injections, losing Hamski and just feeling lost, I had people around me who cared.

Even though all that happened I fought my way through. For so long I’d thought, great, the ‘real world’ is about hating your job and being miserable. Thankfully, and while I never take any job for granted, I’ve actually found that I have so much passion working in Social Media, something I’ve wanted to do since I was a student. I’ve realised that if I’m in pain I can go back to the doctors and be firm with the help I need. I’ve learnt that, when I have to, I can survive on just texts and phone calls with Ali, even at the worst of times.

That doesn’t mean that I haven’t had a great time too! I’ve been to Pride in Brighton, got published in a magazine, went on holiday, fallen in love with another little hamster and grown my blog more than I thought I would.

So, while 2017 might not have been the easiest, it’s shown me that I’m resilient and you know what, sometimes, I’m pretty damn cool too.

My Top Posts of 2017!

Dec 30, 2017Dec 30, 2017Leave a comment

We only have 1 whole day left of 2017, what?! I’m torn, the last 2 months feel like they’ve gone so quickly. At the end of the year, I always love to see what you guys have read most and what’s done well, what blogger doesn’t?

So I wanted to share with you my top 10 most read posts of 2017! Here we go.

10. Harry Potter Haul – Primark Has Done It Again…

I’m shocked that this is still in my top 10 and has been since I first posted it in 2015. This is when Primark first started doing a lot of Harry Potter stuff. If you liked this post keep your eyes peeled in the new year…

9. Taking Chances and Making Calls

This was my first steps in taking my life into my own hands after losing a job back in April.

8. Book Review: Fully Functioning Human (Almost) by Melanie Murphey

I love watching Melanie Murphey on YouTube and so do a lot of you! She’s sweet, funny and this is a helpful book. This is my only book review to make it into the top 10 and I’m glad it’s this one.

7. My Boyfriend’s Leaving Me For Two Months?!

This year Ali went away on tour for 2 months, the longest we’ve been apart. This was the start of me talking about going long distance, I’m really glad I talked about it to get through the tougher times.

6. Dealing With The Unexpected

A post I wrote in response to being fired, which turned out to be a good thing.

5. The Truth About Being in a Long-Term Relationship

Next year Ali and I will have been together for 10 years! So I did what I normally do, I decided to write about it.

4. Sunday Seven: The Businesses You Don’t Know About But Should

Back in April I was lucky enough to visit Dolly’s Vintage Fair and feature some of the wonderful small businesses that were there!

3. Feminist Friday… with Jess Willby

And on to my Feminist Friday series, Jess wrote about how Feminism is bigger than just us as individuals and how we need to work together to achieve. It was an absolutely inspiring post.

2. To The People Who Stole From My Boyfriend

It’s been a very up and down year, in August while Ali had a great time working festivals, someone decided that they wanted to steal from him. It was pretty shitty and frustrating (the stolen rucksack has never been found). This was an open letter to those who stole from him.

1. Typo Haul

Aaaaand at number 1 is my haul from Typo. This is a really cool shop and one I only found this year on a visit to Kingston. There are some beautiful things in this shop!

What were your favourite posts that YOU wrote this year? Let me know in the comments below!

My Top 10 Books of 2017!

Dec 27, 20172 Comments

We’ve finally got to the end of the year! Well, it has been a long one but I’ve had plenty of books to get me through it, hitting my goal of 100 books today, but what about the top 10?

I have to say it hasn’t been my greatest year in terms of 5-star reads BUT there have been some absolute crackers, which means it has been hard to narrow it down…are your favourites in my top 10?

Turtles All The Way Down – John Green

I got into John Greens books when The Fault in Our Stars came out but then read them very quickly. I didn’t think we’d get a new novel so of course, I started this the second I got my hands on it. John Green is incredible and you could definitely tell this was written from the perspective of someone who has struggled with mental illness. Review here.

The Sun and All Her Flowers – Rupi Kaur

Rupi Kaur came back with another cracking collection and I’ve really got into my poetry this year. This was another beautiful collection, exploring the evolving stages of relationships as well as a tribute, I felt, to her mother. Review here.

Making Faces – Amy Harmon

This was an ARC that I received and I absolutely loved it. This broke my heart but gave me hope. Set in the aftermath of 9/11 it looks at the impact on young people, as well as looking at the idea of popularity and beauty. Review here.

How Not To Be a Boy – Robert Webb

This surprised me, of course, I’d watched Robert Webb growing up on the TV but not thought much about him. It was only after I heard an interview I picked this up. A really interesting look at depression, gender and growing up. Review here.

It Only Happens In The Movies – Holly Bourne

Holly Bourne came back after her wildly successful Spinster Club series and made me fall in love all over again. In true Bourne style, we have a kick-ass protagonist that decides love isn’t like the movies especially after her parents marriage crumbles as well as her own relationship. Review to come but you can find out more here.

Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls – Elena Favilli

This was amazing, with beautiful illustration and tales about women that I’ve never heard of as well as women who I definitely have. This is for children but I think you’ll fall in love with it. Review here.

My Lovely Wife – Mark Lukach

It’s refreshing to read about mental illness from the perspective of family members. Mark Lukah marries the love of his life after meeting at eighteen. What neither of them knew at the time was that their later marriage would be tested to the limit as Giulia is hospitalised for severe mental illness. I loved this so much, especially as it is so honest and looks at relapse, the struggles and stresses of dealing with hospitals. So, so good. Review to come, but you can find out more here.

My Shitty Twenties – Emily Morris

The title was enough to make me pick up this book. When Emily unexpectedly falls pregnant as a student the father responds by telling her to enjoy her ‘shitty twenties’, I know what a charmer. This goes through Emily’s journey as a young Mum and is full of honesty but also has a sense of humour. Review here.

Nina Is Not Okay – Shappi Khorsandi

You might have seen Shappi on I’m A Celebrity but did you know she was a brilliant author? For me, this put Young Adult Fiction on another level. It’s not a light read but it is so worth it and it’s the first time I’ve seen a young person depecited as actually having a drinking problem. Review to come, more information here.

The Diary of Anne Frank

Reading this as an adult made it more remarkable and more heartbreaking. Anne would have had such potential, she had such an incredible talent as you can see in her writing from such a young age. Review to come, more info here.

Note: I have not included anything that will be released in 2018! These will be included in my 2018 wrap up!

Blogmas Day 24: A Christmas Message

Dec 24, 2017Nov 22, 2017Leave a comment

I may not be the Queen, but I’m still going to give a Christmas message. Fun fact my Dad always watches the Christmas Speech, every year 3pm usually while we’re eating. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Tomorrow is Christmas day. At the time I’ve posted this I’ll be in my PJs, watching a Santa tracker online and feeling very weird about the fact that it is the first year Ali and I are in our own home for Christmas Eve. It’s so weird.

Christmas, we are told, is a time for joy and happiness and family. For many of us, it is all these things. But what if it’s not? Some people have to go to work on Christmas, some are alone, some are dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. This is the thing, just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean life stops, I wish it did.

So, I’m just putting it out there Christmas doesn’t need to be perfect. If, for you, this Christmas has to be just another day then so be it. We put so much pressure on ourselves all the time and it sucks! I’ve been really poorly at Christmas before and the pressure made it worse.

Really, what I’m trying to say is make Christmas what you want or can make it. We don’t all need to have the same day, the same time.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or, simply, I hope you have a good day.

Blogmas Day 23: A Blogmas Round Up!

Dec 23, 2017Dec 23, 2017Leave a comment

While Blogmas officially ends tomorrow with my Christmas message (hey, the Queen gets one!) I wanted to do a round-up of Blogmas 2017. I’m not going to lie, it was tough doing a post every single day when I work full time but I enjoyed seeing the responses. Will I do it again next year? Possibly but I’ll do a lot more planning! If you want to catch up you can find all of my Blogmas posts below!

Blogmas Day 1: Welcome to Blogmas!

Blogmas Day 2: My Christmas Playlist

Blogmas Day 3: Shopping with Small Businesses this Christmas

Blogmas Day 4: Last Minute Gifts for the feminist in your life

Blogmas Day 5: Christmas Q & A with Adell & Nate

Blogmas Day 6: Costa Hot Chocolates Ranked!

Blogmas Day 7: Book Review – Trumps Christmas Carol – Lucien Young

Blogmas Day 8: Christmas Wishlist

Blogmas Day 9: How to Stay on Budget at Christmas!

Blogmas Day 10: Books to Give this Christmas

Blogmas Day 11: Christmas Q & A with Vikki & Zoe

Blogmas Day 12: First Christmas in Our Own Home!