What My Friends Got Me For Christmas | Blogmas Day 14

Yesterday I showed you guys what I got my friends Steffi and Lisa for Christmas. Today, I am going to show you what they got me for Christmas! They both picked great presents and I love everything they picked. They have certainly spoiled me but I am so grateful!

There seems to be quite the Harry Potter theme going on with my presents this year and I love it! I got two more Harry pop funko's to add to my collection: Harry with the Marauders Map from Steffi and Harry dressed in his Hogwarts cloak and scarf, holding Hedwig from Lisa. At this rate I'm going to need an entire shelf just for my Harry funko's! Steffi also got me th Gryfindor make-up bag and the Harry Potter make-up brushes. The brushes are shaped like wands: Harry's, Ron's, Hermione's, Dumbledor's and Vodlemort's. I love them! I also got a little Harry Potter charm bracelet from Steffi that is a very similar style to the leather Pandora bracelets and a little Gryfindor charm. The bracelet isn't in the picture because I have been wearing it since I opened it and I completely forgot to take it off! The last thing that Steffi got for me was on of my favourite Lush bubblebars called Mr Brightside. It is bright orange and smells so fresh and I cannot wait to use it!

Lisa was very sneaky and clever with the rest of her gifts! I had mentioned months and months ago that I loved playing battleships as a child but hadn't played since and didn't actually own the game anymore so she went out and bought me it! I can't wait to play and feel the nostalgia! Lisa had also heard my mum mention my Team Ginge mug had been broken one day when she was over at my house so she went online to find me a new one! as I said, very sneaky!

The next thing Lisa got for me was a Walking Dead t-shirt. I love the show even though it is becoming incredibly stale but I still appreciate the zombies and the killing very much so. I could totally survive a zombie apocalyse and I have some how managed to survive the show for 8 years so the t-shirt is perfect.

Sharks are a weird obsession that Lisa and I both have, even when we were younger. We will cage dive with sharks one day and we will also swim with sharks one day. Heck, we are even getting shark tattoo's. The obsession is real. Getting me a small fluffly shark was a genius idea because she knew I would love it but it wasn't something I was expecting at all. He is so soft anf fluffy as well! I love him.

Now, you can't have a present without some joke presents and even with them, Lisa did well. She picked up a little wooden bracelet set because I used to make jewellery and she thought it would be funny for us all to make them for each other and she got me a glittery and furry model of an ice skate because all we do is work at an ice rink and because I used to skate! It is very cute!

I absolutely love all the presents my friends picked out for me and they have more than proved how well they know me! I am very grateful for my presents and for my friends, they couldn't have done better. Well done pals 👍. I couldn't possibly pick a favourite present because they are all so great! I cannot wait to use my make-up brushes and to add my pop funko's to my ever growing collection and I will force my brother to play battleships with me at some point too! I will make it happen. I am really excited for Christmas so having a mini Christmas before the actual day was amazing and has made me even more excited for the actual day!

Merry Blogmas!

What I Got My Friends For Christmas | Blogmas Day 13

I've been looking forward to writing and sharing this post for the longest time but I definitely could not trust my pals not to sneak a peak at their presents. Especially since I've been teasing them for months.

I am currently at my pal Steffi's with Lisa for a couple of days for a sleepover because of a uni trip. It just so happens to be Steffi's birthday whilst we stay, so we decided to do our Christmas gift exchange tonight. I have been so excited to give Lisa and Steffi their gifts because I knew they would love them and I couldn't wait to see the smile on their faces! 

Firstly, I got Steffi mini villain pop funko's. Steffi is obsessed with villains and has everything you could think of to do with villains: books, pop funko's, pyjamas, Vans and bags. Her favourite villains are Ursula, Maleficent and The Evil Queen from Snow White and she has the full size pop funky figures of them so I thought it would be perfect to get her the miniature ones too! That way she would have baby villains too! It took a little while for me to track them down but once I got my hands on them it was so worth it.

The next thing I got Steffi was a Chip mug. Steffi loves anything Disney and I knew she didn't have a Chip mug so it was a no brainer. He was just so cute and I couldn't resist!

Along with Disney, unicorns and glitter is the next thing that comes to mind when I think of Steffi. I definitely wanted to get Steffi something unicorn for Christmas and then I seen the unicorn pen. It was perfect. Steffi has a thing for stationary, pens in particular and weird pens at that. She has one of the queen, an astronaut and even a giraffe one so the unicorn would fit right in.

Now onto Lisa's presents. Since I got Steffi pop funko's, I had to get Lisa one too and I noticed she was missing a certain character from her Star Trek collection so I went ahead and ordered Captain Kirk for her. She loved him and now she has her favorites from the show.

Lisa and I like to read and we like to read the same genre of books: abuse memoirs. I had a few books in mind that I wanted to get her but getting books for Lisa is a risky game because she orders so many at a time that you can never be too sure if she already owns or has ordered a certain one. I was certain she didn't have these ones though but I knew she would love them. 

Lisa and I love ice hockey if you hadn't noticed from other post so it was an absolute must to get her something, or a few things hockey related. Her favourite team is the Vancouver Canucks but she does like the look of jerseys from other teams too. I was originally trying to get my hands on a Canucks jersey for her but I couldn't find one no matter how hard I looked. So I settled on a Chicago Blackhawks t-shirt instead. She loved it all the same and it gives her something a little different. I also couldn't resist throwing in a little joke present of a Lego Duplo ice hockey player who you can actually make shoot pucks towards the net. She laughed at it but I know fine well she'll be sitting playing with it a fair amount! The last hockey related item I managed to get my hands on for her required use of my contacts. Her favorite Braehead Clan hockey player is Brendan Brooks. A few weeks ago she managed to get a picture with him and a signature from him and the rest of the team on a group photo like I did. I managed to get a his solo picture signed for her. Her face was a picture when opening that present last. It was so worth it! ❤

The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of Lisa's favourite films and when I seen this t-shirt I knew I had to get it for her. It was just too perfect to resist! Add is kinder eggs, milky stars and galaxy caramel and that's her Christmas sorted!

I loved everything I got for my friends and their reactions completely made my day! I loved everything they got me too but you'll need to wait until tomorrow to see that post!

Merry Blogmas!

More Christmas Items! | Blogmas Day 12

Christmas is my favourite holiday. I love the music, movies, cosy evenings, snow, frost, decorations and of course, all the Christmas clothing! I am partial to a Christmas jumpers, leggings, socks, dresses and onesies. I literally spend most of December in something Christmas themed and I absolutely love it! Recently, I picked up a few more clothing items to add to my growing collection.

The first thing I picked up was some new Christmas bedding! Last year my bedding was red and faded in the washing so it was time for a new set. I looked in Tesco, Asda and in Primark but I didn't really like any of the bedding sets on offer. I found this set on Amazon for £9 and I love it! It is reversible too, with the other side being red and covered in white snowflakes. I definitely prefer the white side with the sleigh and reindeer's though. The bedding also happened to match perfectly with my fawn pillow from M&S last year and a few of my other red Christmas pillow's I still need to find. I will not be surprised if I keep this bedding on well into January, it's just too cute!

The next things I picked up are all clothing! The first thing is a pair of Christmas pyjamas. Each year I get a new pair of Christmas pyjamas and each year they seem to get cuter and cuter. This year it is gingerbread men and they say squad goals on them. It makes it even better than my pal has a pair too! I got these pyjamas for £10 from Primark and I love them. If you hadn't noticed from my previous blogs, I really like gingerbread men. We are having a squad sleepover this week and I can't wait to wear the pyjamas! 

I also picked up an elf onesie. I had one last year but I wore it so much that the zip broke so it was time for a new one and I gotta say, this one is way better! It's so fluffy, cosy and has a hood! I bought it from Primark and it was only £15. Now, some may think this is a bit pricey for Primark but the quality of this onesie makes it well worth it in my opinion. My dad even bought me elf shoe slippers with jingle bells to match! I definitely look the part with those on. They also drive my mum crazy which is a bonus.

I probably own around six Christmas jumpers and that's with me throwing some away last year. I love jumpers and I love Christmas so the combination is perfect and I live in them throughout December. I didn't plan on picking up any more Christmas jumpers this year but I just couldn't resist these two. I got the elf style one from Tesco for £12 and I wasn't going to buy it but then I seen there was only one left in my size. I had to, it was clearly meant to be. Plus, I don't have a Christmas jumper like this. The other Christmas jumper I got was actually from Depop. I have never seen a Christmas jumper with ice skates on it and as I used to figure skate, this was perfect. Both jumpers are so warm and cosy and if I could, I would wear them all year round!

The other item I tend to pick up each year is a pair of Christmas leggings. I usually go to Primark for this but I haven't really liked any of their styles since I bought the two pairs I have two years ago. The snowmen and reindeer ones I already own have lasted so well and are the cosiest things to wear, they are super thick and they definitely keep me warm. This year, I picked up some Christmas trackies instead. Everybody loves the film Elf, me included. I just don't like the majority of the over exaggerated t-shirts, pyjamas and socks offered in shops like Primark. These trackies were found in b&m and were only £8. I tell you, b&m have some hidden gems, you just need to look for them! I also picked up a pair of red trackies covered in white Christmas trees from Tesco but they are in the washing just now because I have worn them so much. They still have them in store though and I highly recommend!

Surprisingly, that is all the Christmas clothing I have picked up this year. I genuinely thought it would be a lot more! I was going to tell you which items are my favourite but I seriously cannot pick a favourite, I love them all and can't wait to wear nothing else this December!

Merry Blogmas!

What I've Got My Family For Christmas | Blogmas Day 11

As I've mentioned in a previous blog, I love buying presents for people. Whether it's for Christmas or for a birthday, I love it. There is just something about knowing exactly what to to buy for somebody and making them smile. I have actually had my Christmas shopping finished before the beginning of November! Yes, I am one of those types of people. I just get to excited and start as soon as I can. Now, even though I was super organised, I am still waiting on a couple of gifts to arrive but I thought I would share with you what I've bought my family for Christmas anyways.

Mum

This year, my mum has been 100% spoiled! Originally, my brother and I were chipping in together and getting her a Thomas Sabo necklace with my nana's birthstone in it. I bought my nana's birthstone on a charm to add to my necklace that I wear all the time and mum decided she wanted something similar. It was a perfect idea! My brother also upgraded her Samsung Galaxy tablet for her since she uses that constantly and I also got her a cuddly toy Dumbo because she loves Disney but doesn't like the massive cuddly toys and wanted a smaller one this year since last year I bought her a huge cuddly toy of Lady from Lady and the Tramp. I also managed to get my hands on tickets for her and I to see The Sound of Music in the theatre at the end of January! I even bought a couple of DVD's she wanted that when I wrap up I am going to pretend are actually from our dogs since they are dog films! 

My dad has outshone himself this year! He has never came up with a present for my mum on his own, he is just not good at presents at all. But this year, that has changed. He finished his Christmas shopping a few weeks ago and has bought presents for my brother and I and my mum! I was shocked when he told me. He has a picked a silver locket with a gold rose on the front for my mum and a new watch for her too. He has even organised and paid for a picture of my nana to be put inside the locket for my mum. I couldn't believe it! The man done well! This is the most thoughtful gift my dad has ever came up with and I cannot wait until my mum sees it. 

She will absolutely love every single one of these presents and she will be totally shocked at how spoiled she is this year!

Dad

Every single year I get my dad a book, some turkish delight (his favourite) and something daft and every year on Christmas day he sits in his chair happily reading his new book which he almost always has finished by boxing day! It's almost become a Christmas tradition for us. It's just good timing that the comedians he likes tend to release books nearer Christmas time. However, this year I haven't gotten him a book by a comedian. The book I bought for him this year is Endurance: A year in space, a lifetime of discovery and I will definitely be reading this after him! It is written by astronaut Scott Kelly and is all about the time he has spent up in Space. My dad and I both love space and always have done so this book is perfect for him. No doubt this Christmas he will be sat on his chair reading away most of this day, content as ever.

Stuart

Now that my brother Stuart is nearly twenty and doesn't really care about anything accept his games consoles, he has become a little tricky to buy for. Nevertheless, he has one present waiting to be wrapped and two other presents still to arrive! I was refusing to buy him a game for one of his consoles because a) They are all very expensive and b) He does not need any more of them, he has plenty as it is! The first thing I got him is a black t-shirt with the Beverly Hills Cop logo on it in red. Stuart loves this film and basically lives in t-shirts so I knew this would be perfect and it will be something he definitely isn't expecting. 

The other two presents still to arrive are Pop Funko's that I pre-ordered in October. One of them is Conor McGregor (my brothers one and only true man crush) and the newer version of Pennywise. If my brother could marry Conor and Pennywise in real life, he would. He is completely and utterly obsessed with both them! He watches every single fight, interview and film that Conor is in. Stuart even bought and read his book and I don't think Stuart has read a book since he was about thirteen! He also bought the It book and it making his way through that too! I genuinely thought he was ill when he came home with it! He even has a poster of Pennywise above his bed which his girlfriend does not appreciate. Oh well, at least I know the little weirdo will love his presents.

I don't actually have that many people to buy for in my family. My cousin's tend to get a shower gel gift set if they are older and money if they are younger and then some form of chocolate or sweets. I don't have a big family so their isn't too many people to buy for. I actually prefer it that way because then I can get really meaningful gifts for my mum, dad and brother. I cannot wait to wrap all these presents and for Christmas morning when I will get to see their faces when opening their presents because none of them have any idea what they are getting! It's going to be great!

Merry Blogmas!

New Christmas Decorations! | Blogmas Day 10

Everybody loves decorating their house for Christmas. It creates such a friendly, cosy and happy atmosphere. I think decorating for Christmas take us all back to happy and exciting childhood Christmas memories. Each year I buy a couple of new decorations to add to my collection and this year was no different! I am quite traditional when it comes to Christmas decorations. I like my reds, golds, silvers and greens, not your vibrant blues, purples or pinks so it can actually be hard to find decorations I like when the ones I don't like are so popular at the moment! Nevertheless, I managed to find a few that I absolutely love and with me having a big Christmas tree in my room this year, I definitely needed some more decorations.

Believe it or not, most of these decorations come from Tesco! The only decoration that isn't from Tesco is the adorable gingerbread men bunting. That came from Primark and was only £1! I love gingerbread men, I think they are very cute. So when I seen the bunting in Primark, I definitely had to pick it up, especially at such a bargain price.

The first item's I picked up from Tesco were the ballerina, ice skates and the Santa decorations. Each year Tesco brings out a ballerina decoration, each one has been slightly different and each one I have purchased. I love ballet, I like watching ballet and I like participating in ballet because of how stunning and elegant it looks. I actually keep the ballerina decoration in my room all year round! They just look so stunning and they aren't necessarily just for Christmas. The ice skates are a decoration I haven't seen before and I was over the moon when I seen them! I used to figure skate and I loved it. Unfortunately, it is a very expensive sport that isn't incredibly popular in the UK so I gave it up. I still love skating and would love to pick it back up again for some fun but for now, cute decorations will do! Lastly, the Santa decoration. The Santa actually has a toggle between his legs that make his arms and legs move when you pull it. It is a very traditional decoration and I thought he was cute and would look perfect on my tree or around my bedroom door handle. Either way, he was coming home with me. These decorations were all on a 3 for 2 deal at Tesco and there are definitely so many more to pick from! 

Even though there are only two gingerbread men in the picture, I did actually pick up three as part of the 3 for 2 deal too. I had little gingerbread men decorations last year but since converting our loft, a few decorations have gone missing, including my old gingerbread men decorations. So out with the old and in with the new it is!

The next thing I picked up was the star shaped wreath. I have always wanted to put a wreath on the outside of our front door but my mum was never keen and we tend to get quite windy weather here so we have never had one. This year I decided I was going to have one on the outside of bedroom door. A little hint to the Santa's Grotto that will be hidden inside. There were so many pretty wreaths in b&m and Tesco that I found it hard to pick just one! In the end I went for the star shaped wreath from Tesco that was only £5! Sticking with the star theme, I also picked up a packed of five glittery, golden stars for £2 in Tesco and I think they are going to look great on my Christmas tree!

The last couple of decorations I purchased were only £1.50 each and I think they are stunning. I'm not entirely sure what to call these decorations but they are essentially bits of a pine tree with robins, presents, berries, acorns or pine cones on them. I used to have them on my little Christmas tree and I thought they looked great. Now that I am going to have a bigger Christmas tree in my room, I needed to get a couple more.

There are still a few decorations I have been eyeing up in Tesco because they have such a wide variety this year but the only thing I really need to get is some more tinsel. I definitely don't need anymore tree or room decorations! I cannot wait to share pictures of my decorated room when I am finished, my goal is to have a mini Santa's grotto!

Merry Blogmas!

Top 5 Christmas Songs | Blogmas Day 4

Who doesn't love a good sing along with some of the classic Christmas songs? I start listening to Christmas music during the last week in November and that definitely isn't too early. I have always had one all time favourite Christmas song but I've also always loved so many more. So, I decided to narrow it down and pick my top 5 Christmas songs.

1) Wonderful Christmas Time - Paul McCartney

This is and always has been my all time favourite Christmas song. It brings back so many childhood memories of watching one of my favourite Christmas films with my brother: Rudolph, as the song plays at one of the best parts of the film. 

During the song, there is an instrumental section during the lyrics "simply having a wonderful Christmas time". This is when my brother and I would bop our heads closer and closer together under we collided and essentially head butted each other. We thought this was absolutely hilarious and every single time I hear the song, that is the vision I have in my head. It makes me smile every single time. Especially since my brother is nearly twenty and a moody young man now and no longer a sweet little kid.

2) Happy Xmas (War is over) - John Lennon

This song instantly makes me think of being sat around the decorated dining room table with my mum, dad and brother about to tuck into the Christmas dinner being served on the fancy crockery. This is the first song on the CD we always had playing in the background on Christmas day. Christmas day when I was younger was always so much happier and magical compared to Christmas day now and I long for how it used to be. Listening to this song takes me back to how it used to be and I gives me such a warm feeling.

3) Last Christmas - Wham!

I love this song because my mum loved this song and constantly used to play it leading up to Christmas. She would dance around the living room often pulling my brother and I up to join in too. These moments are rare nowadays so I treasure the memories of these moments as much as I can, especially when my mum isn't a big fan of Christmas anymore.

4) All I Want For Christmas - Mariah Carey

The reason I love this Christmas song is plain and simple. It's the song I will belt out like nobody's business. Who doesn't love a good sing and dance around? Exactly! In my opinion, this is one of the best Christmas songs to sing and dance to. It doesn't matter if you are a good or bad singer, an amazing or completely rubbish dancer, whether you are tidying your room or cooking in the kitchen, it is always a good option.

Yes, I'll admit I have the tendency to have a good sing and dance whilst I cook in the kitchen. Who doesnt?

5) I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday - Wizzard

This is the song that would always be played as my brother and I opened our presents or just as we had finished opening our presents. 

Can you tell I am a sentimental person?

Sitting in the living room, picking the best films to watch throughout the day on TV, surrounded by our freshly opened presents whilst my dad cooks breakfast and my mum sits with us is one of the best family memories of Christmas. It would also be played after Christmas dinner, after we had demolished all the food we possibly could. This song would signal the beginning of a post-Christmas dinner dance party. I'm still pretty sure this was my mums attempt to tire out my brother and I after all the sweets and chocolate we had consumed throughout the day. Nevertheless it was always good fun!

If you hadn't noticed, I am an incredibly sentimental person. I am definitely a person who revels in the past. My family isn't the same as it used to be when I was a child and I miss that. There are so many amazing Christmas songs out there but these five remind me so much of happy childhood memories that they just have to be my top picks. 

What are your favourite Christmas songs and why?

Merry Blogmas!