Merry Christmas!

Image taken from Giphy

Merry Christmas everyone! I cannot believe Christmas Day is already upon us and after finishing work this afternoon for the Christmas/New Year break, I’ve FINALLY gotten into the Christmas spirit!

I wanted to come on today to not only wish everyone a lovely Christmas, but also a reminder that you don’t have to be alone this year.

Christmas is painted as a time to spend the day with loved ones, whether it be family, friends and especially those you love the most. However, not everyone has that luxury, before and after COVID came into our lives.

I’m fortunate enough to be with Dane and my family this year, however some may be on their own, whether that be in their own home, on the streets, abroad, you get the idea.

Before me and Dane started our relationship I would spend most of Christmas Day on my own, even though I lived with my family. I’d venture out of my room for a Christmas dinner and then venture back for the rest of the day, maybe coming out again for gifts. This was mostly due to people just wanting to do their own thing or being tired. It wasn’t as bad as it could be, but I was pretty lonely. Majority of my friends were busy with their families, so I’d take to Tumblr/Twitter for company or even text my online friends.

If you find you’re in this situation where you’re feeling lonely and need company or if you’re finding yourself in a dark place and need someone to talk or vent to, please remember that my DM’s are always open on Twitter (maybeecoffee) and Instagram (theremightbecoffeeblog). Pre warning however, as I’ll be a little busy on Christmas Day, I’ll always try and reply as quickly as I can. 🙂

For eleven years, Sarah Millican has been taking to Twitter on Christmas Day to spend it with strangers. Sarah wrote an article for iNews about how she hates the idea of people feeling lonely at Christmas, so a decade ago she started #JoinIn, which everyone can join in on who need company on Christmas Day. I think this is such a lovely idea and as a fan of Sarah, it really warms my heart!

You don’t have to follow Sarah to take part, all you need to do is make sure to add “#joinin” on your tweets so people can find you and start chatting! You don’t have to be lonely this Christmas to join, you could join in just to meet new people and have a good natter! So, please bear this in mind too if you’re feeling lonely and would like some company.

Like I said last year, it’s really hard for people again this year with COVID. We thought it may have been on the mend and the light at the end of the tunnel was in sight, but it does feel like we’re going backwards instead of forwards. A lot of people (myself included) are struggling with this, with some of us being in darker places than others.

Please remember, you are not alone, you are loved and not only will things get better, but we want you here.

I’m going to pop some contacts below for the UK of who you can reach out to this time of year. Please use them if you need to, they’re there to help. Again, my DM’s are always open.

Samaritans – 116 123 / samaritans.org

NHS Non-Emergency – 111 / 111.nhs.uk

Papyrus – 0800 068 41 41 / papyrus-uk.org

National Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0808 2000 247 / nationaldahelpline.org.uk

Mind – 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 / mind.org.uk

The Mix – www.themix.org.uk/get-support

Alongside all of this, I really hope you all have a lovely Christmas with whoever you’re with this year. I hope you get all the gifts you wish for and your loved ones enjoy their gifts too. Try not to feel bad if you feel you haven’t gifted enough, or even anything. Money is hard and (as blunt as it sounds) a small gift is better than nothing at all… Especially better than a kick up the arse!

To also add, don’t feel guilty about eating yummy food either. It’s one day, so enjoy it. Eat that extra piece of chocolate cake, grab some leftover Yorkshire puddings! Fuck it!

Again, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I’ll be back next week to talk to you guys before New Year! I honestly cannot wait to see what my readers receive for Christmas! Make sure to share your days with me over on Instagram and Twitter.

Until next time, again Merry Christmas everyone. 🙂

Shop Small UK Guide – Christmas 2021

We are officially less than two weeks away from Christmas now and DAMN it’s starting to feel real! I’m just about finished now with most of my Christmas presents in the run up to the big day, but in some cases I’ve been and still am in need of some inspiration. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve really struggling this year to find the perfect gifts for Dane, my friends and especially my mom! My dad has been the easiest person to buy for this year, which makes a change. 😛

Alongside my Christmas present woes, I always enjoy writing and sharing gift guides with you all and this year is no exception. Last year I wrote about independent businesses in the UK that you should buy from and I wanted to do that again this year. The past twenty-one months has been hard for everyone, especially independent businesses, whether or not they existed before or after COVID began. This doesn’t just apply to the UK, but I’ve seen a lot of small businesses struggle lately, and in worse cases close down due to not being able to make enough sales to keep going.

I really want to continue to do my bit in helping these businesses as much as I can. Not only do I hope it helps you gain some new gift ideas, but I also hope it introduces you to some businesses you may not have heard of before and decide to shop with going into the New Year!

I still love a lot of the small businesses I mentioned last year, so I will link that post here! I won’t be mentioning businesses again that I spoke of last year, just so it’s fair on other businesses mentioned here.

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy this blog post today! I’ll be mentioning stores last dates to order for Christmas too.

Image taken from SplashJaguarCo

SplashJaguarCo – Kawaii home and stationary items inspired by Animal Crossing. Rugs handmade in West Midlands, UK.

Last date to order for Christmas – 2nd Class 18th December and 1st Class 21st December. However, as Royal Mail are struggling at this time of year due to Christmas AND the new COVID variant, please bear in mind delays may occur. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

If there is one thing people have been really loving towards the end of the year, it’s been Animal Crossing! With the new update and Happy Home Paradise launching at the start of November, Animal Crossing fans have gone mad even more than ever. If you know someone who loves Animal Crossing, as well as stationary you should definitely check out SplashJaguarCo! Not going to lie the Cookie washi tape pictured above is on my Christmas list and I really hope I get it this year. I plan to use it to decorate my diary for 2022 and more. There are various characters to choose from to have on washi tape including Maple, Marshal, Tangy, Roald, Stitches and more! A roll or two of these cute little washi tapes would make perfect gifts for any Animal Crossing fan of any age or gender, whether it be for Secret Santa, a stocking filler and more.

Image taken from BeaconCandlesUK

BeaconCandlesUK – Scented candles for Gamers, Readers and Film Fanatics handmade in Manchester, UK.

Last date to order for Christmas – The store will be closing on Sunday 19th December. However, as Royal Mail are struggling at this time of year due to Christmas AND the new COVID variant, please bear in mind delays may occur. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

BeaconCandlesUK is a brand I’ve known about for as long as I can remember now and have always wanted to order from. I can’t remember how but I discovered them through their Lavender Town candle that is clearly inspired by the town in Pokemon. Not only does it sound amazing, but it looks really cool with the Cubone skull and bone on the top of the candle too. Alongside Pokemon candles you can also get some inspired by Final Fantasy, Animal Crossing, Lord of the Rings and more! The scents sound delicious and I’m sure these would make great gifts for any candle lovers out there! I’m contemplating buying some of these for friends this year for Christmas. I feel like candles make amazing gifts for people and it’s one of those where even if you aren’t sure what smells someone will like, if you bought a Pokemon fan one of the Pokemon candles, they would be so thankful!

Image taken from PokieMinx

PokieMinx – Terrariums and vanity desk gifts inspired by Pokémon & The Moomins. Handmade in South Yorkshire, UK.

Last date to order for Christmas – Unfortunately orders for Christmas have now ended. This being said the store IS still open with items being sent 1st Class tracked and signed so they arrived within 1-2 business day. However, as Royal Mail are struggling at this time of year due to Christmas AND the new COVID variant, please bear in mind delays may occur. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

I couldn’t not share PokieMinx and her adorable creations! These would make perfect gifts for any Pokemon or The Moomins fan out there, especially if they’re like myself and have started to work from home part time. A terrarium with their favourite Pokemon inside sitting on their desk could really brighten their day. Or maybe a mirror? The Cubone one shown about is gorgeous and I can’t stop looking at it whenever I venture over to PokieMinx’s website whenever I take a look at it. Anything from PokieMinx’s store would make amazing and personal gifts for any Pokemon or The Moomins fans, especially as everything is handmade by Kimmy! There are also enamel pin/earring stands too so if you know someone who has started to get into collecting pins or earrings, these would make amazing gifts too.

Image taken from ARTBOX

ARTBOX – Cute character goods from Japan and Korea. Based in Covent Garden London, UK.

Last date to order for Christmas – Not known at the time of writing this blog post. If you’re based in or around London, the Covent Garden store will be open on Christmas Eve from 11am until 4pm. However, as Royal Mail are struggling at this time of year due to Christmas AND the new COVID variant, please bear in mind delays may occur. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

I wanted to mention ARTBOX here as whilst it isn’t as independent as some Etsy sellers and independent stores might be online, it’s a great place to buy Japan and Korea based items, whether it be online or from their store in London. I’m yet to come to the day where I actually order something from them, which might be later today! 😛 ARTBOX would be a great place to get items for your friends and family who love Sanrio, Pusheen, Rilakkuma and BT21. There are all sorts of different items to buy from and at all price ranges so it’s perfect for anything and everything. Personally I’m toying with treating myself to the PomPomPurin plush shown above, which you can pose and dress up! How cute is that?!

Image taken from Stitchtothepast

Stitchtothepast -Video Games Cross Stitch, Patterns & Kits! Based in the UK.

Last date to order for Christmas – Not known at the time of writing this blog post. However, as Royal Mail are struggling at this time of year due to Christmas AND the new COVID variant, please bear in mind delays may occur. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

The final store I wanted to mention on today’s post is about Stitchtothepast, which is a store I discovered in the summer. If you’re a newbie to cross stitch, or a “pro” like me there is loads of choose from. Personally for gifts the cross stitch kits from their store would make great gifts for anyone, especially if they’re into Nintendo video games series such as Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Zelda, Kirby and more. I personally really love the look of the Animal Crossing Celeste cross stitch kit where she’s stargazing. It’s such a gorgeous design and one I would love to do and display in my house in the future. The kits are really good and come with a cross stitch guide, a wooden hoop, thread and a thread organiser, pattern, a needle and more. If you know someone who would like to get into cross stitch in 2022, one of the kits might make a great gift for them!

So, there we have it, my 2021 guide to small shops you should buy your Christmas gifts from this year! All UK based of course. 🙂

What do you guys think? I didn’t cover off as many stores and themes as I did last year, but I felt like last years post was so detailed, I couldn’t really improve on it as good this year. Please do check out last years guide too, those stores are still around and amazing to boot!

Honestly guys, I hope you enjoyed this post today as much as I enjoyed writing it. I watched Christmas movies whilst writing, as well as chilling with Dane in our office. It’s made a lovely change sitting at my desk to do blog work.

Are there any small shops in the UK that you feel I should know about? Make sure to let me know and I’ll take a look for next time and promote on my Instagram page before the big day. 🙂

Until next time, take care all and I hope you had a lovely weekend. 😀

December/Christmas Wish List ’21

It is officially three weeks until Christmas… How crazy is that?! It only feels like this time last year I was saying something very similar when talking about my Christmas wish list!

Long time readers of my blog will know I usually tend to write my December/Christmas wish list on Christmas Eve, but this time I decided to change it up and do it the same time as my wish lists usually are. It means come Christmas Eve, I can wish you all a Merry Christmas as well as other things. 🙂

I’m rather excited for the type of content that I have planned for the rest of December, as well as Christmas as a whole. Me and Dane are spending it together again this year and I cannot wait! I’m also hoping to host a German Market themed weekend at mine too, with yummy food, hot mulled cider, Christmas movies, games and more. I’m really excited for that!

Alongside that, Christmas shopping is in full swing with most of mine being done now. I just have a couple of friends to buy for, as well as my dad and maybe a few more bits and pieces for Dane too.

However, I don’t want to ramble too much in regards to Christmas presents as I’ll be talking about that sort of topic next week on my blog and independent UK businesses you should buy from!

Until then however, please enjoy seeing what items are on my wish list for December… But mostly Christmas. 😛

Cheeky disclaimer to any friends who are looking for ideas, Dane may have bought me some of these things, so if you see something you’d like to buy, drop him a message first. 😛

• Pingki Buddy Penguin Plush Pals – (link)

First of all this is a pre-order I placed months ago and unfortunately at the moment, none of the penguin pals plushies are available to pre-order. This being said, Pingki is constantly posting updates in regards on their Twitter page. Buddy (Roald… :P) is a plush I just had to add to my collection and as he’s due in December or January, I had to add him to this months wish list! I’m not a massive Roald fan, but when I do look at him he reminds me of my best friend (Hi Gab!), she has him on her island and I always go search for him whenever I visit. The penguin pals plushies look so well made and with more characters coming soon, a part of me feels like getting together a little penguin army myself… 😛

• Converse x Pokémon First Partners Chuck Taylor All Star – (link to collection)

When I was fourteen I was bought my first pair of Converse as a birthday present. I went for the classic Chuck Taylors in red and I wore and loved them for two years, until I couldn’t wear them anymore. If you had told fourteen year old Nat that almost twenty years later Converse would FINALLY bring out Pokemon ones, she’d be counting down every year until the time came out. The collection looks pretty cool to be honest and although I would love to pick them up next week, I don’t think I will… Converse are shoes I loved growing up but realistically they’re not the best shoes for the price tag. Vans and Dr Martens in my opinion are a lot better. This being said, the clothes look cool too so I may snag some of those if I feel up to it. 🙂 I mostly wanted to share these for any Pokemon fans who would love some footwear!

• Smoko Vibrating Boo Pillow – (link)

Long time readers will know by now that I am a MASSIVE Smoko fan! If I can get my home filled with cute Smoko goodies, I bloody well will! For the past couple of Christmases and birthdays now, Dane has bought me Smoko themed items that he’s purchased from Firebox, which has always been appreciated! I own four of the lights (ramen cup, bao dumpling, boba tea and couch potato) as well as a handwarmer in the shape of toast (which I really need to dig out and start using now it’s chilly outside!). Surely I don’t need to add more to my Smoko collection? Yes, yes I do. 😛 I’d found this vibrating boba tea pillow ages ago on the Smoko website BUT when I saw Urban Outfitters UK were stocking it, it was literally the first item to be added to my list of ideas for Dane. I have terrible posture and often hunch over my laptop when sat in bed and rarely sit up. I’d like to think with a pillow like this it could help support my back a little and encourage me to sit back, plus with the vibrating function it should also be really relaxing too? It’s so bloody cute! I’m a sucker for Smoko items. I wish we could get more of them here in the UK to be honest.

• Manga – Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon (Vol 8-10) Maid, Kanna’s Daily Life (Vol 5-8) and Elma’s Office Lady Diary (Vol 3 and 4).

If there’s one thing I’ve hardly done since moving to my current job it’s reading. I was always reading in my previous roles as I’d either go to my car for lunch and read, or get to the office really early and read. Recently I decided to take a couple of my Kobayashi volumes with me to the bath and read as I had a soak. I honestly forgot how much I love reading manga, as well as this series so I’d love the ones I’m missing for Christmas. There’s quite a few from both the main series, as well as the spin off series about Kanna and Elma. I’ve added all the ones I need to my list, if I don’t get them for Christmas I’m going to order them for myself. These manga series seem to fly as soon as they’re stocked.

• Animal Crossing Friend Dolls Volume 1 – (link)

The Animal Crossing friend dolls are absolutely adorable! I never saw the appeal of them at first, but after a while they really grew on me and now I have the third volume pre-ordered and keeping fingers crossed for the first volume… Maybe even the second too. 😛 The first volume is available to buy from Amazon at the moment but I haven’t found the second volume anywhere where all the characters are available together. I’ll pop links as to where you can purchase these in the UK, as well as where I’ve pre-ordered volume three.

• Smoko Astro Tayto Night Light – (link)

As mentioned above, I do love my Smoko goodies! This is one of the night lights I’ve had my eye on for a while, but only recently did it hit the UK/the Firebox website. I have the normal tayto night light but I’d love the astro one too. I mean, look at how cute he is! Not only have Firebox stocked the astro tayto, but they also have some more astro tayto goods including the moon light and USB reading light, BUT they also have an adorable tayto coach potato sofa light too! If I end up getting all of these Smoko lights for Christmas, I’ll have to find a place for them all! 😛

• DIY Crossing Cross Stitch Kit – (link)

Finally we have the DIY Crossing cross stitch kits, that I adore! I stopped buying them a while ago due to Christmas coming up, so I’m hoping I may find one of two of these in my stocking… 😛 As I’m a Patreon of DIY Crossing I always request the dog villagers, as I’m hoping to stitch them all in the future. If there’s one pattern I really want to pick up in the New Year though, it’s Shino. Shino has fast become one of my favourite villagers as she’s so adorable and shouts Japan to me! I requested her cross stitch design last month, which I saw earlier this week. It’s gorgeous and I NEED to stitch it soon!

So, there we have it guys, my December/Christmas wish list! I feel like it’s nothing special, but it’s lots of kawaii and geeky goods I love and hope to receive some of them this year… Mostly from Dane. 😛

What do you all have on your wish lists for December, as well as any gifts you’d like to receive for Christmas? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

After Christmas, would you guys like to see what I received for Christmas? Make sure to let me know in the comments too.

Until next time, take care all and I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend so far. 🙂

November Favourites ’21

I can’t quite believe we’re less than a week until December but just four weeks away until Christmas! 2021 has flown by and I’m already frightened at what 2022 holds, as well as how quickly that may fly by too.

I know I’m posting my monthly favourites for November a little earlier than I usually would but this is because I want Decembers content to be full of Christmas related/style posts!

I’m actually really excited for Christmas this year! I’m excited to decorate the house a little more with lights, as well as lots of tinsel, and especially for being able to see the people I love and care about too. Me and Dane ordered our Christmas food months ago out the way, so the hardest part of Christmas Day is done. 😛

Now all I need to do is decorate this weekend, as well as finish my Christmas shopping ready for the big day! Hopefully I can smash most of it this weekend so I can spend the rest of December relaxing, buying any last minute bits and pieces, as well as spending time with people I care about.

I’m so excited for the content I have planned for the rest of December! A sneak peak includes independent businesses you should buy from this year, which will talk about geek goods, candles, beauty and more. Make sure to keep eyes peeled for that in a couple of weeks.

However, for now I want to dive into what I’ll be talking about this month. This may well be the last favourites of the year, as I rarely talk about the December favourites until the New Year. I hope you guys enjoy!

Favourite Beauty Product – Lush Yog Nog Shower Gel.

I picked up this shower gel in the Lush Boxing Day sales last year and I’ve been waiting for the right time to use it! I love Yog Nog so much, I was beyond gutted when they decided to discontinue the bath bomb. The bubble bar is good, but I don’t know… The bath bomb always smelt stronger to me. The scent has always reminded me of Biscoff biscuits, which I’ve loved since I was a kid. This shower cream/gel is so luxurious and creamy smelling and with the fact it’s gold, I feel so fancy when I use it in the shower! It always leaves me smelling good and a little bit soft. The scent isn’t crazy strong, which I really like. I’m hoping to pick up a replacement bottle in the Lush Boxing Day sales this year… If they do them online again that is! If you haven’t tried this before, give it a go! I’m not as much of a Lush fan as I used to be, I found they’ve really changed a company and their prices are shocking! I much prefer to buy and support small indie beauty brands, who have scents like Yog Nog and Snow Fairy all year around, at a more pocket friendly price.

Favourite TV Show – Komi Can’t Communicate.

This is a new anime series that Dane has gotten me into and I’m so grateful for it! It’s kind of obvious from the title of the anime what it’s all about. Komi can’t communicate due to social anxiety, but now she’s in high school, she wants to gain lots of friends and start to communicate more. Komi befriends Tadano, a guy in her class who really wants to help her with her goals. It’s a very cute, funny and heartfelt show. Not going to lie, I cried at a scene in the first episode. 😛 This is a Netflix exclusive, so make sure to check it out.

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Manga – Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Kanna’s Daily Life and Elma’s Office Lady Diary.

Don’t double check this to see if you read correctly, because you have. Yes in fuck knows how many months now, I’ve picked up a book and read it. No, I can’t believe it either! I think due to my mental health declining the past year I just haven’t been in the right frame of mind to read, which really does break my heart. I love reading manga and in one of my jobs years ago, I couldn’t get enough series or volumes to read due to that fact. Thinking about Christmas present ideas, I know I’ve needed to stock up on my volumes of the Kobayashi series, so I decided to start catching up on the volumes I need to read, add ones I need to my Christmas present ideas list, as well as pre-order some volumes I need too. I forgot how much I love reading manga! I’d take it to work and read it more, but I don’t feel comfortable sat at my desk with some potential NSFW pages… Which has happened in the past at previous jobs and people have talked… 😛

Image taken from My Nintendo News

Favourite Game – Pokemon Shining Pearl.

I haven’t been nonstop playing this game due to how busy I’ve been, but when I have been playing it, I’ve really enjoyed it! Technically Animal Crossing should be noted here this month too as I’ve been playing it LOADS since the update but I felt like I spoke about it loads of my previous post (Games I’m Loving This Month). The Pokemon gen 4 remakes are officially out and not only are they cute, but they’re so fucking nostalgic and I know I’m not the only one feeling that. I’ve got to the second gym on my game, but I’m planning to try and fit in some more Pokemon game time soon.

Just a few of my favourite other things…

I bought an Apple Watch!

I finally took the plunge and bought myself an Apple Watch during my week off work in November! Thanks to Dane I’ve ended up not only buying the Apple Watch but also the Apple AirPods too so I have all the fancy technology I need/want. 😛 Dane bought himself a Samsung watch earlier this year and has been loving it, which in turn has influenced me to get my own tech watch and why not the Apple watch seeing as I have an iPhone? So far I’m really loving it and it’s definitely come in handy when out and about if I want to keep my phone in my backpack, as well as at work. I picked up the newest watch and highly recommend to anyone who is thinking of getting one.

New clothes pieces I’ve obtained (including a grail piece!).

Alongside my Apple Watch, I also snagged some clothing pieces I’ve been after a while, including a grail piece by Black Milk Clothing.

The pastel jumper is by Wego, a Japanese fashion brand. I heard about it through Instagram and immediately went to From Japan to see if I could order it! I requested a custom order and a couple of weeks later it arrived! It’s such a lovely jumper, super warm and cosy, as well as baggy too. I really want the bright rainbow version too, but that’ll have to wait. 🙂

Although the snake dress isn’t new, the Route 666 Underbust Corset is and I FUCKING love it! I bought it second hand through an amazing Sharkie who I know and speak to often via Instagram. Instead of £42.61 I only paid £30 (not including postage) which is a complete bargain. I’m really happy with it, it’s so comfortable and the exact size I’d want as well which is perfect.

Finally I’m so excited to share my grail piece! I’ve been after the Merboy Shatter Reversible Skater Dress for the longest time and through one of the Black Milk Clothing sales groups I’m a part of someone in Australia was selling this piece for a second price including shipping. I decided to treat myself to it when last pay day came around and finally a few weeks ago it arrived! I honestly cannot wait to wear it over the Christmas period for parties with a pair of boots and a sheer mesh top underneath. It has pockets too, which is amazing!!! So damn happy to have this. :’)

Finally, Christmas nails season has begun.

Finally, I wanted to show off my Christmas nails because I’m in love with them! I know they aren’t in your face Christmassy, but I think they sort of are! I’m waiting for 16th December for my green and red OR blue and silver nails to be done. I’m feeling the latter as I can get away with them for New Years as well. Honestly though, these nails are bloody gorgeous and the rose gold makes me so happy to see.

So there we have it guys… The last favourites post of the year! I know it’s a bit short but I honestly couldn’t think of loads of talk about this month. There hasn’t been a film or music that has stood out for me this month. Plus, as I said before, November has been a tough month for me this year, so I haven’t felt all that… “get up and go!” kind of thing.

That aside, what were your favourites from November? I can’t believe November is done in less than a week now… Can you?

Make sure to let me know in the comments below what your thoughts are about November, as well as December being just around the corner!

Until next time guys, take care and hope you have a lovely weekend.

November Wish List ‘21

I still can’t believe it’s November already, let alone the end of the second week! This month is flying by and before we know it, it’ll be December. I need to start planning what I’m going to buy people for Christmas and whilst this year doesn’t seem too bad for ideas, I do feel like I’m kind of out of ideas(?).

This months with list was pretty hard for me to put together as I really struggled! Four of the items on this list are either items I’ve order, or already pre-ordered. I think I struggled due to Christmas coming up. I’m not really buying a fat lot right now, I need to keep items available for potential Christmas present ideas for Dane.

This being said, some stuff on this list (that aren’t orders/pre-orders) are things I’m hoping to buy at some point this month… We’ll see. 😛

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy this months wish list hopefully shows off some items you guys may want to pick up too! 😀

• Pokemon Funko Pop! Advent Calendar.

The first item on this months wish list and unfortunately… This is really hard to get hold of now. Putting this out there now for anyone who may ask later. This advent calendar was announced back in August and shortly after Pop In A Box UK popped it up for pre-order, which I jumped on before going to bed. When I woke up, Emily (Totally Emily) had mentioned that the advent calendar was no longer on the website… I was a bit worried and decided to drop an email to Pop In A Box UK to find out if my order was going to be cancelled. I’d not received confirmation of it, so I could only assume my order was okay. Later I found out that my order was safe, but the advent calendar had been taken down from the website due to how quickly it sold out! I’m due to get this in the post this month and I’m honestly so excited! I do love the Pokemon Funko Pop! figures, but I don’t want them at the same time. I only own the Mew Funko Pop! and that’s enough for me. With the little mini versions however, these will be cute to pop in displays in our office living room and bedroom, as well as stick on top of my desk monitor. 😛

• Sugar Bunny Shop Santa’s Reindeer Wood Ornament Garland – (link)

This is a Christmas ornament I really wanted to buy last year, but never did due to the price of it. Christmas was expensive last year as I not only spoilt Dane, but myself with buying loads of stuff from American independent artists. This year both me and Dane have decided to do the house up as much as possible this year for Christmas, including popping some more lights up! Seeing as we’re thinking of doing the house up more Christmassy this year, a part of me wants to actually snag adorable AF reindeer wooden ornaments. I’d pop them on our fireplace, potentially with some battery operated fairy lights.

• Persona 4 Golden Nendoroid P4G Hero Yu Narukami – (link)

I’m always excited for Nendoroid releases, especially when you’re counting down the months from pre-ordering. I’m a massive Persona 5 fan, and Persona 4 Golden is still a game I’m playing at the moment. I got stuck on a boss and I’ve been debating whether or not to restart that game… ANYWAY I couldn’t resist pre-ordering Yo Narukami, the hero in Persona 4/Persona 4 Golden. He won’t be going with my Persona 5 collection, but he’ll go in mine and Dane’s game Nendoroid section of our collection! I’ll make sure to show him off on Instagram when he arrives at the end of November. 😀

• Isabelle Summer Outfit Amiibo – (link)

This is something I ordered last week when I ordered my Animal Crossing series 5 amiibo cards! As some of you may know, I’ve been collecting the Animal Crossing amiibo figures since the summer now and currently I only have two/three left to buy, Timmy & Tommy and Kicks, as well as Smash Isabelle if you want to include her. On places like CeX they’re selling the Isabelle summer outfit amiibo for £15.00, whereas the official Nintendo UK store sells this one for £10.99… So go figure. 😛 I waited to see if the series 5 amiibo cards would land on the Nintendo UK store, which they did so… Yeah I popped her into my basket too. 😛

• Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl  – (link, link and link)

I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS!!! November is an amazing month for games and I honestly cannot wait for this to come out next week, I just wish I was off work to play it all day. xD This being said, I’ll be spending all the weekend it’s out playing it. I bought both Diamond and Pearl, just so Dane can play Diamond if he wants to, but so far he isn’t fussed… Which is fine, I can keep Diamond for myself to grab any special Pokemon for Diamond, as well as the starter Pokemon. PLUS, if I wanted to stream myself playing one of the gen four remakes, I’d be playing Diamond. Pearl was my gen 4 game of choice (as well as Platinum) back in the day and I loved it so much, so I’m already excited about the nostalgia I’m going to feel again. 🙂 ALSO an FYI, I’m planning on writing next week about all the games that have come/coming out this month that I’m excited for and loving, so make sure to keep eyes peeled for that!

• PVRIS Gig Tickets.

Finally, we have a random wish list item… But one I would really love to snag. When I moved to my current role at the start of 2019 I discovered PVRIS through listening to Kerrang! Radio during the working day, as well as driving to and from the office, and since then I’ve been in love. I missed seeing them in the UK when they did an intimate tour in 2020, so I’d love to finally go and see them next year! Why haven’t I ordered tickets then? Well, because I’m anxious. I’m anxious due to COVID and I don’t really know what the future holds? I’m seeing My Chemical Romance in May 2022 (just weeks after the PVRIS gig) but as I booked that back in January 2020, (when COVID wasn’t such a big thing) and how heart-breaking it was to get those tickets, I’m not willing to cancel the tickets for MCR. Thinking of it logically, I’d hate to get COVID from the PVRIS gig and then not be able to attend the MCR gig so… I doubt I’ll buy tickets unless it’s last minute, we’ll see.

So, there we have it guys, my wish list for November! I know it isn’t anything amazing, but with it being so close to Christmas, November is usually quite quiet.. Which is fair in every circumstance.

To think, the next wish list I’ll be writing will be for Christmas now! I seriously can’t believe how quickly the year has flown, it’s scary in a way, isn’t it?

What do you all have on your wish lists for this month? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below, I’m always intrigued at what people have on their wish lists too. 🙂

Until next time guys, I hope you’ve have a lovely week and take care!

Quirkory – Mostari Mystery Pack Review AND An Exciting Announcement!

Guys I’m back to talk to you about Quirkory, what an amazing independent artist/store they are… As well as some exciting news, which I’ll be sharing first because I just can’t contain my excitement!

Image taken from GIPHY

Drumroll please… I have become Quirkory’s brand ambassador!

Not only has this made me really happy (because we all know how much I love Quirkory as a brand, he couple behind it and of course their kawaii designs!) but I feel honoured too. I’m honoured to be able to become an ambassador for a brand I really do love and especially love talking about on my blog, to people on messages/social media and more!

Quirkory were lovely enough to recognised how much I loved them and offered me to become an ambassador towards the end of 2020, with it all starting to become official on my birthday! If you didn’t know, Inari and Mosted are based off of the couple behind Quirkory and are their kawaii mascots for the brand. So, when they suggested me becoming an ambassador a while ago, we also discussed them creating a mascot all of my own to represent me! I gave them an idea and on my birthday they sent over the finished design, which I’m happy to finally show you all!

I went for a raccoon, as they are for sure my spirit animal (as well as one of my favourites alongside foxes, dogs and red pandas), so it seemed right for me. As well as that, I went for a purple bow around their neck, as that’s my favourite colour. I loved the idea of having my mascot with food/drink of some sort, especially considering the name of my blog is to do with coffee! We didn’t go with coffee however and instead opted for a matcha bubble tea, as this is one of my favourite beverages! The end design is so adorable and I couldn’t be happier with it! I’m planning to buy a print of it from Quirkory so I can pop it in a frame and hang it in the house. I’m honestly a mixture of happy and proud to now be more than just a fan/buyer of Quirkory, but now working with them too.

Of course, with being a brand ambassador I do get a special discount code for you guys to use to snag yourself a bargain or two! This code will be “TMBQUIRKORY” and gives you 10% off of Quirkory’s Etsy store. Don’t worry if you need to quickly grab the code in the future and can’t find this post, there’s a few ways this discount code will be accessible.

I’ll be adding the discount code and image, as well as this post under the “Quirkory” section of my blog, as shown in the image above. As well as that, I will of course have the discount code image on the right hand side of my blog, which will be added after this post is live!

Anyhoo, exciting announcement over, it’s time to talk about Quirkory’s Mostari Mystery Pack! This is an item Quirkory revealed and launched towards the end of 2020 and it’s something I KNEW I had to pick up for myself. It’s always nice to pick up a surprise box/bag to see what goodies you get. I know I often talk about Quirkory on my blog and for people who may have never bought anything from Quirkory before and interested, the Mostari pack may be a great way to introduce you to Quirkory!

I’m going to explain what the Mostari pack is all about, as well as prices, what you’ll expect as well as what I received in my pack! I have also done an IGTV video about this over on my Instagram account, which I will post here if you’re interested in watching that alongside reading this post.

The Mostari box comes in three different sizes, bag, mini box and large box.

Bag (£20.25) – You will receive three different pins or two different random pins and one surprise item.

Mini Box (£27.98) – You will receive three different pins or two different random pins and one surprise item. You will also received one art print and either two jumbo vinyl stickers or one stick pack/sheet.

Large Box (£41.59) – You will receive five different pins or four different random pins and one surprise item. You will also received one art print and either two jumbo vinyl stickers or one stick pack/sheet.

I went for the large box, because why not? 😛 It arrived before Christmas and I was SO HAPPY with all of the goodies I received. Quirkory made sure that I didn’t receive any duplicate items and I couldn’t thank them enough for this! To be honest, if I had of received some duplicate enamel pins, I would have gifted them to my friends. 🙂

Image taken from Quirkory’s Etsy store.

First of all the image that Quirkory designed purely for the Mostari pack is absolutely adorable! It’s Inari and Mosted looking inside the Mostari box in front of them, which is full of sparkle! The name Mostari is also a mash up of Inari and Mosted to sound like mystery!

Inside the box it is full of shredded pink and blue tissue paper, as well as the goodies all in their packages and such. I’m going to talk about all the goodies I received, honestly I couldn’t be happier with them! There is also a thank you card in there with some cute animal designs on! I’d like to think these are Quirkory’s pets…

Every box may contain common, discontinued or new/unreleased items. Due to this each box will have a random different rarity grade:

Common- if containing items with a stock of more than 30 pieces.

Rare – if containing items with a low stock.

Vaulted – if containing items no longer on sale or out of stock.

Surprize – if containing a new item not yet listed for sale/not yet shown to the public.

• Sticker Pack – Chillin’ Pals Sticker Set (link)

When I saw this in the box, I was so surprised! I’ve been meaning to buy this sticker pack for the longest time, but just keep leaving it for a rainy day when I fancy a treat. I finally have them and they’re so cute! The stickers themselves are matte and not shin. There are four stickers in the pack, all to do with dogs and cats and are original Quirkory designs and even have their own names.

Luci is a black cat and white cat with a blue beanie on and a book in front of them. The book has sparkles and swirls, which I assume are to show Luci getting into the magic of the book.

Doteki is actually my favourite from the bunch and looks to be a shiba who is chilling on Petflix with some film/TV show snacks and even a hot water bottle! Plus, he’s got cute little feet pads and a little cross to show his bum… So cute!

Snoozin is a ginger and white cat who is asleep under the blue fluffy blanket. They’re dreaming about sleeping in a box in the sunshine. Snoozin also has a cute little red bow around their neck.

Yuki is the final design and is a cute little shiba wrapped up for winter months. I don’t know why but this design reminds me of Japan in winter. Yuki is a brown and white suba, with pink earmuffs on, a massive chunky blue tartan scarf and some cute little pink mittens.

• Art Print – Happy Togedeer Art Print (link)

I’ve seen this print before receiving it in my Mostari pack due to being a Patreon and it was actually a design they released as wallpapers for computers, phones and tablets so it was so cute to receive in my pack! It’s two deer snuggling together, one is white and one is brown, with a little heart above them both. The pale blue background works really well and it says, “Happy Togedeer” at the top. It’s printing on photo paper and feels really lovely. I’m planning to keep either stick this on my plushie cabinet, or keep it somewhere safe for when I eventually get my own desk. 🙂

• Rare – Mew enamel pin from the Mythical Rising Star collection (link)

This Mew enamel pin is from Quirkory’s first Kickstarter which launched back in March 2019. It’s crazy to think that was almost two years ago! I hadn’t discovered Quirkory at this point but if I had I know for a fact I would have backed for this enamel pin design. Mew is one of my favourite Pokemon and they really captured how playful and cute the psychic Pokemon is with this design! Mew is sat against a blue stained glass design, with a purple bow design on its tail and some star designs hanging from its tail too. This is a chain design enamel pin so it does have something dangling off of it. With Mew the design is a pink and purple swirl, which I assume is based off of it being psychic Pokemon. It’s on a rose gold enamel, is a two back pin for the main body of the design and then another back for the pin for the dangle/chain swirl design too. As well as that on the back of the main design of the piece is Quirkory’s logo. There are loads of designs similar to this one including Diancie, Victini, Celebi, Shaymin, Jirachi, Marshadow, Manaphy, Zeraora and Meloetta.

• Rare – Flower Eevee enamel pin from the Cute Eeveelutions collection (link)

This series of flower Eeeveelution is from the Kickstarter that helped me to discover Quirkory after buying some of the Greek Eeveelutions designs through it, as well as after (you can read all about the Greek Eeveelution designs here). The first enamel pin I opened from my Mostari box was this design and it made me smile so much! This cute little Eevee is laid back on a white flower, with it’s fluffy tail dangling below it, I think it’s having a snooze! I love the big green leaves for this flower too, as it compliments the overall colours of Eevee and the flower. This is a gold enamel pin, with two backs and Quirkory etched into the back.

• Rare – Flower Flareon enamel pin from the Cute Eeveelutions collection (link)

Again, we have another Eeveelution design from the Kickstarter I backed back in 2019. As you can see I also received the Flareon design which really did make me smile. Back when I discovered Quirkory they thanked me for all their support by sending me the Flareon Greek God design, so it’s really nice to get Flareon again! The Flareon, like Eevee is lying on it’s back, but Flareon has its paws up to its face, almost like its giggling at something. It is lying on a purple flower, which like the Eevee design compliments the colours of Flareon’s orange and yellow so well! Alongside the Eevee and Flareon designs, you can also pick up the other Eeveelutions too – Leafeon, Vaporeon, Sylveon, Espeon, Jolteon, Umbreon and Glaceon.

• Rare – Yamper Corgi enamel pin (link)

The Yamper design is adorable and one I’ve toyed with buying for a while. I actually think the Quirkory design for Yamper is better than the original by Pokemon… 😛 It’s not an overly complicated design and the Yamper definitely shouts corgi when you look at it. It also has a little blep going on, which makes it even more adorable, alongside with the way it’s sat. This is a gold enamel pin, with two pin backs and Quirkory etched into the back of it.

• Vaulted – Bulbakura Enamel Pin (link)

Alongside the Mew enamel pin, this Bulbasaur enamel pin is also from Quirkory’s first Kickstarter from March 2019. To me this Bulbasaur design is different to anything Quirkory has done since and because of this I’m glad to finally own it! It’s a gold Bulbasaur with a pink cherry blossom on it’s back instead of the bulb we all know and recognise the Pokemon for. Due to the Bulbasaur being gold, of course the enamel is gold too and like pretty much all of the pins I received, it has two backs as well as Quirkory etched into the back of the enamel pin. It’s quite a thick enamel pin to be honest, which is really nice to hold. I can’t wait to display this in the future, the gold makes it lovely and shiny so it’ll definitely be a conversation starter in the future.

• Surprize – Totodile Patch

This was actually such a surprise and was the first thing I opened when in my Mostari box! I’ve never seen Quirkory sell patches before so if this is an upcoming project I’m excited for it! This is a patch with Totodile on and he’s holding a hose pipe which he’s shooting water out of. It took me a while to realise what it was, but coming out of his head is a needle and thread, which looks really cool and unique. I’m not sure what I’m going to put my patch on yet but I’m sure I’ll find something soon. 🙂

I also received some other goodies in my pack, but this was more of a thank you from Quirkory for supporting them, plus as I’m a Patreon, it was also a thank you for that too! As always, Quirkory also sent a really lovely thank you note. I’m not going to share it as it feels more personal, and I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned before on my blog, but all the thank you notes Quirkory have sent me, I’ve kept. 🙂 They also sent me a special discount code for their store as a thanks for being a Patreon.

• Detective Pikachu Sticker (link for sticker pack)

This Detective Pikachu design looks to be from a sticker pack, but I honestly love the design I was sent. Detective Pikachu is holding his little takeaway coffee cup and looks adorable as anything! Why do I feel Quirkory sent me this because it’s to do with coffee? 😛 It’s a matte sticker by the way. I don’t have a clue where I’m going to stick him yet, but I’m sure I’ll find something.

• Whipped Ghost Sticker (link)

This is another design I’ve seen floating around Patreon and one that reminds me of autumn/fall in America. It’s a pumpkin pie with little candy corns on it, as well as a happy dollop of cream! It’s so bloody cute. This is a vinyl sticker. I think Quirkory should definitely do more food themed designs. 😛

• Inari & Mosted Christmas and Autumn Stickers (Sorry no link…)
  

Quirkory sent me some of their mascot stickers and I always smile when they send me some! They’re so cute and I actually have quite a lot of the mascot stickers on my iPad case, including the Christmas Inari and Mosted they sent me from last Christmas (2019). Inari has reindeer antlers on, whilst Mosted wears a Christmas hat. These are small stickers and matte. The other two designs they sent me look like they’re from autumn. Inari is dressed up a cream squirrel and holding onto an acorn whilst Mosted is dressed as a squirrel too but is a dark brown and is holding onto a toadstool/wild mushroom. These two designs are adorable!

Sadly neither of these designs are available to buy on the store, however here are some Inari and Mosted designs you can check out instead – Halloween Stickers and summer stickers.

So that is the Mostari box! I’m so glad I picked one up before Christmas as it was so exciting to open it up! I don’t know if any young Brits from the 90’s remember, but there used to be such a thing as a “surprise” bag you could buy from the shop where it was a sealed bag full of exciting goodies to keep you busy! It would have an activity book, some crayons, as well as a toy and sweeties. My mom would buy me one every now and then and I really did love it. I just googled it ad FOUND IT! It was called Dick Turtle Surprise Bag. This is exactly what the Mostari box reminded me of and it definitely brought back some nostalgic memories, which have been lovely.

I’m going to add all of Quirkory’s social media pages and especially their store below:

Store (Etsy)

Instagram

Patreon

Facebook

Twitter

So, do you think you’ll pick up your own Mostari box? If so, what size would you opt for and what goodies would you hope to get inside your box? Of course if you are interested in getting a box of your own, you can use my discount code to save yourself some monies as well, which is always good! 😀

Let me know what you think in the comments below and make sure to say hello to Quirkory from me if you find yourself making a purchase, posting on their social media and more. 🙂

Until next time guys, I hope you’re all doing well and keeping safe during lockdown with everything going on. Take care all! 🙂

Christmas 2020 Wish List

Can you believe it’s Christmas Eve already? We all say it don’t we? “This time next year we’ll be doing it all over again!” and here we are. 😛

Christmas this year is a strange one for all of us. Last year I wasn’t really in the right frame of mind for Christmas, but that was due to the mixture of excitement and nerves about going to Japan in January. My head was just in a space of preparing for the trip. This year at the time of writing this post (a few days prior to Christmas Eve) I’m not feeling festive… Not even with everyone’s (and my own) Christmas presents wrapped up in front of me, ready to be delivered to their homes. It’s obviously due to COVID but I’m hoping come Christmas Day both me and Dane will be feeling festive and merry as we cook our dinner together, drink as much as we feel in the mood for and just enjoy the day together… Which will be a first.

Christmas to me is about showing your loved ones how much they mean to you, and I don’t just mean with gifts. Christmas is a time of celebration and being together as a family, no matter how big or small. This year is different as some people may be on their own at home or with their small family and cannot be with bigger families this year. I’m sad not to see my parents this year, especially my mom after what a rubbish few months we have had. However, we have a plan and we know it’ll work. We’re just going to Facetime each other when we’re due to open each others gifts and have a drink, etc etc. It’ll be good. I’ve already spoken to my mom this evening (I’m not writing this on Christmas Eve!) and we’re happy enough with what we plan to do.

I have to say, my mom has sent two MASSIVE boxes… I wonder what she’s bought me… 😛

I want to add my yearly reminder here about taking care of yourself over Christmas. It’s really hard for people this year with COVID, but I’ve been there at Christmas where my mind is in a dark place and I’ve needed someone to talk to. You are not alone. I’m going to pop some contacts below for the UK of who you can reach out to this time of year. Please use them if you need to, they’re there to help. Plus, my DM’s are always open on Twitter (maybeecoffee) and Instagram (theremightbecoffeeblog) if you need someone to talk to.

Samaritans – 116 123 / samaritans.org

NHS Non-Emergency – 111 / 111.nhs.uk

Papyrus – 0800 068 41 41 / papyrus-uk.org

National Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0808 2000 247 / nationaldahelpline.org.uk

Mind – 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 / mind.org.uk

The Mix – www.themix.org.uk/get-support

Anyhoo – onto the wish list for this year! I want to add here, whether I received the items mentioned or not, I am always grateful for whatever I do receive. 🙂

• Yotsubato! Danbo Nendoroid (link)

Since our second Christmas together me and Dane have always bought each other Nendoroid’s for Christmas, which has ranged from just one, to four as the years have gone by. This year isn’t any exception BUT we know what character we’ve bought one another. However, I don’t know if Dane has bought me a surprise one… Which could be Danbo! This is a Nendoroid I was going to buy this when we were in Japan in January but I ended up leaving it. It’s from a manga that I haven’t read but have always meant to. Danbo is a cute cardboard box, but his eyes light up! Very cute and one I would love in my collection. 🙂

• Firebox/Smoko Tayto the Couch Potato Rechargeable Night Light (link)

Last Christmas and birthday Dane bought me some of the night lights from Smoko/Firebox, a dumpling and a bubble tea. They’re amazing pieces for our bedroom and are really bright. I often pop them on in the evenings when I want to relax and chill out. Plus they’re hella cute! So, when I saw that Firebox had the couch potato variant in stock, I knew I had to ask for it for Christmas this year! This is rechargeable too, whilst the ones he bought me last year need batteries, which is even better! 😀 I’m hoping he’s bought it me so I can add to my growing collection of kawaii night lights. 😛

• Pandora Japanese Akita Inu Dog Charm (link)

I usually ask for Pandora around Christmas and if I don’t ask, I usually get anyway… Usually from my parents. 🙂 I was asked if I wanted any jewellery this year and this is one of the first things that came to mind as it reminded of our mine and Dane’s trip to Japan this year in January. It’s hard to be gifted jewellery this year because, let’s face it… I’ve become a hermit in 2020 due to COVID and jewellery just isn’t something I’ve really worn for most of this year. 😦 This charm is really cute though!

• Pikachu Resin Mold (link)

As I’ve mentioned briefly on my blog this year, both me and Dane got into working and making resin pieces this year. Something Dane asked me if I wanted as gifts were resin molds, as at the moment I don’t really have many and would love more to experiment and play with! I’ve been after the Pikachu resin mold for a while and it’s one that I definitely added to my Christmas list! I have so many ideas of keyrings I could make and that does include the standard yellow Pikachu we all know and love. 😛

• Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid The Complete Series Blu-ray (link)

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is one of my favourite manga and anime series and it’s thanks to Dane that I actually discovered it when I did. I was having a nose around Amazon and noticed that you can buy the series on Blu-Ray now! :O I know season 2 of the show has been delayed due to what happened to Kyoto Animation in 2019. I would love to receive this for Christmas to binge watch over the festive period, as well as for my birthday less than a week after New Year. I do love receiving anime Blu-Ray for Christmas. 😛

• PunfunStudio Eeveelution Heart Shaker Resin Mold Set (link)

The final item I want to mention on my wish list for Christmas time and it’s another resin mold, however this is a set and it’s actually something that arrived today and Dane has given to me early. I sent him the link for this resin mold set that contains all nine of the Eeveelutions (Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and Sylveon) holding a heart. These are shaker resin molds though! So when you work on them you can pop some glitter, beads etc inside and then pop oil in, cover with a plastic film to seal everything in place and hey presto! You have a shaker keyring/charm. However, I think I’ll be making dry shaker charms to start off with, just to get used to how they work and such. 🙂

So, that is everything that I added to my Christmas wish list this year! That list would have just been something I gave to Dane to give him ideas for Christmas. I don’t tend to do this for my family, his parents etc. They tend to get me surprises, or ideas Dane has given them.

Whilst I may always show you guys my wish lists for Christmas every year, I always get excited to give my gifts to Dane, my parents and loved ones/friends. I’m excited to see their faces when the get their gifts and tomorrow will be no exception, especially with Dane… Who has been bloody spoilt this year. 😛

What do you guys have on your wish lists this year for Christmas? Realistic and non realistic. Unicorns can be included. 😉

I just want to finish off this blog post by saying – MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you all have a lovely day, even with the circumstances and get to see your loved ones online if not in person. 🙂

Until next time all, again Merry Christmas! 🙂

Christmas Tag 2020

Image taken from GIPHY

Christmas is now less than a week away and you know what? I have zero festive spirit behind me and it kinda sucks. SO, I thought I would have a go at being festive in the run up to Christmas and found this Christmas tag online! I’m going to nominate everyone who reads this post to give this tag a go themselves!

I think I’m not feeling festive due to a mixture of COVID, age and especially due to the loss I experienced in September. So, I would really love to get into the festive spirit now… Especially with Christmas just around the corner. I really hope you guys enjoy the tag and take part in it too!

Image taken from GIPHY

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?

This is quite an easy one and it’s hands down Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. I just fell in love with the film more so than the original one… But I do love Home Alone just the same! I just found it to be the perfect Christmas film growing up, but I also loved watching it throughout the year too. It’s usually the first Christmas film I stick on in the year and this year it was kind of different to the other times I’ve watched it. I found myself questioning a lot of what happened and it made me laugh! A couple of runner ups here are Jingle All The Way and The Grinch (the one with Jim Carrey).

Have you ever had a white Christmas?

I don’t remember to be perfectly honest with you… I know in 2017 we had snow just before Christmas which was amazing! I literally had to Google when we last had a white Christmas in Birmingham and apparently it was 2010… But I cannot remember that for the life of me. 😛

Where do you usually spend your holiday?

Mostly at home now, but me and Dane tend to change it up each year and go to each others families together Christmas Day. However I think after this year we’ll be staying at home all day. I like to be able to cook our Christmas dinner together but then we tend to have to “rush” and then go out not long after eating. It’ll be nice not to have to rush around this year.

What’s your favourite Christmas song?

Paul McCartney – “Wonderful Christmastime” and Slade – “Merry Christmas Everybody” are two that always come to mind. I do like “Last Christmas” as well BUT I overheard it so much one year that I can’t stand when I hear it now. This year, as of yet I haven’t listened to ANY Christmas songs yet and I’m happy with that… 😛

Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

Not really to be honest with you, we like to wait until the big day to open our gifts for one another. We get breakfast, snuggle up in bed and exchange gifts. I’m quite excited for Dane to have his presents this year as I’ve really spoilt him. 🙂

Image taken from Sugar Bunny Shop – You can pre-order the Santa’s Reindeer Wood Ornament Garland now!

Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Comic Blitzen, Rudolph (of course) and Vixie? I know there’s more but I can’t think of them… *Googles* Prancer, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Dasher, Vixen, Blitzen, and Rudolph! I got five out of nine so I didn’t do toooooo badly! 😛

What holiday traditions are you looking forward to this year?

We don’t really have any to be perfectly honest with you… I think one we’ve really gotten now is the whole, breakfast in bed and opening presents together. 🙂

Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

It’s fake. I’d buy a real one but our living room isn’t big enough for it… Although I have always wanted a tiny one to keep on the table OR by the front door over December. Maybe next year. 🙂

What’s your favourite holiday food/treat/sweet?

I’m a sucker for the dinner to be honest with you. I love sweet ham over Christmas with pigs in blankets, massive Yorkshire puddings, my mom’s gravy (mines good but it will never beat hers!) and crispy AF roast potatoes. 😀 I’m cooking lamb this year. The first Christmas we did at home (2018) the meat I cooked wasn’t good and it was such a shame, so I’m giving it another go this year in the hopes it’s really yummy! 🙂

Be honest. Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts?

Giving gifts. I love being able to buy gifts for people who either won’t buy the item in question for themselves, or surprise them with something I know they would love and appreciate but don’t actually know about and such. Plus it’s always nice to buy a gift and see someone’s face light up. 🙂 I especially love when I see Dane open his gifts, as well as my mom.

Christmas 2018 – Olivia Burton fox snow globe watch from my mom.

Christmas 2013 – Cinnamon the German Market fox from Dane.

What’s the best Christmas present you’ve ever received?

One that comes to mind is my Olivia Burton fox snow globe watch. My mom bought this for me in 2018 and I still love it so much. As the little crystals move around inside it’s one I always stare at during meetings at work and when I’m out and about… However, I haven’t worn it much this year due to lockdown but before COVID existed I was wearing this all the time! She even got my name etched on the band too, which is a really nice touch. I may try and get a replacement band at some point soon as the one I have at the moment is looking tired.

Alongside that there is also one of the presents I received from Dane when we had our first Christmas together – this little fox plushie. I don’t think we’ve been to another Birmingham German Market together since 2013, but whilst we were there we walked past a stand that sold plushies. I saw this cute little fox and Dane bought it for me straight away. I still own this plush to this day and it’s now in my plushie cupboard, where he belongs! It just always reminds me of Dane and how excited I was for Christmas with him. For a very long time I’d hated Christmas, but when he came into my life he really made me feel better about this time of year. P.S. We called my little fox Cinnamon. 🙂

What’s your dream place to visit for the holiday season?

Japan, for sure! I would love to go to see how festive it would be, have a KFC for Christmas dinner and if possible stay somewhere like a private onsen where we could spend the evening in and out of the hot bath, eat yummy food and just relax together and exchange presents. It might be something I suggest to Dane in the future for sure. 🙂 I’d only want to go for a week, maybe ten days at a push so we can enjoy the festive period together.

Are you a pro present wrapper or do you fail miserably?

I’m in-between. Before I met Dane I used to fail miserably as I never really concentrated or had as much to wrap as previous. I feel especially since we moved in together I spend a bit more time on my wrapping and whilst I’m not a pro, I’m definitely better! I’ve watched how my dad and one of my friends wrap their presents and they’re definite pros! They take their time, make lots of folds and more and their gifts look to good to open. 🙂

1995 – My parents bought me the Pocahontas Braided Beauty doll for Christmas when I was five. Image taken from Amazon.

What’s your most memorable Christmas memory?

Mmm… I don’t know to be perfectly honest. There’s a couple that stand out but I always love to share this one…

When I was five Pocahontas came out and I fell in love with that film (still one of my favourites!) and my parents made sure to buy me plenty of Pocahontas presents that Christmas. I received a cute red jumper/sweater with Pocahontas on, that I LIVED in for as long as I can remember. They also bought me the Pocahontas braided beauty doll which I LOVED! It came with Pocahontas doll as well a a braiding tool that looked like Meeko. I loved Meeko and my parents knew that, but I imagine there weren’t any specific Meeko toys and this was close enough. PLUS I had long hair growing up, that my mom would braid for me, so I imagine she saw this when shopping in Toys R Us and bought it because it was all the things I loved. 🙂 It was clearly a thought out gift for me as a kid. 🙂

What made you realise the truth about Christmas?

I remember I had written a letter for Father Christmas as a kid, as well as drew some pictures of Rudolph and Father Christmas. I knew it was my dad when I woke up the next day to read, “Well done!”, “Great picture!” and “Merry Christmas” on each picture and the letter I wrote. I know my dad’s writing and it was the same. It was from then on I knew who was really delivering my Christmas presents and who they were from. I’d had my suspicions for a while and I’m pretty sure the year before I’d seen my dad putting presents in my room as I turned in my sleep and was half awake.

What makes the holidays special for you?

Being with people I love and making them smile. Obviously yummy food and being merry is always good too, BUT it is definitely about making people happy and being around the people who make you happy. I’m sad that I can’t see my parents properly over Christmas. They’ll be driving over to my house next week to drop off gifts and have a chat from the front door to their car at the end of the drive. This year has been hard for my family due to our loss in September and I especially feel for my mom this year. I just wish I could give her a hug and a kiss when exchanging gifts and more. I know the time will come where we can ALL make up for lost time… But it’s just really hard this year.

So, there we have it! The Christmas Tag! It’s kind of started getting me into the Christmas spirit this afternoon whilst answering the tag questions and to be honest with you guys, I hope I get more and more festive as the time goes on.

This evening I’m actually going to host a mini “German Market at home” for me and Dane. I’m making hot dogs (not the nasty shit in the jars!), fries and instead of hot chocolate, I’m going to serve chocolate cake with Bailey’s!

I’m super excited for it and I just hope it goes down well. 🙂

How are you all feeling about Christmas this year? Especially with COVID. Me and Dane will be staying at home throughout the festive period, including New Year to stay safe at home. I hope my readers will be doing the same…

Please let me know what you are most excited about this year in the comments. 🙂

Until next time guys, please stay safe during these times and see you soon.

HUGE Shop Small UK Guide – Christmas 2020

Can you believe there is only 18 days until Christmas? Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? I’m awful this year and I’m not done. I usually have all my gifts bought by now, but alas I still have my parents to buy for.

This year I wanted to do a gift guide, but not my usual one aimed at the geeks, otaku and kawaii fans, beauty, fashion etc etc. I wanted to instead focus on small companies/independent artists/businesses who need our support more than ever due to COVID and it’s affects from lockdowns here in the UK.

First of all, I’m only speaking about the UK as with a Twitter poll a couple of weeks ago, it’s what you as the readers voted for. However at the end of the post I will mention who you can shop small with all over the world too.

I’m going to add all sorts of categories here, not just geek, kawaii, otaku related. I’ll be talking about beauty, home, geek, Japan related, food and more! I want to try and talk about as much as I can, so when you need ideas for Christmas gifts you have lots of choice. I will also mention the last date to order for Christmas too if you’re in the UK. Please bear in mind with the COVID situation and Christmas on the horizon, Royal Main is struggling a little, so if you want to order, order as soon as possible!

Let’s get started! I really hope you guys enjoy this post. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Geeky/Kawaii

Image taken from Jennifairy Illustration

Jennifairy Illustration – Creating cuties to make you smile. Enamel pins, stickers and keychains, all inspired by cute animals, video game characters and more.

Last date to order for Christmas – 14th December. However, if order after this date it could still get there but that can’t be promised. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

Jennifairy Illustration is an independent artist/store I have spoken about on my blog since 2017 and I knew they were one of the first places I wanted to speak about today! Jennifairy has a range of products – enamel pins, stickers and keychains. Her style is incredibly cute and kawaii and the designs make me smile whenever I see them, both on her store and in my home. If you know someone who loves cute animals and certain characters from popular video games, then they will love to open a cute design from Jennifairy. Christmas wise you can pick up some gingerbread friends or even a Christmas Pikachu, with a Santa’s hat and a cup of coffee. There are loads of different designs to choose from, there is something for everyone.

Image taken from Littlest Spook Shop

Littlest Spook Shop – We put the Oo in spooky! Cute spooky ghost prints, mugs and other items to choose from!

Last date to order for Christmas – Currently Littlest Spook Shop is looking to close 9th December.

Halloween isn’t just once a year with Littlest Spook Shop. I discovered them around Halloween this year and I love their spooky ghost designs. They’re so damn cute and spoopy and I’m down for that. I regret not ordering some of their Christmas cards this year to be honest, but there’s always next year. If you know someone who celebrates Halloween all year around then a print (or two!) from Littlest Spook Shop may just be for them! Not only do they sell prints but they also sell mugs, tote bags, enamel pins and patches so that spooky friend or family member can show off their love of ghosts and all things spooky all year around! The Always Cosy Club spooky print shouts out to me so much. During the colder months I’m like that little ghosty.

Image taken from FoxLeap

FoxLeap – Kawaii designs inspired by Disney and Japanese characters from films and video games.

Last date to order for Christmas – Not known at time of writing post.

FoxLeap is an independent artist/store I love buying enamel pins from. They’re adorable and there is always something in the store I want to pick up, including the Jiji enamel pin which I may need to order myself as a treat for writing this post. 😛 There is something for everyone when it comes down to FoxLeap including designs inspired by Disney (especially The Lion King series!), Pokemon, Studio Ghibli, Wolf’s Rain, Okami and more. Anyone who loves enamel pins will really love to receive a FoxLeap design and honestly they probably already know of FoxLeap’s existence. Not only do they make and sell enamel pins but they also sell prints, t-shirts, stickers, enamel pin flags, tote bags and more so there is plenty to choose from!

Image taken from NaomiLordArt

NaomiLordArt – A freelance artist who creates adorable prints inspired by animals, magical creatures, witches, Goddesses, Critical Role and more!

Last date to order for Christmas – Orders will be shipped until the shop closes for Christmas on 20th December. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

Guys you know me I love kawaii animals, especially foxes and that is something NaomiLordArt does so bloody well! I mean, look at them cute seasonal fox designs! I feel anyone of any age will love a little stocking filler that involves one of the many designs that NaomiLordArt has on offer. Plus if you and your friends are fans of Critical Role, she’s drawn all of the gang and put it onto a print, which you can find here. I feel NaomiLordArt would be perfect as items to gift children, teenagers and anyone who loves prints and stickers. I’ve gifted my best friend goodies from there before that were surrounding Star Wars and Harry Potter. There are also RPG class animal stickers and prints too, so if you play in a D&D group and are taking part in a D&D themed Secret Santa, these would make perfect gifts alongside some dice.

Image taken from GIPHY

Japanese Snacks

Image taken from Something Japanese

Something Japanese – UK based online shop that sells the best things from Japan! Chocolate, Candy, Collectables, Otaku Goodies and much much more.

Last date to order for Christmas – December 21st. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

Something Japanese is a store I have bought from for about five years now and they are really good! I especially love to pick up the Japanese snack boxes from them as they’re always an amazing price for how many Japanese sweets and treats you get. I ordered the Halloween one and it was amazing and I’ve ordered the Christmas Japanese Candy Box too. This might make for an amazing gift to someone who loves Japanese sweets and treats and who may also miss Japan or want to visit Japan. COVID has prevented travelling to Japan for a lot of people and I know a lot of my friends who missed out on their trips this year. This would make for a nice treat to open Christmas Day. Something Japanese does sell other items too and separate sweet treats so make sure to check that out too.

Image taken from Tofu Cute

Tofu Cute – A UK kawaii shop that sells all sorts of cute and unique Japanese snacks, plushies, accessories, stationery and other goodies.

Last date to order for Christmas – Not known at time of writing post.

Tofu Cute is a store me and my boyfriend often order our Japanese sweets from as they’re great prices and they always seem to have the goods that Japan get at the same time. Not only do they stock sweets but also drinks as well! We’ve bought many bottles of ramune and Pokemon fizzy drinks from Tofu Cute and they’ve all been enjoyed! Think my favourite thing I’ve ever bought from Tofu Cute are the Melty Kiss chocolates. They’re to die for and would make an amazing gift for someone’s stocking this Christmas. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Home

Image taken from Cushty Co Twitter page

Cushty Co – Handmade home fragrance. Scented soy wax melts beautifully crafted with sprinkles of glitter and careful colouring. Vegan friendly.

Last date to order for Christmas – Monday 14th December – Store will close at 5pm. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

Cushty Co are my go to for wax melts and I’ve ended up buying so many this year! Their autumn/Halloween collection being my favourite to date. If you know someone who loves burning candles and wax tarts like me, Cushty Co are a great place to check out. They do LOADS of different scent varieties and three different sizes of wax so the choices are huge. They currently have their Christmas/winter scents in stock and I have all of them! They’re absolutely amazing and if you know someone who loves Christmas and wishes it could be everyday, then some of the Christmas/winter scents will be right up their street. Not only do Cushty Co sell wax tarts, but they also sell room sprays too, which I’m yet to try. If you know someone who loves Lush then they’ll love Unicorn Dreams which smells exactly like Snow Fairy and Nightfall which smells exactly like Twlight.

Image taken from Bubble Baskets UK/Books Baths and Beauty

Bubble Baskets UK/Books Baths and Beauty – Lovingly Custom made 3D printed Bubble Baskets.

Last date to order for Christmas – 17th December if ordering a pink, black or ombré bubble basket. 14th December if ordering a custom colour. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

I recently decided to buy myself a bubble basket from Books Baths and Beauty as I’ve wanted one for over a year now and as my bathroom was redone in the summer, I’ve finally been indulging in bath products and having bath cocktails more. It arrived over the weekend I’ve used it a few times since. It’s really good and if you’re like me and use bubble bars, shower gels and more to create bubbles, then this is for you! They’re made with a 3D printer and are sturdy and amazing! 😀 If you know someone who loves taking baths and using the same products as I do, this will be perfect for helping them create lots of bubbles! Teenagers will love this, as well as mermaids.

Image taken from GIPHY

Beauty

Image taken from The Bath Bae

The Bath Bae  –  Handmade bath treats to make you glow inside and out. Vegan and cruelty free!

Last date to order for Christmas – Monday 21 December at 3pm Royal Mail Tracked 48 or Tuesday 22 December at 3pm Royal Mail Tracked 24. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

I recently made my first order with The Bath Bae and honestly – I have zero regrets. They focus on bath bomb products in various different varieties and scents so there is plenty to choose from! So far I’ve only tried the bath cubes and they are amazing, perfect for anyone of any age. You can pick up bath sparkle, sparkle rocks, bath cubes and bath soak. These would make great stocking fillers for teenagers and anyone who loves a good soak in the bath. My favourite scent from them so far is Oh So Slushie, which reminds me of Tango Ice Blast slushies from the cinema.

Image taken from Happy Melon

Happy Melon – Handmade beauty products made in small batches and packed with cuteness, colour and yummy fragrance. Cruelty free!

Last date to order for Christmas – Restock this Sunday (13/12/2020) and as items sell out quickly, there isn’t really a last date to order for Christmas.

Happy Melon is a brand I discovered this year and bought from during their last restock. If you know someone who loves their beauty and bath products and for them to be as colourful as possible, Happy Melon is a good indie brand for this! They have a wide variety of products including bubble bath, lip sugar, perfume oil, bath soak (snuggle soak), sugar scrub and more! One of the bubble baths I own is a Lush Snow Fairy dupe (Sabrina bubble bath) and it’s one of my favourite products to use after a long day. Plus a little goes a long way and this stuff lasts AGES! One of the products I am excited to try soon is the Pop Kei Snuggle Soak, which smells just like Tango Ice Blast slushies! It would work so well with the slushie bath cubes from The Bath Bae. Again this is a great brand for teenagers due to how colourful everything is and maybe even children too due to how colourful and sparkly the bubble baths are.

Image taken from Hex Bomb

Hex Bomb – Divine handmade gothic beauty products for dark sweets hearts. Creator of the first black bath bomb! Cruelty free and vegan!

Last date to order for Christmas – 21st December. If you want to guarantee item(s) to arrive for Christmas order as soon as possible.

Hex Bomb is a brand I have always wanted to try since the Black As Your Soul bath bomb came out. I’m yet to try it still and plan to buy it in the near future! I’ve mentioned some colourful and kawaii beauty indie brands so far, so I wanted to through a gothic, dark brand in there for good measure. I love me a dark bath, it reflects who I am inside and this brand would be perfect for any goth friend or relative out there! Not only do they make bath bombs but Hex Bomb also sell shower gel, soap, scrub, lip balm, perfume oil AND even wax melts for your home. If you aren’t sure what to buy that gothic beauty in your life (because Hex Bomb have a lot of variety!) you could always pick up one of their gift boxes which contains a variety of products. If you want to see a review (or two) of Hex Bomb make sure to go and check out my great blogger friend Raiin Monkey’s blog posts here.

Image taken from GIPHY

Honourable Mentions

Geek/Kawaii – Quirkory – Due to being based in Italy, they didn’t qualify for this shop small post. However, I couldn’t not mention them! They sell enamel pins, stickers and prints inspired by Japanese video games and cute animals.

Geek/Kawaii – Claire Likes To Doodle – The reason I didn’t mention my friend Claire and her store is because she got a post allllll to herself recently! Which I am going to link here. 🙂

Geek/Kawaii – 1 In 100/One In Hundred – A local Brummy like myself, Alex over at 1 In 100 has some amazing designs on her store and you can buy items from clothing, badges, keyrings, stickers, prints, stationary and more. I keep meaning to pick up some of her Japan inspired prints. Check them out here and here.

Geek/Kawaii – Chibi Shibby – May have bought a Christmas present from one of my favourite artists… 😉 Shibby recently reopened her store and has filled it was gorgeous kawaii goodies! There’s also some Christmas related goods in there too.

Geek/Kawaii – Lunaticgumis – Due to being based in Gran Canaria, they didn’t quality for this shop small post. However, I am planning to write about them on my blog very very soon! 😀 They sell stickers as well as amigurumis (Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures). They stock Bee and Puppycat designs WHICH I LOVE!

Geek/Kawaii – Taiyakiblue – This store is joint owned by tattooists senseoftheterrific and tubbybeartattoo. They stock clothing, prints and even some keyrings and pins made out of resin. They’re both inspired by geeky/kawaii themes such as D&D, Studio Ghibli, Dragonball Z, Moomins, Adventure Time and more. I’ve purchased a Christmas present from them and plan to buy prints in the future! I love their style so much.

Bath – Bath Bake Love – No restock until after Christmas where there will be lots of enchanted teasers for the New Year Wonderland and plenty of goodies in January!

AND THERE WE HAVE IT! My HUGE shop small Christmas shopping guide for the UK!

What do you guys think? I wanted to try and cover as much as I could and I like to think I’ve done that quite well. In the future I may pop up with some of these after Christmas, just as good shopping guides throughout the year for birthday’s and more!

Honestly guys, I hope you enjoyed this post today as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’m off work for the week and the first thing I knew I wanted to do was to write this post.

Are there any small shops in the UK that you feel I should know about? Make sure to let me know and I’ll take a look for next time!

Until next time, take care all and I hope you had a lovely weekend. 🙂

November Favourites ’20

It is December, the month of Christmas, New Year and impending skintness (don’t think that’s a word…) and feeling bloated after eating loads of food!

I’m really rooting for this month to be a good one in all ways, shapes and forms! My Christmas tree is up, I’m getting towards the end of my Christmas shopping, some of our Christmas food has been ordered and I have a week off soon! I’m definitely ready for some time away with Dane to relax and get excited for Christmas Day as well as New Year.

I cannot believe how quickly November went by, it flew and considering how busy this month has been for me, I’m not at all surprised. We were in lockdown for pretty much all of November but work has been crazy busy. I think I needed it after how shit September and October were.

This might be the last full favourites post of 2020 so I wanted to raise some changes here for the New Year. I did mention this briefly in my life lately post last week. Basically I won’t be talking about as many beauty items anymore. My blog has definitely moved away from beauty, so whilst I will mention one or two items each month, I want to focus mainly on geeky items and more. I’ll be looking to talk more about things I’ve really loved that month, as well as share more such as my favourite purchase(s) of the month, blogs and more. I’m really excited for this much needed change.

Image taken from The Latest Kate

So, without anymore waffling on, let’s get on with the favourites!

• Australian Bodycare Skin Wash.

This is a product I have relied on quite a lot lately. My dermatitis hasn’t gotten any better and towards the end of November it seemed to spread onto my other hand… I kind of had a mass panic about it. It’s bad enough having a massive mark on one hand, let alone both. I decided to discontinue use of any products aside from my tea tree skin wash and my newest shampoo (which will be mentioned!). I do find this really helped so I may try and so it more often and maybe even start to use as a hand wash when I’ve used up all the hand wash I have at the moment by Childs Farm.

• Faith in Nature Natural Lemon & Tea Tree Shampoo.

I decided to try a new brand of shampoo recently and this one is pretty decent to be perfectly honest with you! It’s SLS and sulphate free which is always a good thing. I didn’t actually mean to buy the lemon and tea tree variant and I purely wanted the tea tree version. However, I do really love this one though. It’s good for oily hair, which isn’t particularly something I have (aka I don’t have to wash my hair often) but if I can try and prevent oil then why not! Although I do love this shampoo I don’t know if I would buy again… Just because I really love my Maui vanilla shampoo. 🙂

So now my beauty favourites are done… YES! I am only mentioning two this month! I decided to start talking about less beauty products starting now. I can only think of two at the moment that really stand out and I don’t want to force more to talk about if I don’t need to. 🙂

So… Now it’s time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month! If there isn’t anything I’ve done I’m not going to mention. Aka reading – so favourite book won’t be mentioned.

Favourite TV Show/Stuff To Watch – PaymoneyWubby on Twitch.

Okay I know this isn’t a TV show BUT this is literally what I’ve been binge watching throughout November. PaymoneyWubby is a Twitch streamer and YouTuber Dane discovered a couple of years ago and since then we’ve really enjoyed his content on YouTube. About a year ago I checked out his Twitch but I wasn’t keen. Recently he brought out a YouTube video (he hadn’t had any content out for a while…) and we decided to check out his Twitch again. Of course we’re hooked now and I’ve been catching up on previous videos/streams, as well as current and newer ones. He does random streams including watching funny videos, playing games and more. It’s good to listen to and chill with and it’s been especially great to put on whilst cooking, working and playing games. The video I’ve popped above is from his YouTube channel where he puts all the highlights from the Twitch streams. This one was really funny… To me anyway. 😛

Favourite Movie – Tropic Thunder.

Tropic Thunder has been out over ten years now and would you believe I’ve only just watched it? I cannot for the life of me remember why I never watched it… I was coming up to leaving college when this came out and from memory friends and my ex had all said it was shit… So it put me off. However, Dane recently made a joke from the film, “Everybody knows you never go full retard.” and I didn’t get it. So he explained it, popped the clip up on YouTube for me to watch and after finding out I’d not seen the film, he bought it for us to watch. It’s a pretty good film and I’m glad I’ve finally watched it to be perfectly honest with you. 🙂

Favourite Songs – Regard – “Ride It” and Imany – “Don’t Be So Shy” (Filatov & Karas Remix).

I discovered both of these songs in November and I have quickly fallen in love with them! It’s crazy how you can fall for songs and gravitate towards them. I’ve found myself listening to these daily before, during and after work. They’re just good house/deep house tracks and ones that I feel anyone could enjoy. Although I mostly love rock music, I do have a love for electronica/house music too and this is due to the music I was brought up with. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Game – Pokemon Shield.

Pokemon Shield is a game I’ve been playing loads throughout November as I’m looking to complete the Pokedex. However, I finally finished the game – aka became the champion! It’s only taken me a year. 😛 Dane has also been playing Pokemon (Pokemon Sword) and we’ve both been enjoying sitting down over an evening/weekend and playing it together. Currently my main Pokedex is at 372 caught and Isle of Armor Pokedex is 190. I’m yet to start playing The Crown Tundra but I have been sent Pokemon from that region via surprise link/wonder trading. Someone sent me a Dratini and I was OVER THE MOON. Dragonite is one of my favourite Pokeon so you better believe it’s now in my team. 😛 I’m hoping by the end of 2020 to have completed my Pokedex 100%. 😛

That’s about it for my monthly favourites guys! It’s not as long as it usually is, but I’m sick of waffling on about beauty products. Moving forward I will be talking about an independent store/brand I have discovered and loved throughout the month, as well as all relevant things I’d like to talk about more and share.

What have your favourites been from November?

I’m so excited for the blog posts/content I’ll be bringing throughout this month! Are you excited for it?

Make sure to leave all your answers in the comments below!

Until next time, take care all and stay safe. 🙂