Goodbye 2020!

Image taken from Pinterest

I can’t quite believe a whole year has flew past us as we prepare to go into 2021… Sorry but 2020 was a big year for me for so many reasons but of course it wasn’t a great year either…

2020 was the year I entered the 30-35 tick box and I don’t feel ready to turn 31 next week. :S It was also the year me and Dane travelled to Japan for the first time. It was amazing and I’m so glad we were able to go before COVID started to manifest. I remember my dad messaging me our second week into the trip and saying, “There’s a virus called coronavirus going around Japan. Be careful!” and us shrugging it off. Oh how times have changed, eh?

Going back to that trip, it was amazing and I have clutched onto the memories we made and photos we took to get me through 2020 when I felt rubbish. I’m really hoping 2021 will be better COVID wise as I would love to return back to Japan in 2022, maybe even 2023 if that’s the case.

Image taken from GIPHY

Me and Dane have already said we’d like to go around March/April time to see the cherry blossoms, travel around more (Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Hiroshima) and especially go for Dane’s birthday this time around. We’ve also discussed going for Christmas/New Year at some point too as that would be lovely. We could eat KFC, stay at a private onsen for a few days and again, travel around and have the perfect kawaii/otaku Christmas… But we don’t know when this will be. It’s just an idea.

I wanted to briefly do a bit of a chat about how 2020 was for me overall (including my favourites), mention how December has been and of course talk about 2021 and what I’m looking forward to so far.

I need to get this off of my chest out of the way because it’s still semi ongoing and it’s pissed me off something awful.

I mentioned back in September 2019 on a post (8 Games I’m Excited To Play) about being excited for a game I’d backed on Kickstarter called Calico. The game released 15th December 2020 and was announced on the Nintendo Indie World Showcase. As someone who had backed the game I was pretty meh to discover that people who HADN’T backed the Kickstarter had access to the game before we did and may I add, for less monies… Just felt like a bit of a punch to the stomach. I’m on the Discord channel and started hearing nothing but bug complaints/feedback from people who had been playing the game. Turns out not much testing had been done… Not good! I waited a week for my game code on the Switch, but no sign and I was given excuses of, “we’re new to this, wasn’t aware how long it would take.” etc. Then North American codes were being sent to people in the EU, which of course wouldn’t work. It was just a bit of a shit show to be blunt. I asked for my money back on Sunday, which has been processed and I’m waiting for. I can’t be arsed to play Calico now. It sounds like a rushed out mess and I just don’t want to support a game like that. I’ve heard nothing but complaints from friends about it who have played. I’m happy to have supported the game and help it come to life, but I’m not happy to wait and constantly feel mugged off. The developers have now advised for UK backers to ask for refunds so they can go and buy it themselves on the eShop.

It’s just so poor and clearly rushed out. I was really excited for this game and especially when they announced it as coming out a few weeks back. Dane was away with work and with the game coming out I thought, “Awesome, something to keep me going until he’s back home!” which of course wasn’t the case.

If you’re thinking about getting Calico, get it on Steam if you can. The console versions are full of bugs (I think some may have been fixed?) and from what has been said it can take a while to get them fixed. Or just wait a while for it to go down in price, as I’m sure any bugs will have been amended by then too. I’m not saying don’t support the game, but be wary of the bugs…

I’m sorry if that above has come off as bitchy but I was so frustrated for those two weeks that I just had to be honest with you guys on my experience. I’ve got two other games backed via Kickstarter and from the start I’ve definitely had a better experience with them, so I have very high hopes for how the games will be when they release. 🙂

Now that little rant is out of the way, I thought I would mention some stuff I have loved this year!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Okay, who DIDN’T love this game in 2020? For some it was a sort of lifeline during the start of COVID, I know it was for me. I don’t play it daily now, but when I do pick it up it just relaxes me straight away and it’s also a game I love playing with my friends online. The Toy Day event on Christmas Eve was so lovely and started to get me in the Christmas spirit. I know a lot of people who ended up buying a Switch/Switch Lite due to the need to play Animal Crossing on it, I even helped two of my friends get a Switch/Switch Lite of their own so they could play!

The Mandalorian – I’ve honestly loved this series in 2020 and it’s actually one me and Dane binge watched over the Christmas period. I couldn’t get into it last year, especially with our Japan trip coming up so we just… Didn’t get into it. Season 2 is AMAZING though and I was all there for it. I highly recommend watching The Mandalorian even if you aren’t a huge Star Wars fan, as it’s just good all around show that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus some of my favourite Star Wars characters make appearances in season 2, which made me so happy!

PVRIS Use Me (Deluxe) – Use Me released this year and I had been excited for this album since it was announced. I discovered PVRIS when I started my job in April 2019 and I have since fallen in love. This album is one I’ve found myself listening to time and time again, whether I’m out and about driving/walking or working in the house. I’ve found myself dancing in the kitchen whilst making a cup of coffee, that’s just how much I love it. My top three tracks from the album are – “Gimme a Minute”, “Stay Gold” and “Loveless”. They’re all such amazing songs, with “Stay Gold” being my favourite on the album… And the one I danced to in the kitchen whilst grabbing coffee. 😛

Lyonsleaf Calendula and Marshmallow Balm – This balm has to be mentioned here because it really has helped with my hand in 2020. My eczema/dermatitis is still ongoing and hasn’t improved at all and I’m still waiting to see a specialist. Since about August I’ve been using this balm and it really does help with the dryness and cracking and since using it religiously, my hands haven’t cracked and bled for as long as I can remember. I’ll be continuing to use this for as long as I can as it really does help. 🙂

Aveeno – I’m just going to add Aveeno as a whole, as this is another product that has really changed my life since purchasing it, in so many ways! I use the intense body lotions on my hands, which has really helped recently and I even bought the shower cream to see if that would help too. It smells delicious and makes my body feel lovely and soft. I highly recommend Aveeno in general, let alone if you have really dry skin like myself.

There are a few things in 2021 that I’m excited to have come up!

31st Birthday – This is actually a week from today and yeah it’s scary how quickly it’s come around! I think for the day I’m going to bake some red velvet cupcakes, play with my new resin molds and get a takeaway. At the time of writing this post, Birmingham has actually gone into tier 4 and I’m gutted. Good job I’d planned to do something at home, eh?

Eight Year Anniversary – I can’t believe me and Dane have been together eight years in 2021… It’s really flew by and I hope we can do something for it in 2021. For our seven year anniversary we went for a drive around the countryside and grabbed a Japanese takeaway on our way home. Who knows what we’ll do this year, but I’m sure it’ll be good. 🙂

My Chemical Romance in June – That’s if COVID doesn’t come along and cause it to be postponed/rescheduled like it was this year.

Potential planning for Japan trip #2 – This would be amazing to do! I really hope it can be done towards the end of 2021…

Maybe a puppy(?) – We were really close to getting a dog in 2020 but due to the issues we faced with adopting we gave up and said we would wait and either try to adopt again (although doubtful…) or get a puppy in 2021. If we go for the latter, I already have a breeder in mind that we want to go with… We shall see what happens. Getting a pet is a big thing and we need to make sure we’re ready and able to do it.

Speaking of 2021, I also  wanted to mention what posts I am hoping to bring to you guys in 2021, these are just some ideas of what I have swirling around my head. This isn’t definite, as it never is but it’s ideas I would like to get down on my blog eventually. At the moment it’s mostly independent stores I’ve discovered/known about for years and bought from! There are a lot of USA based independent stores mentioned here as due to the changes in the UK with VAT, a lot of them have stated they aren’t able to sell to the UK anymore, so I went all out!

Quirkory – I’ll be writing a review of the Mostari Mystery Pack, as well as the Animal Crossing Gimme my Joycon 2 enamel pins I’ve pre-ordered. They won’t arrive until January/February.

Lunaticgumis – I’m planning to talk about the Puppycat Amigurumi, stickers and enamel pin I picked up a month or so ago. I wanted to talk about the goodies I picked up before Christmas but I just didn’t have time, sadly.

Pikarar – I only discovered Pikarar in October/November time and I’m already in love with their designs and items! I’ve so far made two orders, one being a pre-order for after Christmas. When my pre-order arrives, I’ll be showing you all what I bought! It’s mostly clothes. 😛

SleepingWolvesArt – Review where I’ll be talking about some notebooks (which have arrived) and enamel pins (literally just ordered) I’ve bought.

Sugar Bunny Shop – It’s still on it’s way to me but I ordered the Doki Fox sweater I’ve wanted for MONTHS.

So there is a sneak peak of what I will be sharing in the future on my blog! Of course I will talk about other things in between, but until the weeks/months come I won’t know 100% what may come up to discuss. As always I’ll have my monthly favourites and wish list too.

I can’t quite believe 2021 is just around the corner and we’re entering it with practically in lockdown, which sucks. Whatever though, it isn’t going to affect me much in regards to work, or my social life. I’ll just miss not being able to be closer to some form of “normality”.

I’m not feeling glum about 2021 and if anything I’m hoping to grow some of my hobbies, as well as see some of my friends again who I haven’t seen for ages.

What are you excited for in 2021? Is there any specific content you would like to see more of on my blog in the New Year? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time all, Happy New Year for tomorrow/Friday and I hope you’re all safe. 🙂

Christmas Presents I Wanted As A Teenager VS Presents I Want Now

It’s Christmas Eve and everyone is pretty much ready for Christmas now… Right? RIGHT?! I bloody hope so anyway, otherwise you’re pushing it a little bit… 😛

Last year I wrote about what gifts I would have wanted as a kid, as well as gifts I was wishing after for Christmas. You can read that post here.

This year I decided to do the same sort of thing on Christmas Eve, but I wanted to do a list of items I lusted and asked for as a teenager. When it came to thinking about items for this post, I really forgot about how much stuff I wanted as a teenager and how much of the stuff on the list I still own. It’s just made me think a lot… About how old I am! 😛

Of course as well as talking about items I asked for as a teenager, I’ll also be talking about items I’m hoping I’ve received for Christmas tomorrow.

I really hope you enjoy this post as I know I enjoyed writing the one last year about when I was little. Gosh I honestly can’t believe it’s Christmas Day tomorrow. This month has really flown!

• Apple iPod Mini 1st Generation in Green.

I remember when the iPod first came out and my brother had one. I loved it and the thought of having all my music in one place was such a mind blowing and life changing idea! I used to use my CD Walkman all the time but I hated changing CD’s in it constantly or having just the one and it boring the hell out of me after the third play. I remember asking my mom for this for Christmas, but it didn’t come out until my birthday so I actually got it then. However, I never got to keep this iPod. Reasons for this were because the iPod broke and my mom was reluctant to replace it. I don’t know if you remember, but back in the day there were rumours that Apple were notorious for not testing their products and the first batches that people would buy would always be rubbish. This seemed to be the case with my green iPod as only a month or two into owning it it started to play up. It wouldn’t charge and when it did the charge lasted for seconds. It was confusing and upsetting, so my mom took me back to the shop (Dixons to be exact! Remember them?) to get a refund. I was upset already at this point that she wouldn’t replace it, instead she just wanted her money back. I understood why, she was angry that she’d spent a lot of money on the iPod for it to break so soon. So we explained in the shop what was wrong and how she wanted her money back. “The back light is constantly on. Is this how it’s been since you bought it?” It was, I always left the back light on. “Well we aren’t giving you a refund then. You’ve broken it yourself by leaving that back light on.” This was such a shitty attitude and my mom already being annoyed, was even more annoyed now! I was gutted. My dad took me to another Dixons store to try and get a refund for the iPod, we explained what we had to the first store and they gave us a full refund without any questions or judgement. PHEW! I never did get another iPod Mini to replace that one but when I started university I bought my iPod Nano, which I still own and use to this day. 🙂

• Converse All Star Hi Tops in Red.

The Christmas I received these was the year of my teenage years where I started to become who I am now… If that makes sense? I’d discovered so many of my favourite things including music, films, books, TV shows and especially what style of clothing I loved. I’d been eyeing up Converse hi tops for a while and especially wanted the red pair as they were different. I remember my brother taking me to the Bullring in Birmingham and buying me some new clothes for Christmas and my birthday. It was such a bizarre day to be honest with you… He bought me loads of clothes including jeans, tops and hoodies and he also bought me my hi tops, which I loved and wore them for about 2 years until I couldn’t anymore. They just wore down so much they were too uncomfortable to wear anymore. I still have them though… I don’t think I could ever part with them now in all honesty! I don’t know if I’d ever buy another pair of Converse now… I’m too much of a Vans and Docs girl now.

• Angel Eau de Parfum by Thierry Mugler.

This was my first “proper” perfume that I owned and to this day I still own it! Not the same bottle as I would have had back in the day, but I always need a bottle of Angel in my life now. It reminds me of my mom to be honest with you, as I remember her buying this and falling in love with the smell! Angel is just such a unique perfume and anyone who loves their fragrance will instantly know what this is after you get a whiff of it. I remember as a teenager always asking for a bottle of this as I wanted my own, I didn’t want to keep sneaking my mom’s. 😛 I can’t remember if my mom bought me a bottle for Christmas, or if I was bought it after someone went on holiday. I know I had a bottle as a teenager though and I felt glam as fuck! 😛

• Kodak Easyshare Camera with Printer.

I remember my mom taking me to Dixons to buy this for me for Christmas. It wasn’t a surprise come Christmas Day but I loved it so much! I had wanted a digital camera for the longest time so my mom took me to have a look at what kind of camera I could pick up. We saw the Kodak ones with printers and were sold! I used this camera and printer to death to be honest with you and I’m pretty sure they still work! Yes, over 10 years later and I still own both the camera and the printer. I remember staying in my room taking selfie photos all the time and of my dog. I remember filmed a video of my dog Madge on this camera and it’s still the cutest thing. I wish I had that footage somewhere online so I could watch it now and link it here. But the best thing about this camera was as soon as you’ve taken your photos you could print them off AND you could plug the printer into your computer and print photos from off of there. It was a fab little device and I loved it so much. 🙂

• The Sims 2 PC Game.

This was something I wanted so badly, so when I opened it on Christmas Day from my brother I was so ecstatic! I remember him installing it for me and I couldn’t keep still at the anticipation of playing it. I spent so many days and nights playing this game and even played it whenever I went to see my cousins after school and over the weekends. I just fell in love with it. I actually really miss playing Sims 2 as I found it was the easiest to play, as well as the funniest! Every Christmas and birthday I’d always get the expansion packs too, which was awesome. Honestly though, many wasted years of my youth went into this game. 😛

• Sony Ericsson W800.

After the whole iPod fiasco I was without an MP3 player for quite sometime. I also had a bit of a shit mobile as well. It was okay and it did the job, but as a teenager everyone wanted a good camera on their phone, as well as other things. I asked for this for Christmas but I didn’t get it until towards the end of secondary school. From memory it was marketed as one of the first phones to also double up as an MP3 player and this really did call to me! Plus it was white and orange, what more would you want from a phone as a teenager?! I always loved getting new phones over Christmas, it was just awesome back in the day. It’s different though these days for kids. They want them to go online and take selfies, where back when I was a teenager you just wanted something that could take photos and best games on there. 😛 I remember this phone also had a selfie mirror on the back, which was always amazing.

• Nintendo DS in Pink.

The final item on this list and one I wanted for years, and years, and years but I never got, which in turn I was gutted about. I asked for this for many years but the one year it was in a package with the Nintendogs game and I KNEW I really wanted it that Christmas. My dad even took me to GAME to buy it for me, but my brother talked him out of it saying, “Don’t get her that, Nintendo DS is shit! Get her a PSP instead!” So my dad made me look into the PSP and the games and I didn’t want any of them. So alas, due to the Nintendo DS being “shit” I never got one. Years later my dad bought me a red Nintendo DS Lite, which was amazing. 😛 I am still gutted though that it took so long for me to get a Nintendo DS because of my brothers inaccuracies. 😛

OKAY so that’s all the items that I remember fondly asking for as a teenager for Christmas, as well as a bit of a back story into what happened when I got them/if I got them. ^_^

NOW onto the gifts I’ve wished for this Christmas! Some of these items I know I’ve been gifted, or asked for from Dane, his family and my own family. I know this list is probably boring, but meh. 😛

• Persona 5 Morgana Plush.

I can’t tell you how long I have wanted this Morgana plush for! It’s not cheap to get a hold of though, which in itself sucks! I really hope deep down that Dane has bought me it for Christmas though, as I really want him. 🙂 I think I might have to treat myself to him sooner rather than later as I’d hate to see a SOLD OUT on him on the two websites I’ve found him on… It would definitely suck! Maybe if I don’t get him for Christmas or birthday, he can be a birthday treat to myself… 😛

• Disney Wall-E Earth Day Pop Vinyl.

I literally just went to Amazon to see how much this guy is going for. Bloody hell, nearly £50! DAYUM. I’m really hoping Dane has picked him up for me for Christmas as it’s so damn cute and to be perfectly honest with you, how the first Wall-E pop vinyl should have looked really. If I do get him, he’ll stay in the box. 😛

• South Park Princess Kenny Mug.

This is such a random thing on this list, but something I’d love either way! I think I’d love this mug more for work to be fair. I recently bought the t-shirt with Princess Kenny on and I’m in love. Princess Kenny is for sure one of my favourite things to come out of South Park and she’s definitely my boo. 😉 I doubt very much I’ll get this mug for Christmas or birthday, but if I go to Fobidden Planet anytime soon, I may pick it up to use at work. 🙂

• Fox Wall Tapestry by ARiAillustr.

I have a feeling Dane has bought me this for Christmas… It’s something I expressed that I really wanted for our bedroom. He’s always commented how he wanted a feature wall behind our bed, but I just can’t commit to something like that, especially as we have built in wardrobes in front of the bed with mirrors on. Imagine waking up every morning and just seeing a red wall? FYI that’s what he wanted. 😛 However when I found this fox wall tapestry I fell in love with it! It’s such a pretty design on it and with a simple stick on wall hooks it’ll be up and down in no time! I’m also hoping I have some fairy lights to hang around it too. 😛

• Olivia Burton Snow Globe Blush & Silver Watch.

I already know I have this for Christmas, as my mom has bought it for me, which in turn is so lovely of her. 🙂 She asked me what I wanted as a gift as she hadn’t got a clue and when I suggested this watch (and of course the hefty price tag!) she was over the moon to pick it up! That’s the good thing with both mine and her birthday’s right after Christmas and just days apart from each other (mine is the 6th and hers is the 7th!) so we can buy each other expensive gifts and have them for both occasions. 🙂 I LOVE this watch so much though! For a year now I’ve wanted a really nice designer watch, but as of yet I didn’t quite find anything I liked the look of, or showed who I am… If that makes sense? I love foxes, as everyone knows so when I saw that Olivia Burton were bringing a watch out with a fox on the face, I knew I had to get it. Bless my mom she’s also got my name etched onto the band too, which is gorgeous. She told me I could have it before Christmas, but I’m waiting until tomorrow. 🙂

• Elodie the Unicorn Humidifier.

I can’t remember how long I’ve wanted this for… I think it must be almost 2 years now! It was on Kickstarter and I wanted to back it so much, but I never bothered. It worked out quite expensive at the time. Elodie The Unicorn is an American branded item too so shipping was a bomb! I waited and waited and eventually Firebox started stocking Elodie The Unicorn items, one of which I spoke about recently on this post. However, I would love this humidifier for more than just the way it looks. I really want it to put essential oils in of an evening and during the weekends when me and Dane aren’t at work. Lavender for evenings and eucalyptus for when me and Dane have colds. I have a funny feeling that I’ve been bought this for Christmas… 😛

• Loungefly Pokemon Eevee Embosed Tri-Fold Wallet.

I am gutted at the time of writing this post because I was actually going to order this for myself. It’s now out of stock and due to that a part of me has kind of died… I don’t need a new wallet, but I’d like to have one if I could. Mines definitely showing it’s age now. I doubt very much that I have this for Christmas, but a small part of me hopes I do. :’)

• Pandora Bobby Bot Dog Charm.

I’ve had my eye on this Pandora charm for a while now. I’ve not really asked for any Pandora charms for some time and I don’t really know why… I guess I just haven’t liked the look of any, you know? However I do really LOVE this Bobby Bot dog! It’s so adorable and definitely something different. I tell you what though, for what it is it’s fucking expensive! It’s £50, which isn’t cheap for a Pandora charm in my opinion. I doubt very much that I have this for Christmas as I didn’t think of giving it as a gift idea…

So there’s my wish lists from back when I was a teenager to now I’m an adult! 😀 As you’ll probably see from both lists, thing never change with me. 😛

I do miss being younger and having a carefree life, but at the same time I actually don’t miss those years of dealing with puberty, the heartbreak I felt when lusting after boys who thought I was grotesque and not having any freedom. 😛

I want to know what some of your memorable Christmas gifts were from when you were a teenager? As well as what gifts you’d like to receive come Christmas day? 🙂

I have to add whilst it’s all well and good me talking about receiving gifts tomorrow and enjoying time with loved ones, we always have to remember there are people out there not as fortunate as some to have a lovely warm home and family members to be around at Christmas.

I always think of people who are both homeless and dealing with mental health issues around Christmas and it truly breaks my heart.

With that in mind, if you’re struggling today, tomorrow and for the rest of 2018 please make sure to drop me a message on any of my social media pages. I will always be happy and welcoming to you if you need someone to rant to. ❤

On that note, I hope you have an amazing Christmas and a happy New Year! 🙂

Eww At Being Poorly… WARNING MILD TMI

Image taken from weheartit.com

Hi guys, Happy New Year! I hope everyone celebrated ending 2017 and entering into 2018 in the best way possible! I know I did and spent it with some awesome people, however my start to 2018 hasn’t gone off to a great start. It’s also the reason why I’ve been quiet on my blog the past couple of days.

I’m poorly, very poorly. 😦

I appear to have a stomach bug which has caused me to be light headed, tired/exhausted, sick and ahem… Other things… I don’t want to be TMI about it but you get the point!

I’m gutted to be honest for various reasons and I’m hoping I’ll be better after today, but this morning I woke up, attempted to get ready for work and just crashed.

Not only have I been sick (and other things…) but I’m not eating properly either. The only food I’ve managed to eat the past few days is a packet of Quavers and 3 drinks of Complan (which if you don’t know is a nutrition drink) one of which sadly didn’t stay down.

Image taken from weheartit.com

Now I’m currently in bed (which I’ve been in since Monday afternoon…) watching some YouTube videos and drinking plenty of water.

My birthday is just 3 days away and for weeks me and Dane had the plan to try and go to an indoor animal park/farm/zoo for the day and even discussed going to the National Sea Life Centre but I doubt very much that we’ll do that now. I also wanted to go for sushi after as I’ve been craving it for months now, but again, I doubt we’ll do that now.

Stomach bugs always make me anxious to eat in case of food poisoning or if my stomach isn’t prepared for it yet. Instead I suggested to Dane that we go Asian food shopping and grab some bits to make some Japanese food at home.

I am incredibly gutted. Sadly due to the last proper food I ate before being poorly, I’m not really anxious that I won’t be comfortable eating eggs for a while, which makes me sad as I love eggs.

I had planned to write some blog posts on Monday evening ready for Monday evening as well as a post for today, but alas this isn’t happening now. I wanted to have a “2017 favourites” post up Monday and then a “birthday wish list” post today.

I don’t know if I’ll work on any blog posts today as I just want to rest. I feel really sick right now and just writing this is requiring a lot of energy from me and later I may need to go out with Dane for a food shop as we have sweet FA!

Anyway, no more ranting from me! I just wanted to explain why I didn’t have my regular monthly posts up the past couple of days. Sadly my health comes first, which I know you guys will understand. 🙂

I’ll try my hardest to get some blog posts up for you guys, including the posts I mentioned that I wanted to write, so keep your eyes peeled for those!

I’ll also be having a “boxing day sales buys” post up ASAP!

I hope all my readers are well and again, had an awesome New Year!

Until next time, take care all.

Things I Want To Do In The New Year But Can’t…

Image taken from weheartit.com

This an anti New Years resolutions post to finish off the end of 2017! This is a things I want to do in the New Year, but can’t and probably won’t…

BUT IF I DO that will be amazing to be honest. There’s going to be all sorts of things on here and not everyone will be able to relate I’m sure but I hope people CAN relate to it and maybe even write about their own anti New Years resolutions!

• Start a Japanese language course.

This is actually something me and Dane was going to pay to start doing in October but we couldn’t due to the course starting whilst we was in Fuerteventura. We then decided to start it in the New Year in January, but sadly we don’t have the cash to spare right now. I’m pretty sure this one WILL happen at some point in the year when we have cash to spare. We could quite easily learn at home to be honest, but we both said that we want to actually go out to a class so we can get out once a week together to do something we want to.

• Book our holiday to Japan.

This really isn’t something I can see happening next year and for the past 4 years now this has been added to my New Years resolutions every year. We constantly tell people that we still want to go to Japan and how we’re “saving” for it. In reality we’re just saving up money we spent on our holiday in Fuerteventura, as well as some financial issues we had when I left my old job. I mean if we get to book a holiday to Japan, FUCK YEAH! But if not it’ll be another thing added to 2019’s New Years resolutions list!

• “Lose weight” and go to the gym.

I don’t want to lose weight. I just want to maintain my current weight, maybe burn fat and replace with muscle and basically try and prevent any signs of body dysmorphia disorder getting any worse. I would love to go back to my pole fitness, or even to the gym with Dane. We’ve discussed it, but I for one aren’t setting anything in stone just yet. It’s money to be honest and I don’t want to pay for a gym membership if I could do with food more. Going to the gym and toning up (both of us!) would be amazing though and to be honest fun to do together.

• Try and be a better blogger…

Ha this isn’t going to happen! I’m just going to continue to be myself, write as much as I can and write whatever the hell I want! I’m gutted about this year though for one thing, blog meets and events. I didn’t go to a single one and yet I went to loads the year before. I wish I could have attended/invited to some so that I could meet more awesome bloggers. I just never feel like I have the time, or did anyway. I’m hoping now I’m in a new job and more mentally well I’ll be able to next year. As I said though, I’m just going to do on my blog what I am now. I’ve said time and time again, I don’t get paid for what I do on my blog and although I love my hobbie, my job is more important and especially Dane and my home. Blogging may be my number one hobbie, but it’s at the back of my mind when I have Dane cuddles and a film to watch. 😛

Image taken from weheartit.com

• Get a puppy!

Again, this really isn’t going to happen! We both said we would get a puppy in the New Year as we both felt ready. That was before financial issues (I say this like we’re skint. We aren’t, I just don’t have any savings right now. THANKS OLD JOB!!!) and realising that it wouldn’t be fair to get a puppy, or even adopt a dog from a local animal shelter as neither of us are home constantly to be with the puppy or dog. I don’t like when people do this with their pets and think it’s okay. It’s really not! It can cause so many issues and it’s just unfair. We used to leave my dog when I was younger if we had to but more often than not someone would be at home with her. If she was left it would usually be for an hour, two hours tops. We probably won’t get a puppy until we have kids… If we have kids…

• Save loads of money!

Urgh this is never going to happen! As soon as I get money paid into my account it mostly goes onto my bills. I recently mentioned this to a friend who said, “What? That sucks!” and I thought about it for a moment and my younger self would have agreed and said, “Yeah man I fucking hate it!” but my older self took a moment to think and I found myself thinking, “Not really. I have my own space to do what I want, when I want and most of all I am investing in my future.” But even so, I will try so damn hard to save up this year!

• Do more photography.

I don’t feel like I take part in photography as much anymore as I used to and I find it’s mostly due to not having time. I mean, I went to Fuerteventura back in September/October this year and I haven’t even taken the pictures off of my camera yet. Fuck sake. My cousin had her first child before Christmas and I plan to go and take pictures of my new little cousin as soon as we’re both free to do so. I’m so excited to take pictures of my cousins little family in their new home.

I actually can’t think of anymore things I want to try and do in 2018 other than focus on me for a change and be happy. 2017 was the year where I had multiple mental health issues and break downs due to my old job. My new job has left me feeling free and happy! I’m still learning and there’s a couple of hiccups here and there but I aim to be better in 2018.

I also want to use this as the year that I focus on me and Dane too, our little family. We won’t be thinking about having children for a couple of years yet, but I want to continue to turn our house into a home, no matter what.

As well as that I want to focus more on my parents this year. I love them to bits and recently I’ve opened my eyes to realise that I do miss them since moving out… But not too much. 😛

I really want to say though that I hope everyone, family, friends and even my readers and blogger friends out there an amazing 2018! For anyone who has mental health issues, you have made it to the end of 2017, just think what else you are capable of.

Do you have any anti New Years resolutions? Make sure to tell me in the comments down below!

Until next time in 2018, take care all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

New Year, Same Nerd

Happy New Year everyone! It is now the first day of 2016 and it’s so weird how quickly 2015 flew by. I am glad about that mind, as for the majority 2015 was a shit year. A really shit year. My mental health wasn’t good, I was stressed out about university, and work, and due to all of those things my money was scarce, VERY scarce. As well as that some other things happened family wise, which weren’t great, but I won’t go into detail about those.

There were some great things that happened in 2015 though. After years of wanting to go, I finally got the chance to go to London with my boyfriend. We went for Hyper Japan, The Book of Mormon, and most of all as a belated anniversary weekend away. It was wonderful, and although I wished we could have stayed longer, it has just made me want to go to London again this year. Which I hope to do soon!

As well as that, I went on holiday twice to Fuerteventura. The first time in January with my parents and my boyfriend, and then again in November/December with my dad. Both times were amazing, and it was great to go back to my second home after 10 years away from it.

I accomplished a lot of things throughout the year, both big things, and small. I finally finished my masters and passed, graduating the day before I flew off for my second holiday. I also bagged myself a new job in November, and I’ve been working there nearly a month now. I love it so much! I bought myself a new car, my second car, and I love it. I finally drove on the motorway, and regularly drove to university in Cheltenham and back… This was with someone mind. I also flew on a plane twice (well four if you count coming home) and although I had a panic attack the first time, the others I was fine. Just before New Year I bought myself a Playstation 4, something I had wanted for a very long time!

I’m pretty sure I have done more than I am letting on, but I just can’t think of much more. I still have so many things I want to do this year, and I thought I would share them here with you now.

• Drive on the motorway on my own.

I want to start being able to drive to my boyfriends whenever I do so wish… Even if I do hate the close he lives in due to how small it is… It makes me anxious worrying about not being able to get out of there after parking. I also want to be able to drive to visit my two best friends, Poppy and Gabriella who both live an hour drive away. It would be nice to just drop either of them a text and say, “Hey what you doing later? Shall I come over and we can go out or hang out?” I would love that so much! I think it would really help my anxiety too.

• Keep up with pole dancing fitness.

Although I haven’t been able to go as much recently due to Christmas and New Year, I cannot wait to get back to my classes on Tuesday as I really bloody miss it! I hope to have my own pole when I get my own house, and I intend to start setting goals of what moves I intend to learn every fortnight. I want to create my own routine, and when I get good enough I would love to do performances, but that won’t be for years yet! Pole dance goals? 😛

• Get my blog to bigger, and better places!

I love my blog so much. It is like my little baby, and considering I have been running it for the past four years now, it’s doing really well for itself! I hope to be able to keep up with it, and even do better with it. I hope to be able to collaborate with fellow bloggers, as well as attend some blog meets too! I am hoping to have a new look for my blog soon too, I want a change for the New Year. Keeps eyes peeled for little changes here and there.

• Finally buy a house with my boyfriend.

This is the biggest goal of the year, and one we both hope to do as soon as possible. With my new job I’ll be saving up as much as I can each month after payday, so that means spending bans! I want to live with Dane so damn much that it hurts. We’ve been together three years in June and it’s time to start planning our lives together. First a house, then a puppy, and when we’re ready we’ll start our own family. I’m not getting any younger, so I need to start being all serious now. I will be writing updates on house related stuff throughout the year!

Without getting all serious, I can’t think of anymore to be honest. I just want to keep my goals simple, and to the point. I also want some jokey goals as well throughout the year, after being inspired by Jemma over at Dork Face (link to her blog here).

• Wear more lipstick! Apart from when my lips are dry, because dry and chapped lips covered in lipstick never look good.
• Try to go to more gigs, because I really miss going to gigs.
• Do more outfit posts on my blog!
• Read more.
• Try and dress up more, because I dress like I did when I was a teenager and that isn’t good!
• Go to London again… And Bristol, because I love Bristol.
• Spend more time wrapped up in bed with Dane, watching anime, and playing games.
• Go see friends more than I do.
• Do more creative writing.
• Play more games!

I really hope my life changes in 2016, as I really want it to be a good year. I want to achieve things I haven’t even put on the list. Things I haven’t even though of really. As I always do, I’ll be keeping you all updated on my blog with how life is going, and of course if I achieve any of the goals (both serious and silly ones!) that I manage to do throughout this year. The only thing I wish for is to see another year with Dane by my side. I love you so much Dane, and thank you for all the help you gave me in 2015. You are my rock, and whilst I was on holiday I began to realise how much I love him, and I want to be with him for the rest of my life… If I was a man I could do some sort of romantic engagement via my blog but alas, 1. I am not a man, 2. I don’t know if either of us wish to get married, and 3. I need to wrap up this post! 😛

What are your goals for 2016? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time, take care all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year!

Image taken from weheartit.com

Happy 2015 to all my amazing readers!

I know this is a little late (4 days Nat, God!) but I’ve been so busy with parties, seeing friends, getting ready to go on holiday, as well as getting my last bits of uni work done that I’ve hardly had anytime to think about my blog, sad to say.

I’ll have some posts for you though before I  leave and whilst I’m away my gorgeous and lovely friends Mali and Gabriella will be here with a couple of posts a week to keep my blog going.

I’m going to try and schedule some posts whilst I’m away too, so keep your eyes peeled for those.

I hope 2015 is going well for all my readers so far.

Until next time, take care all and see you soon!