28 Random Pieces Of Advice & Ideas

This is a blog post that I knew I wanted to write, but wasn’t sure what to write about exactly. What I mean is the whole 28 thing… With me turning 28 at the start of the month. I want to do something like this every year to do with my age and I want it to be different each time… Maybe a facts about me one every 5 years but other than that, something new!

You can read the one I did for my 27th here which is a facts about me post!

I asked on Twitter and I pondered for ages about what I could do with the number 28 and although I actually drafted up an idea from a Twitter suggestion I ended up coming up and going with this idea for my 28 post as I thought of some funny and yet serious pieces of advice that I’d love to share with my readers. I’ve also included some ideas in here too which you can use throughout 2018! I really hope you enjoy this post, I really enjoyed writing it whilst watching SovietWomble stream on his gaming channel (I’ll link it here in case you want to watch him in future!) over on Twitch.

On with the post!

Image taken from weheartit.com

1. When out in a bar if a guy offers to buy you a drink, go with him! You don’t know if he’s going to tamper with it in anyway.

2. When out shopping for clothes always try them on and if you do and you feel a slight bit of doubt, don’t buy it.

3. Don’t be afraid to let out your true colours and be yourself around everyone. Whether this is your sexuality, your fashion sense, or even the things you’re into. Just be yourself.

4. If you want to pursue a new hobbie then go for it! Whether it’s streaming games online, blogging, or even art the possibilities are endless and affordable. If you can eventually turn it into a job to make a little money then you’re winning.

5. When sales come out and you want to grab all the bargains, think for a moment, “Do I need this?” and “Will I use this?” and see how many pennies you’ll save.

6. If you can afford it, go travelling! Whether it’s around your country or to another. Life’s too short to regret not doing things you wanted to.

7. Take care of your skin the older you get as it’s not getting any younger.

8. Get a money jar and every £1 and £2 coin you get put it in the jar and see how much money you have saved up each month. You can do this with £5 notes too!

9. If you’re short of cash but love eating at certain restaurants then teach yourself how to make it at home. I’ve done this with katsu curry as it’s one of my favourite foods. Now I need to learn how to make sushi. 😛

Image taken from weheartit.com

10. If you never have before and want to, start collecting something! I’ve started collecting pin badges.

11. Get yourself a gorgeous notebook and start a journal. I started it last year with my Deadpool journal and used it as a place to write down positive and negative thoughts that I wanted to document, as well as sticking in special things from places I’d been. Like a scrapbook really. I’ve already started my 2018 journal and I love it so much.

12. Are you a massive fan girl of a certain thing but can’t get any merchandise from it? Then make your own! To coincide with the above advice buy a notebook with a black cover and head over to Redbubble and search for stickers from one thing you like or various things! You can get offers on the stickers including buy 10 and save 50%! So you could decorate the whole notebook with stickers. Of course there’s loads of people on Etsy and Tictail who do these too.

13. If you’re planning on going to Comic Con for the first time this year than first of all YES GO YOU and second of all be prepared! Make sure to take plenty of cash with you if you’re intending to spend monies. Cash machines are scarce inside and the few that they do have will always be packed with people trying to get cash out. I never recommend paying on card inside either… I just never trust it myself with the amount of fake merchandise that flies around for someone to steal your card details.

14. Spring is coming and with that comes spring cleaning. Go through your wardrobe and anywhere else to see what clothes you haven’t worn once in 2017 and maybe think about selling or donating to charity. Same can be said for other things including old books, games, etc.

Image taken from weheartit.com

15. Keep a diary and I don’t mean one where you write inside it every day, unless you want to do that. I just mean one where you can keep track of things you need to do like errands, appointments, bills etc. The older I’ve got the more I’ve really needed my Filofax to keep track of stuff like my car MOT and tax, work holidays, dental appointments and more.

16. If you’re able and wish to, got to college and learn something new! Whether it be during the day or even a night school. I’d love to go and learn Japanese at an evening language school this year, but I’ll have to wait until I have the cash to spare for it.

17. If you like acting then see if you have any amateur acting groups in your area. I was planning to join one last year but didn’t have any interest in it due to what was happening at the time. My best friend Gabriella is part of one and it sounds like so much fun!

18. Is there something that makes you anxious to do? One of mine is going for a food shop on my own as I worry about putting it all on the till to be scanned and packing it all. I have done tiny food shops on my own but I still like to go with Dane to do it. If you have something like this and more that you can attempt to overcome this year then try it! I know it can be hard for us guys with anxiety, but if you can attempt it, then give it a try. You may surprise yourself.

19. If you still have your grandparents and see them once in a blue moon, then go and see them more! Make it once a week if possible! Before my gran died I hardly saw her due to being too busy, tired and depressed from my old job and I regret it so much. I tell Dane to go and visit his gran as much as he can but due to the journey and how tired he often is after work he just wants to be at home. If you can go and see your grandparents, please do it. It’s nice for them and just as nice for you. Take them a packet of biscuits, old people always love having a pack in the cupboard for visitors.

Image taken from weheartit.com

20. This goes to both girls and guys, if someone is trying to pressurise you to send pictures or step stuff up to the next level then don’t do anything. No one should be forced into doing anything they don’t yet feel comfortable or don’t wish to do. I’ve been rushed and pushed into doing stuff I wasn’t comfortable or ready to do and although I don’t regret it, I don’t like thinking others will feel the need to go through what I did because you don’t want to look frigid.
21. Depending on the situation stand your ground no matter what! Whether this is someone trying to accuse you of something you haven’t done, or someone being rude to you. You being quiet when you can open your mouth won’t help the situation. Obviously I say depending because I know sometimes being quiet is better. Just don’t let people put you down when you shouldn’t be. The last thing you want to do is walk away and say, “I should have said something.”

22. If you think you have a mental health issue then seek advice for it. Whether it be anxiety, depression or even worries of schizophrenia or psychosis it doesn’t hurt for you to raise your concerns with your doctor, or even contacting Mind. They’re a mental health charity and very helpful to talk to. I won’t go into detail about it but I recently had to call them about something which wasn’t regarding myself, but someone else and they were so helpful. They listened to everything I had to say and gave me as much advice and info as I needed at the time. They’re also private and confidential and will help you as much as possible. I’ll link their website here (https://www.mind.org.uk).

23. If you’re thinking of buying your first home this year then make sure to do LOADS of research beforehand! Buying a house is a lot of hard work and it’s also a big commitment too so it’s not something to take lightly. Make sure to research areas carefully before buying including looking online at any Facebook groups/pages and driving around the area. There’s loads of could write here on this but I want to try and write a post about buying a house soon.

24. Take a random day trip to a part of the country you’ve never been to before. Me and Dane used to do this all the time and we loved it. We always ventured to places in the Midlands near Coventry and Birmingham but it was always nice to do. We’ve found some hidden gems in the past from villages, attractions and cafes. I want to try and do this more often this year, especially during the summer months.

Image taken from weheartit.com

25. If you want to get a pet this year then please look in your local animal rehoming centre. There are so many pets that need loving homes and there’s people out there who can give them the love they need and deserve. Last year me and Dane looked to adopt a young bunny but sadly he passed away before we got the chance to. If you do decide you want to adopt a pet then be prepared for lots of questions about your home, as well as your working hours. The RSPCA did this with us as they want to ensure that the pets in their care are going to a loving forever home. This is probably used more so when it comes to dogs as when left over long periods of time on their own it can make them anxious.

26. If you’re able to and want to then please support independent and indie sellers over on Etsy! I intend to do this more this year with my bath products. I’m sick of supporting Lush when their prices rise each year and they don’t appear to give a toss for their long supporting customers. Alongside that sort of stuff it’s always nice to grab some pin badges off of there, as well as other bits and pieces like artwork. I always like to look on Etsy for fangirl related goodies as Persona 5 merchandise is hard to get a hold of in the UK, so I always look at Etsy for handmade merchandise instead.

27. If you’re like me and want a bargain always search around for it! The first place I go to is eBay, as well as Depop, Shpock and Gumtree. eBay is always my go to website though and I always try and find items with pictures of the actual item. If I’m not sure questions will be asked, especially if I want more pictures of said item! Never be afraid of asking questions with this sort of stuff, if the seller is keen to sell the item so bad and that it’s genuine too they won’t have issues sending you more pictures or information.

28. Finally we have the last one here and it’s be happy! Do whatever you need to do to accomplish this, whether it be to leave toxic people behind, quit your job, take some risks and chances or even just travel for a while to get away from everything. No matter how minute or drastic your life changes may need to be, just do whatever makes you happy in 2018, I know I will be!

Woohoo those are all the snippets of advice and ideas for 2018 and indefinitely for you guys to take on board! I’m sorry if some are very random here but I just thought of stuff on the spot and added them here.

I hope you like this post however and if so, which number was your favourite one? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time, take care all and I hope you’re all well.

Back To Education Stationary Ideas!

I just want to start this post off by throwing it out there that the title and original idea for this post was for back to school, not education. Then I realised that it’s not just kids and teenagers who get to have fun buying funky stationary, older teenagers and young adults get to as well!

September is by far one of my favourite months of the year and I’ve explained on various different posts over the years why. It just feels like a fresh start to me. It’s when you started a new year at school, college and university. Hey! It’s even when many start their first years at these places and you want to always leave a good impression to the others in your year and classes.

I remember in August as a kid my mom taking me to the stationary shops to pick up some new bits for school. It was always an exciting time! New books, scented gel pens and a fluffy pencil case and I was ready!

Things haven’t changed either, with 90’s trends making a comeback in fashion AND stationary we now have so much funky stuff to feast our eyes upon again! There’s holographic, fluffy, unicorn and even Hello Kitty and Pokemon! Talk about bringing back some nostalgia!

Today I am very tired from a night of awesome drinking and talking with my friend Jacqui, her boyfriend Chris and of course Dane. I didn’t want to write anything at all today. I’m not hungover, but I’m very tired and lethargic. Urgh!

BUT I was scrolling through the internet and decided to do this post. The summer holidays are coming to a close and whether you’re returning or even starting a new year of education, here’s so funky stationary ideas for you to have a look at! 😛 P.S. Pray for me that I feel better by bed time. 😛

Oh by the way, this post won’t contain things you’ll need such as special equipment for maths, art, science, etc. This is just the bog standard necessities. 😛

• Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Ruled Journal – £12.99 (link)

Now, although I am not a Harry Potter fan myself (sorry guys…) I know a lot of people who are, young and old! I find journals to be great not only for use as a notebook for classes, but also for personal too if you want to get any thoughts written down on paper. Although I’m not a Harry Potter fan this journal looks gorgeous and is definitely one that would get a conversation started for any Potter fan who would see it. It’s not cheap however, so this is a journal for something a little more special.

• South Park Barrel Pencil Case – £3.99 (link)

This pencil case was mostly added for nostalgia. I remember when South Park came out and everyone and I mean EVERYONE went mad for it! Then WHSmith brought out some pencil cases for it and all the boys in my year had one at some point or another. I wanted one, but they were forever sold out in my local store. This is definitely more for guys but sod it, girls can pull this off just as much! I don’t think this is anything huge either which is always good if you have a small bag.

• Hello Kitty Gel Pens – £6.00 (link)

Who doesn’t love gel pens eh? Especially scented ones! These aren’t scented but they’re Hello Kitty… What more do you want?! I always found different coloured gel pens to be great to use on certain projects and I’d like to say during revision too… I was one of these stupid kids who didn’t revise… How I would have been if I was as level headed then as I am now… 😛

• Green Marble Notebook – £2.49 (link)

This is actually a notebook I really want to get for myself… But I won’t because I have WAYYYY TOO MANY! This is a notebook for the more older members of education who may read this post. It reminds me of the notebooks they have over the pond… You know the black and white ones that EVERY SINGLE high schooler owns and uses to write secrets in. ANYWAY! This is gorgeous and would be great to use as a notebook for a certain lecture or class.

• Bramblewood Fox Notebook – £2.99 (link)

Yes, another notebook. BUT it has a fox on it and you know I love my foxes! I used to own a phone case with this same fox design on, which I adored! It’s just a bog standard notebook really, which you could use for classes or personal. I’d probably end up using it for classes. I find that when you have a really nice and funky notebook for classes, lectures or even at home for notes you just feel good opening it up to jot stuff down.

• Aquamarine Pencil Case – £5.59 (link)

If I had to have a favourite item on this list, I’d say this is it. As you all know I LOVE anything holographic, turquoise and mermaid themed. This just ticks all those boxes for me and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t at all want to buy it… 😛 It’s a gorgeous turquoise pencil case with a fish scale sort of texture to it. This definitely reminds me of something the “cool kids” at school would have used. Either that or a fluffy pencil case! WHSmith have loads of these sorts of pencil cases available, with quite a lot of them selling out. So if you like the look of these sort of cases, get on there (or even in store) pronto!

• Pusheen A4 Ringbinder – £4.99 (link)

I LOVE Pusheen and I have a feeling that if I had been a kid when Pusheen first came out, I would have saved up my pocket money ready for when school shopping came around to buy EVERYTHING I could! I remember in my last years of secondary school I used an A4 pad of lined paper inside of a ringbinder for when I jotted notes down. I don’t know how I did it to be fair, as years later I attempted to do that again when studying my MA and I HATED IT. Folders are really handy to have, especially during GCSE’s, but it’s always better to have a cute one.

• What Would A Mermaid Do Prediction Pen – £8.00 (link)

Holy shit. I randomly found this obviously whilst researching for this post and I hesitated adding it at first as I thought it seemed so daft. I just couldn’t resist though. It’s so dumb but also so funny! If you love mermaid related stuff this pen is for you and the younger you are, the more you can get away with having it. 😛 It’s not cheap at £8.00 however, but it’s just such a novelty! Definitely something to cheer you up when you’re feeling down.

• Gemma Correll Unicorn Pencil Case – £12.95 (link)

I love Gemma Correll’s designs and in the past I’ve bought and used her stationary items! I still to this day own my ringbinder I bought and now use it to house adult documents in, because I’m now a motherfucking adult. 😛 I saw this pencil case and knew it needed a place on this list. I’ve got a couple of mermaid items, so a unicorn has to be part of the mix too! This isn’t cheap but it is a brand and it’s massive too! This would especially be good for an art student.

• Getting Shit Done Sticky Notes – £3.50 (link)

I remember when I was at university in my final year I was organised as fuck. I bought some post it notes, expecting to use them seriously and in the end I used them as a way to piss about so that I didn’t have to do any work on  my dissertation… I got a 2:1 on it and overall so it’s not like they affected my mark. 😛 They were boring though, so whenever I see funny or funky post it notes I wish they had been around when I was studying. These made me laugh so much! I may have to buy them for the office and blog related work. 😛

• Scented Pencil Pack – £4.50 (link)

Smiggle is notorious for their scented stationary, even their pencil cases! It’s cool but I do wonder if they’ve overstepped the mark just a tad… I always give stuff a smell on the rare occasions that I pop in however. I have looked at these scented pencils in the past and it just makes me wish I was at school again! I’d have definitely bought the banana ones.

• Mini Cookie Eraser Pack – £4.50 (link)

Again another scented item from Smiggle and one I just couldn’t leave out of this list. I was always a sucker for cute little erasers as a kid and I still remember to this day my mom bought me some puppy ones for when I started year 1. I couldn’t bear to use the one as it was just too cute. I’m pretty sure it’s still in my room at home somewhere! These little erasers are just adorable and I especially love that they come in a little plastic tub so you can keep them nice and smelling strong before using them.

So those were my picks for what you could buy for going back to education with. This list was definitely aimed more at a younger audience, but if you’re an adult who loves anything cute and kawaii then this list is totally for you too!

What items would you suggest people to pick up? Please leave links down below! I’m forever on the hunt for cute stationary!

I said at the start of this post that I hope I feel better when it’s finished, and you know what? I actually do feel better! I’m off to spend the rest of my Sunday chilled on the sofa with Dane.

Until next time, take care all and have an awesome bank holiday Monday tomorrow!

5 Things To Do When You’re Bedridden

Urgh I don’t even know where to start with this post. I knowwww it’s TMI but whilst I’m writing this (5/5/17) I’ve had gastroenteritis for 48 hours now and you know what? It fucking sucks!

Due to said virus I have been bedridden for a few days, only moving from bed today because the washing up needed doing… Urgh. Yesterday however I stayed in bed all day and I didn’t move unless it was to venture to the kitchen or the bathroom. Today hasn’t been as bad, although I’m feeling really rough at the moment.

So I thought I would write a list of 5 things you can do when you’re poorly and stuck in bed all day!

Image taken from weheartit.com

1. Binge on TV shows you’ve never watched before, or YouTuber’s you’ve recently discovered.

This is definitely one I did all day yesterday (and a little today…) and it was definitely one of my favourite things to do in the day. I’ve never watched Daria in my life until now and I really don’t get why I never had. Everyone I know had told me to watch it because they obviously knew I could relate to Daria. I wish she was a real person, we’d be best friends. xD

As well as binge watching Daria I’ve also been catching up with a YouTube channel I discovered about a month ago called The Crane Couple. They basically go around parts of California (where I assume they’re from…) and recently Japan on a holiday and play arcade games and catch prize in crane machines. This sounds dumb but it’s actually really relaxing to watch! It’s something I find myself watching when getting ready for work in the mornings and settling down to bed in the evenings. Of course due to being ill I’ll been watching them in bed when relaxing. I’ve pretty much caught up now and I love it!

2.  Do something creative that you enjoy.

This can be all sorts to be honest and obviously something you’ll be comfortable doing. At the moment I’m at the start of a project I decided to do for the house, which is cross stitching a massive piece to put in our coffee table. This is the first piece for it which is Haku in dragon form from Spirited Away. I started it a couple of Saturday’s ago but due to being busy I stopped working on it, only picking it up due to being stuck in bed with nothing better to do. I’ve since added some more colour to him since I took this picture. I need to finish it, which I’ll probably do after I write this post… If I don’t fall to sleep that is. 😛

Some other ideas of what you could do is write some blog posts, either by hand or on your laptop. That’s if you’re a blogger. If not get some creative juices flowing and write a story!

You could do some knitting, or crochet. Maybe even some art. Speaking of art you probably have loads of those colouring books lying around don’t you? With at least half a dozen pages left? Well dig them out and get colouring! Make sure to get a good TV show or film on in the background and you’re great to go for a couple of hours. The possibilities are endless with this one though!

Image taken from weheartit.com

3. Have a mini pamper.

Sadly when I did mine earlier today it didn’t quite look like this… I wish it could have of course! I don’t care if this sounds grim but due to how bad I was yesterday I didn’t shower all day… Disgusting, I know. 😛 In the end Dane made me get into the shower today, which I’m glad about as it did help me feel better. I did want a nice Lush bath but meh that wasn’t happening! I constantly worried that I’d be soaking in the bath and then feel the urge to throw up or erm… Poop… Yeah that wasn’t happening. LUCKILY that didn’t happen in the shower earlier today! I washed my hair, scrubbed my face, scrubbed my skin and shaved (WITWOO GET ME! :P). Then when I got out I popped on some moisturising socks and chilled with Dane for a while. Before I got in the shower I decided to paint my nails, which I loved. This wasn’t a huge pampering session for me but the few little things I did different (just the nail polish and the foot socks… yawn…) cheered me up a little.

4. Drink plenty of fluids… AKA water and Lucozade Energy.

I know this isn’t something special to do but you honestly need to. Whether you’re being sick or pooping you need to keep your fluids up… Which is rich coming from me. I swear I drink more when I’m well than when I’m sick. Lucozade is a Godsend for me, always has been and always will. It used to be my go to hangover cure and it’s definitely something I drink when I feel poorly or need some energy. I usually opt for the original or pink lemonade but Dane bought me some orange, which I couldn’t complain at…

If you don’t have Lucozade then your tap is your best friend! I find having my Starbucks sippy cup by my bed has helped… But sadly it doesn’t last long and I found myself crawling to the bathroom quite often to get water. Speaking of I really should have a drink… Sip Sip Sip.

5. Finally and this is important! Make sure you have a slave… 😛

This of course is a joke but if you’re really bad then having someone look after you is always great. Even though for the majority he was at work, when he was at home Dane was great. He cooked me something to eat yesterday evening and made sure I was okay throughout the day. He did the same today as well and kept me company for most of the afternoon whenever he could. This is a jokey point though! Some people aren’t lucky enough to have someone around to look after them, of course I am. This being said I cooked dinner for us today… 😛 So technically I was the slave! Now I’m suffering again! 😛

This was such a random post but it made me laugh to write to be honest, especially the last two pictures I added to the post 😛 I hope it made people laugh too, that was the intention! A bit of a jokey yet serious post… In the sense of I was bored yesterday and today and was going crazy for shit to do! I was so good to hold myself off from window shopping online. 😛

What do you do when you’re poorly and stuck in bed? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Until next time take care all and I hope you’re not poorly like I am. 😉

Currently #8

Wow it’s been a whole seven months since I last wrote a currently list! Well no time like the present and I have a long time to catch up with to be honest! I still can’t believe how long it’s been since I last wrote a currently, I guess it just goes to show how busy I’ve been.

Watching – I’ve been watching all sorts of stuff recently but for some reason throughout November and December me and Dane were watching LOADS of anime! I love anime so much and at times I go months without watching it, only to come back to it and realise how much I miss it. We’ve been watching various different anime’s at the moment but a couple in general that we’ve been watching are Penguindrum and Your Lie in April.

When I was first talking to Dane I was making my way through Penguindrum (known in Japan as Mawaru Penguindrum) and it’s a very strange anime, but one I will never forget as it does leave an impact on you due to the story line. I had told Dane about it before and for years he wanted to watch it but it was always expensive to buy. However when we were at Comic Con in November (you can read about what fun we had here) we found the anime for £20, which was a bargain! We haven’t actually finished watching it together yet BUT we’ve watched most of it and I forgot how weird and funny the show can be. To quickly explain what it’s about…

With their parents gone, twin brothers Kanba and Shouma live alone with their beloved little sister Himari, whose poor health cannot decline any further. On the day Himari is given permission to temporarily leave the hospital, her brothers take her out to the aquarium to celebrate, where the family’s supposed fate is brought forth with her sudden collapse. However, when Himari is inexplicably revived by a penguin hat from the aquarium’s souvenir shop, the hand of fate continues to tick faithfully forward. With her miraculous recovery, though, comes a cost: there is a new entity within her body, whose condition for keeping her fate at bay sends the boys on a wild goose chase for the mysterious “Penguin Drum.” In their search, the boys will have to follow the threads of fate leading from their own shocking past and into the lives of other wishmakers vying for the Penguin Drum, all hoping to land upon their chosen destiny. (Taken from My Anime List)

I decided to attach a funny video of the penguins in the show, as they’re probably the best part of the anime. 😀

Another anime I mentioned that we’ve been watching is Your Lie in April (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso in Japanese) which I am yet to finish watching. It’s currently on Netflix but for my birthday Dane bought me the first Blu Ray (you can read about that here) which I loved so much! My favourite anime is Nana because of how romantic and beautifully realistic and powerful the story line is, BUT this is definitely one that could have overrode Nana as I love the story line so damn much! I recently guessed how it ends, which I’m gutted about. I’ll pop a little synopsis for this anime as well, even though I’m sure the trailer above will do it justice!

Music accompanies the path of the human metronome, the prodigious pianist Kousei Arima. But after the passing of his mother, Saki Arima, Kousei falls into a downward spiral, rendering him unable to hear the sound of his own piano. Two years later, Kousei still avoids the piano, leaving behind his admirers and rivals, and lives a colorless life alongside his friends Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryouta Watari. However, everything changes when he meets a beautiful violinist, Kaori Miyazono, who stirs up his world and sets him on a journey to face music again. Based on the manga series of the same name, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso approaches the story of Kousei’s recovery as he discovers that music is more than playing each note perfectly, and a single melody can bring in the fresh spring air of April. (Taken from My Anime List)

Reading – I’ve been reading quite a lot of manga lately! Reading books isn’t really something I do anymore… Which is a shocker considering I love writing. I actually blame my masters to be honest. I read so much shit during my course (is that too much to admit? :P) that I think I’ve read enough to last me a while.

Image taken from weheartit.com

ANYWAY… I finally finished reading Nana and I felt so numb and deflated at the end of it because of writer and artist of the manga hasn’t finished it yet. I want to know how it ends so I won’t be able to find out until she returns from her hiatus. I thought I was going to cry as I came close to finishing the manga due to what happens and what I’ve already said, but I was okay. I’ll just have some hope that someday soon I’ll be able to know what has happened to certain characters.

Image taken from weheartit.com

Dane and his parents bought me quite a lot of manga for Christmas and my birthday so I have loads to keep me occupied for a while. Before Christmas however Dane gave me the first volume of Your Lie in April which I loved reading! Since then I’ve been gifted some more and bought all of them, so now I have the whole collection! I intend to spend the next couple of weeks reading the series as I want to know what happens.

As well as that I was gifted some other manga books too which I intend to get through after Your Lie in April.

Listening – I don’t think I’ve actually mentioned it on my blog recently but I went to see The Pretty Reckless live nearly two weeks ago and I can safely say I had an amazing time and definitely had some post gig blues a few days later. Dane went with me and it was our first gig together, which was also really lovely. I’d seen The Pretty Reckless support Evanescence back in 2011 and I loved the show so much. I had heard The Pretty Reckless’ stuff before but had never thought much about it until that gig. From then on I fell in love and they’re one of my favourite bands now. Their new album came out in October so since then I’ve been listening to the album loads, especially recently after seeing them play. One of my favourite songs from the new album is “Take Me Down” which was the first single they released from the album. As well as that I also love the first song on the album “The Walls Are Closing In / Hangman”.

Image taken from weheartit.com

Eating – Since the start of the New Year I’ve changed my diet so much! Both me and Dane realised that since moving into the house we’ve not exactly been eating as well as we could or should so we said we would change the way we eat and what we eat. I’ve been making a lot of stuff myself, including chips and let me tell you, my own chips are the best! I’d prefer to make my own than go to the chippy for example. I’ll be popping my recipe up on my blog in February as they’re too nice not to share. As well as that I’ve baked a couple of times since my birthday including gingerbread men (and foxes!) as well as a red velvet cake loaf.

Wearing – I’m not going to lie when I admit I’ve been living in my lounge wear the majority of the year so far. I bought myself a new pair of Victoria Secret PINK boyfriend pants, which I picked up in the sale. They were meant to be £29.00 but the sticker on them said £21.00 so I got them cheaper than I should have! WOOP! As well as that I have been wearing my Ohayou Clothing Eevee varsity jacket loads since Dane gave it me for Christmas. At The Pretty Reckless gig I bought one of their t-shirts before the show and picked up a raglan tee. I love these and would love to get more! This new addition to my wardrobe is one I’ve worn quite a lot already as it’s just so comfortable and I often team it up with my PINK pants, which are a dusky rose pink by the way. 😛

Wanting – I’m trying to be all spending ban at the moment and as hard as I try I do keep seeing things I want. ARGH! But right now the one thing I REALLY REALLY WANT is tickets to go and see Evanescence in June. They’ve released another date which isn’t yet sold out and sadly due to lack of funds I can’t afford to go, BUT I’m going to see what I can do. I want me and Dane to go to London for a few days for the show, to have a look around London and just enjoy ourselves. We’ve had a very busy seven months since we got the  keys to our house and I think we deserve a break and something to look forward to. Sadly we can’t afford to go aboard on holiday right now, so why not just go somewhere for a couple of days? I’ll see what I can do. Maybe make it a surprise. 🙂

SO I finally have a currently list since when me and Dane first got the keys for the house. Those seven months have flown by and I can’t believe we’ve been in the house that long already.

What’s on your currently list right now? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

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

30 Things You Think About On the Dreaded IKEA Trip

Image taken from weheartit.com

As regular readers of my blog will know, me and Dane recently bought our first house together, woohoo! Of course with buying any home or even living in one you need to decorate it as and how you want it/need it. Of course we had zero furniture inside the house (other than the built in wardrobes) so we were in need of a lot of bits and pieces.

Now I know people get so damn excited when you announce you’re going to IKEA, but it really isn’t that exciting when you have a lot of stuff to buy and not a lot of money… I love reading list posts so I thought I would create my own for this topic! 😛

Image taken from weheartit.com

1. You get really excited on the way to IKEA, talking to your fellow IKEA companion about how excited you are to walk around the showroom, and sit in the made up parts of the house and pretend they’re your house.
2. You also discuss whether or not you’ll visit the cafe for the meatballs or go get a hot dog and an ice cream from the takeaway section. This is a tough choice, but hot dog and ice cream always usually tend to win! You may be feeling fancy and have both.
3. You finally arrive and as usual it is rammed. You search for ages to try and get a good spot by the doors. You’re here for a BIG shop and want to make sure you don’t have to push the dreaded trolley(s) for too long if they’re going to be covered in brown boxes.
4. You wait in the huge queue for your hot dog and ice cream. BEST £1.10 I EVER SPENT!
5. Every time being given the hard choices of strawberry, chocolate, or no sauce. Always chocolate. Always.
6.  Finally your belly is satisfied and it is time to shop. You have a list either in hand on paper (the old fashioned way), your iPhone’s notes or via the IKEA app. When a member of staff stops you to ask if you’re having a nice day and wish to join the IKEA Family. You politely say no, too busy with your head in your list to really care until you hear “You get free coffee in the cafe and a free gift!” SOLD GIMME A CARD. GIMME NOW!!!
7. After being taken over to a screen to sign up for said family card (even though it’s just you and your boyfriend, friend, etc) you’re excited to find out what you can get free that day. Maybe that new desk and desk chair you have your eye on!
8. Then you are full of emotions, anger, disappointed, distraught when you are told you will get to choose from three things, none of your dream items being any of them. Fuck.
9. Finally you’re on your way to going to the showroom to sit, stroke, and wish all of the items in there are yours.
10. Then you start to wonder if you could maybe live here and hide out in one of the showrooms. Imagine all the adventures you could have?!
11. Why did we have to come to IKEA during the kid’s holidays and on a weekend? Fuck my life it’s rammed and there are kids running around everywhere!
12. Finally it goes quiet and you can peacefully sit in one of the showrooms and wonder whether to buy the cabinet for the TV in brown, or black. The choices, the choices.
13. Then when you finally decide on a colour you can’t decide what design you want and have a mini argument in the middle of the bookcases section (this actually happened with me and Dane!).
14. After sitting on various things, admiring pieces you would like to soon enough buy (but not today because money), and jotting down or taking pictures of shelf numbers you finally head to the market hall so you can start shopping!
15. You make sure to grab a trolley, because last time you didn’t and you had to walk ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE START to get one.
16. You pick up all sorts of things including a drinking glass with a flamingo on it (come on who doesn’t like flamingos), some martini glasses (for when the girls are over and you have to drink your gin and tonic out of something classy whilst you watch Bridget Jones and Sex and The City), and of course you can’t leave without picking up loads of scented candles! Yankee are good, but they’re hella expensive and sometimes you just want to burn something everyday that won’t make your wallet cry.
17. You get to the warehouse section and you know this is where shit gets real! You need to start lifting big heavy flat pack boxes onto the crappy flat trolley that IKEA expect you to use. God help you if you are on your own!
18. You end up picking up so much stuff you need to get another trolley.
19. Yay another trolley can fuck about on it and play on it, even though it says not to on a sticker on the trolley itself.
20. Oh look, said trolley has a wonky wheel. OH GREAT WHY HAVE I GOT THIS DEVIL TROLLEY?! NOW I CANNOT SKATEBOARD ON IT!
21. Must have a look at the bargain section incase the chest of drawers I just struggled to pick up, place and maneuver on this wonky as hell trolley are cheaper by £100!
22. Alas they do have the chest of drawers in the sale section! Was as excited as a kid in a toy shop and about to take the flat pack boxes back to their section until you see a child sneeze on their hand and wipe the snot from hand onto said chest of drawers… Never mind then, I bet they were damaged and shit anyway!
23. Now you have all your goods you have nothing more to do than pay. You wait in the queue for a maximum of five minutes and it’s your turn to be seen to.
24. What is the first thing wrong that you have done? You haven’t faced all the bar codes the same way and make the poor IKEA customer sales assistants job harder than it needs to. SHIT! You apologise 100 times and the girl serving you is nice about it.
25. You feel great, you have all the items you came for and hoped to leave with… Then you hear how much it costs. “That will be £558 then please.” What is that I heard? My heart? Dropping? Oh surely not? Fuck my life I NOW HAVE NO MONEY! But at least I have some fabulous looking furniture!
26. For a moment you think about how skint you now are, only to be presented by the glorious sight that you decided to venture to before your IKEA adventure began… The hot dog and ice cream stand. Do you be a greedy bastard and have another hot dog or ice cream? OH GO ON THEN! You go for the latter, and have chocolate sauce AGAIN. Oh this is what makes the IKEA trip so much sweeter!
27. After pushing that wonky as hell trolley and having to make sure none of the flat packages doesn’t slide off you finally get to the car. Oh sweet relief! You are just one step further to being done with this.
28. Until you realise the majority of the flat packages you bought are huge and won’t fit in your car without putting them in at weird angles. You scream, “OH MY GOD WHY DID WE NOT GET THIS STUFF DELIVERED?” only to realise it would have cost money to have stuff delivered, and you have zero funds after four ice creams, two hot dogs, and shit loads of furniture.
29. FINALLY after loads of patience and an invisible degree in Tetris you manage to get everything into the back of your car and you’re now ready to head home. Phew at least you burnt off all that food after the amount of effort that just went into that jigsaw puzzle.
30. You’re happy, poor but happy. You have everything you wanted to get, managed to get it into your car, got to have some yummy treats for cheaps from IKEA, and you’re on the way home. Only for it to suddenly dawn on you… Now you have to put ALL THAT STUFF TOGETHER! #fuckmylifeimpoorandallihavetoshowforitissomeflatcrapihavetobuild #someonesendreinforcements

Image taken from weheartit.com

SO that was my list post about IKEA and how dreadful the shop can be! I kid it isn’t really that bad… Unless you’ve spent as much as me and Dane have the past month. We are very poor to say the least, but it’s so damn worth it in the long run.

I already know that I’ll be having another IKEA list post up on my blog soon. One about building all that flat pack furniture! However, I won’t be writing this post up, Dane will. It would be full of lies if I wrote it as Dane built most of the furniture as I kept losing my temper… Ha! 😛

So what do you think about IKEA? Have you ever had to do this sort of trip? Do you have any funny IKEA stories to share? Please share them with me on the comments down below!

Until next time, take care all and I hope you’re having a lovely week so far.

Quirky Home Decor Ideas

Now I have officially announced that I have a mortgage, I am a home owner, and thus I am a motherfucking adult. Oh boy! 😛

One of the many exciting things about buying your own home (and your first at that!) is that you can decorate it however you do so wish. As regular readers of my blog will know, I am a massive geek, and so is Dane, whom I will be sharing my new home with. We of course knew that we would want some quirky bits and pieces in our home, and we’ve already bought some items, and we still have our eye on some bits and pieces.

I thought I would do a blog post today about some of the quirky things that we have our eyes on, or what we have already bought.

• Marvel Deadpool Doormat and Deadpool Coin Bank.

I don’t think I need to say anymore how much me and Dane love Deadpool. Sadly at the time of writing this post the Deadpool doormat is now sold out! Which is bad news for us, because we want it for our front door! We’ll keep our eyes peeled for this mind.

• Marks & Spencer Origami Swans Wallmount.

I’m unsure if I would buy and place these on the wall myself as at first I rather liked the look of them, but after a while I kind of thought they were a bit… Weird… However I am liking the look of these again, and would love to put them up in the hallway upstairs to give the walk down the stairs a bit of something different. I do rather like the vintage look of the three ducks you can buy, but I would want to get something vintage, instead of the reintroduced trend that M&S are trying to come up with. That and I could make these myself… But out of paper. 😛

• Ototo Nessie Ladle.

I know these are bloody expensive, and you can buy knock off ones, which I would be after picking up instead due to money. I love quirky items like this, and as I love making soup, and noodle soup (ramen in Japanese) I would be in awe of this little cutie to serve me and Dane dinner with. I’d want a red one to fit into the theme of our kitchen, but we shall see!

• Disaster Designs Fox Lamp.

I love foxes, and have always been after a fox lamp, so when I spied this on Lisa Angel I knew I had to have it. As of yet I haven’t ordered it, but I will be when we’re settled into the house and ready to buy more decor. This will go on my side of the bed in our bedroom, if not on the bedroom shelf.

• Marvel Deadpool Coin Bank.

With the coin bank I would love to pick something up like this for our spare room/office for us to pop change into to use towards our savings. You can’t go wrong with a coin bank in the shape of Deadpool’s head.

• Temerity Jones Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker.

I love making cocktails, and what better way to make one than in this quirky shaker that is in the shape of a mason jar? This was £5.00 at one point which is how much I was willing to pay for it… Now it’s back to full price, at £10.00 and whilst it is gorgeous, I don’t personally feel it is worth that price. I may as well make my own with a normal mason jar! I’ll keep my eye on this in the future for it to be back in Lisa Angel’s sale.

• Fox Coasters.

Again! I love foxes, and I couldn’t be without these gorgeous wooden coasters in our living room, and maybe upstairs in our bedroom and spare room/office. You get six in this set, so that would mean being able to put two in each room, and grabbing them altogether for when we have visitors over. Hell, I wouldn’t even mind buying two sets so I can have one upstairs, and one downstairs!

• Luckies Jumbo Elephant Drainer.

I really am liking buying stuff for our kitchen, and considering we’re doing it up the possibilities are endless for what we can do with it. We have a red, black, and white theme going at the moment, and whilst this grey elephant doesn’t fit that theme, it is kind of too unique and pretty to turn my nose up at. You pop your cutlery in this cutie, and he drains all the water away, out of his nose! Eek! Super cute! 😀

• Etsy Artwork.

There are various pieces of artwork I wish to buy from people on Etsy, the one on the picture about is a Spirited Away inspired piece by idrawrainbows. She has LOADS of these available on her store, and at one point me and Dane contemplated ordering all of them… However when we discovered how much it would cost us in postage alone, we ended up deciding against it. Nearly £10 she wants to ship these to the UK, and whilst I know this isn’t her fault, it’s a bloody lot! I will be making a separate post about what artwork, or tattoo artists I wish to buy for the house, and where I want to hang them!

So those are all the quirky home goodies me and Dane have our eyes on at the moment for our home. I hope to have some haul posts soon showing off what goodies we have bought for the house, but until that time comes I’ll be trying to get as many posts on here as possible. I’m incredibly busy right now with the house, and I’ve only currently got a couple of posts written because I’m awake into the early hours trying to catch up. Oh sleep, I want you right now!

On that note, it is bedtime! What quirky items would you like for your home? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below.

Until next time, take care all and see you soon

26 Things I Have Noticed About Being A Grown-Up

I was always taught from a young age that you aren’t an adult until you turn 21… I still ignorantly believe in this, although for some of the people I know under this age, I have an exception.

I’m now 5 years into adulthood and I have to say it is like Marmite. I either love it, or hate it… FYI I love Marmite!

But even though we’re not even two months (fully anyway) into the New Year adulthood has already REALLY tested me this year.

1. Buying a house is HARD! You would think it was a piece of piss from years of watching your parent(s) buy a new home for you to live in, but behind the scenes it is tough.
2. Equal to the first one, finding a house that isn’t a shit hole, or already sold is also hard. I think this point is affecting my boyfriend more than it is me. For someone with anxiety I’m not really stressed or anxious about house related matter. Why? Because I am just too busy and numb to it all to care right now. I know that sounds shit to say, but it’s true. I think it’s the sign of me getting older.
3. Being a massive anime, manga, and Pokemon geek at 26 looks a bit sad. I can’t really say I give two fucks about looking like a saddo at 26, but I know some people who would probably feel shy and awkward talking about this stuff. I work with someone who is 5 years younger than me, and we have loads in common. I talk with her about all things geeky all the time and it’s actually nice! I didn’t have anyone to talk to about that stuff at 21, and I really wish I did. Especially someone older.
4. Everyone seems to be of the age of getting engaged, married, or having children… And all I want to think about right now is which Pokemon game I’m going to buy next week! Do I pick Red, Blue, or Yellow? OMG ALL THESE DECISIONS! No, on a serious note I do feel under pressure. I’m not getting any younger, and considering a lot of people younger than me are doing one, two, or maybe all of the above I feel like I’m never going to do any of them…
5. I’m 26 and I haven’t traveled the world yet… Or at least gone to America, or Japan, or New Zealand. Three of the places in the world I really want to visit. I’d prefer to buy a house than go plane hopping… There is plenty of time for that before of after I have children.
6. I prefer nights in playing video games, and reading books than going out on the town. I have preferred this for nearly three years now. I used to be out every night of the week drinking, and having fun with my friends. Now I’m a boring fart who prefers to stay in, and you know what? I much prefer it!
7. My wardrobe is full of gorgeous clothes, but I can’t wear any of them. I don’t have time! I’m always at work, and by the time I get home the pajamas are on and I’m snuggled into bed with my PS4 on.
8. I say, “Over ten years ago when I was a kid I could get the bus for 50p!” and it’s true. 50 fucking pence people. Now it’s nearly your whole bank account!
9. People look shocked when I tell them how old I am. “I thought you were 19, or 21!”
10. When people say, “Aren’t you a little old for that now?” NEVER! I WILL NEVER BE TOO OLD FOR ANYTHING!
11. You’re allowed to be scared of things that go bump in the night. It’s okay to watch a scary movie, or play a horror game and not get a good nights sleeps due to it… I’m speaking from recent experience. Fuck you Until Dawn.
12. Going out clubbing isn’t as fun as it used to be. Because I love standing at the bar for 15 minutes waiting to be served, not being able to dance as sexy as you used to, and being gawped at by 18 year old students.
13. I am going grey. I have been since I was 21, but I am going grey, and yes it sucks but I’m over it. People dye their hair grey these days so I’m just a part of the trend, but naturally, of course.
14. A good cuddle can be better than having sex. Sex is great, hell yeah! But cuddles can be so much nicer, and you don’t have to worry you’re making too much noise. HA!
15. You find out who your real friends are. You know, the ones who you can go without talking to for weeks, yet pick up the conversation like you only spoke yesterday. Also the ones who you can have filthy and hilarious conversations with at 1am, when you’re meant to be sleeping, and wake up 5 hours later for work, feeling like crap… But it was so worth it.
16. Friends younger than you look to you for advice. Well sometimes, and when they do I’m always honest with them. I would hate to have advice sugar coated. GIMME THE TRUTH!
17. Staying up until late is more of a chore than a cool thing. I go to bed around 9pm-11pm now. Crazy I know, but with my work pattern, and me being a tired bitch all the time it’s fine. I love waking up for work at 6.30am not feeling tired.
18. Rarely treating yourself because of bills. Oh yes, bills. I won’t moan about them though because I want a phone, and a car. Oh and food, and a roof over my head. I’d prefer to pay bills for things I need than to a new MAC lipstick any day!
19. Finding time to do things you actually need to do is tiring. I need to go to the doctors, but I don’t have time. I need to get my hair trimmed, but I don’t have time. I want to go food shopping, but I don’t have time! You make time to be fair. I’m just lazy at the moment. 😛
20. Meeting up with friends doesn’t happen as often. I put this down to my friends living in different parts of the country, but even my one from S who lives up the road from me, I rarely see at the moment due to how busy I am with work, and life in general. It sucks.
21. Seeing the 90’s trends come back around is total nostalgia. Whilst all these youngsters don’t even realise the trends aren’t half as cool now as they were back in the day.
22. When someone said to your ten years ago, “You’ll miss school when you’re older.” how right they actually were! But only because of things like jobs, bills, getting old, etc. Fuck school!
23. Life can get in the way. Even my blog is left quiet for days… I feel bad for doing it but I’m busy. What can I do? 😦
24. You don’t need to be in your late teens or early twenties to have “date nights”. Me and Dane recently had one. We went to watch Deadpool, and then headed to Chiquito’s for Mexican food. It was amazing, and when we move out we’ll be making it a regular thing every Friday night.
25. You’re never too old to do anything you want. This includes learning something new, like knitting, a language, or taking an evening class at a local college.
26. Finally, the hours, days, months, and years really do fly by. I can’t believe in nearly ten days it’ll be the end of February. Can life just slow down a little? Please? 😛

I’ve wanted to do a list post on my blog for ages, and finally I have one! I want to do these more, and when I read list posts myself they can make me laugh my arse off, or agree with everything. Probably both to be fair.

What points can you relate to on the list? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below, and feel free to tell me anymore that I can relate to.

Until next time, take care all and I hope you’re having a great week so far.

Christmas Present Ideas – Beauty Gift Sets

Hands up who doesn’t like receiving beauty gift sets for Christmas? No one, eh? Beauty gift sets are a real treat to open up Christmas Day, no matter what brand they are, or what they contain. At least one person will receive, and I already know I’ll be getting one, if not two this year.

I thought I would do my final present idea list about beauty, and what great gift sets you can pick up last minute (depending on stock on stores obviously), and considering it’s Christmas Eve tomorrow, you better get out quick before they’re all gone!

• Lush Butterbear gift set – £14.95 (link)

This was one of the Lush gift sets that I put down on my Christmas wish list this year, for the tin alone! Inside this cute little tin you get six little Butterbear Bath Bombs (link to them here) which are a remake of the Lush permanent Butterball Bath Bomb. This set is perfect for children, and grown ups alike! The only flaw of this tin is that it isn’t really worth the money, and if anything you’re paying for the tin… I can see me picking one of these up in the Boxing Day sales if there are any left!

• Boots Soap and Glory Get a Smooth On gift set – £35.00 (link)

This is an amazing gift set, and one I didn’t actually know about until researching for this post! I love Sugar Crush, and I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t love it. You can get various different sets, but this one just seemed the nicest, and best value for money. You get four beauty products from the Sugar Crush range (body wash, body scrub, body buttercream, and body spray), as well as an overnight bag, and a Soap and Glory body polisher! I need a new overnight bag myself, and this is a gorgeous silver one. Perfect for any woman of any age, and maybe even some men, my boyfriend loves the Sugar Crush scent.

• Debenhams Make Up For Ever Artist Plexi Gloss Collection – £110.00 (link)

This is the most expensive gift on this list, and you can see why! Any lip gloss lover will adore this collection (I know I would!) no matter what their age. You get 12 shades of gloss in here, and they’re all sorts of shades from nudes, pinks, reds, dark shades, and even a gorgeous blue purple shade! As I said, this is expensive but it works out being a bargain.

• The Body Shop Modern Gent’s Post Party Rescue Kit – £16.00 (link)

Of course I had to include men in this beauty list… Something I have learnt from my boyfriend since we got together is how men really don’t look after their skin, and they should. Thanks to me my boyfriend now has a facial regime in place with his Lush and The Body Shop products. This gift set is perfect for introducing men into getting their faces taken care of. In this little kit you get an Eye Rescue Serum, and an Face Protector. Perfect for men who may work long hours, and need something to help them wake up in the mornings, and keep them alert in the evenings.

• L’Occitane Delicate Floral Cherry Blossom Collection – £49.00 (link)

I love L’Occitane, and received a gift set last year from my boyfriends brother and his girlfriend. I loved that set so much! I myself have even bought people L’Occitane in the past, especially my mom who loves the lavender collection, which I bought her one year, as well as this year! You can get various collections in gift sets, including the lavender one. However, I have decided to show off the cherry blossom gift set today, as it’s such a gorgeous scent to be using late winter, ready for spring. You get seven products in this set, including a perfume.This would make a lovely gift set for anyone of any age, but especially older ladies who like a nice, delicate scent.

• Debenhams DKNY Be Delightful Be Delicious EDP 50ml gift set – £50.00 (link)

I love a perfume gift set as a Christmas present, like any woman. I usually receive one every year, if not every other year. This is a lovely scent for Christmas as it’s a gorgeous fruity scent, that smells like crisp apples. However I do prefer DKNY Red Delicious. In this gift set you get the 50ml EDP as well a body lotion, so if you receive this for Christmas you can use it for New Years Eve, applying the lotion first and then spritzing over the perfume to ensure the scent lasts all night long. This is a perfect perfume for teenagers.

So that was my present ideas for beauty gift sets! It was also the final of my four present ideas posts. I can’t believe it’s Christmas Eve tomorrow, and then Friday Christmas Day.

I am excited for Christmas, although not as much as last year. How are you all feeling about Christmas? Are you all ready present, and food wise? If not, stop reading and get out there and shop!

Until next time all, take care.

Christmas Present Ideas – Geeky Guy

I said before I left for my holiday that from the start of December, until the last Wednesday before Christmas I would be posting Christmas present idea lists up on my blog. I’m not going to do your casual present guides, instead something a little different, and quirky. For my first list my boyfriend is here to give me a hand with a geeky guy present ideas! Him being a geek himself, this is pretty much his wish list for Christmas. So I hope you enjoy his choices, and they help you get any ideas for those geeky men in your life!

Howdy everybody! Natalee is still away on her holiday, so she has roped me in to do another post. It’s coming to that time of year where we openly let a fat bearded man into our homes and steal our milk and mince pies. I never understood why we do that but that thought is for another day!

With Christmas coming up I thought it would be a good idea to give people ideas on what presents to get a geeky guy like me. I know Nat has some difficulty getting me presents as I tend to buy stuff when and if I need it, and I am pretty sure it is the same for a lot of guys out there. My dad in particular is pretty hard to buy for as he isn’t really interested in much. So to give you ladies, and even guys a helping hand with what to get any of the neckbeard* men in your life.
*www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=neckbeard

• Xbox Elite Controller

I’m an Xbox loyalist; I will state that straight away so forgive me if your man has another console or belongs to the master race (PC). I don’t believe there is an equivalent for the PS4 and the master race will always praise using mouse and keyboard so this is not for them. This is one thing that I am really looking forward to getting. The customisation, the responsiveness… It just looks cool, and so on. Just watch this official video:

The only drawback is the price, at £120 it is pretty steep for an accessory that most people probably don’t need. That is why I have asked for assistance with getting mine for Christmas, I could get it but I can’t justify buying it myself for the full price.

• Star Wars Battlefront Special Edition PS4

I suppose an alternative is the Star Wars Battlefront Special Edition PS4. It just looks tasty with the Darth Vader print on the front, funky looking limited edition controller, and general presentation. It also gives me an excuse to be a double agent in the console wars. It is more expensive than the controller so it isn’t really an alternative at all, plus it will never beat the limited edition R2D2 Xbox 360 with sounds and lights. However, for those that want to splash the cash, for those who may be into it, and for those without a PS4 it is a great present. I know Nat really wants one for herself!

• Nendoroids (and I suppose Pop! Vinyl Figures)

I am a bit of a snob when it comes to figures, even though I am new to collecting them. Due to this I don’t know names of other brands other than these two and could never see myself buying the proper expensive ones no matter how cool they look. They really would be too unfair on my bank account.

http://www.goodsmile.info/en/product/4553/The+Colossus+Titan+TAKAYUKI+TAKEYA+Ver.html

Personally, I dislike Pop! Vinyl figures. As the brand has grown in popularity the quality seems to have diminished. I don’t like the look of them, they are manufactured in greater quantity so the paintwork tends to be iffy at best, and there isn’t much to them other than they’re a potentially cute looking figure. They are very easy to buy, popular, and cheap brand of figures so yeah, go for it if you’re on a budget, or there is a particular figure that will appeal. Older figures like Nat’s Wall-E are really decent, whereas newer ones like the Colossal Titan seem badly made. If there was one I would get it would be the Brotherhood of Steel Pop! from the Fallout collection, as I have had my eye on it for a while. Otherwise I’ll tell you about Nendoroids, a figure that I think will give you a hell of a lot more for your buck.

For those that like a bit more quality to their figures, Nendoroids are the way to go. I already own a fair few of them; nearly all the Attack on Titan collection (just missing Cleaning Levi), both Kirito and Asuna from the Sword Art Online collection, Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, and the Star Wars Stormtrooper.

They are manufactured by a Japanese company called Good Smile so a lot of their products are based around manga and anime, making them the perfect gift for someone who loves that sort of stuff. They are incredibly well made, pose-able, and all come with unique accessories that reflect the character. Some examples being Solid Snake has a cardboard box, the Stormtrooper has a blaster, and Mikasa has her red scarf.

The drawbacks with Nendoroids are availability, price, and variety. You can see them at conventions (but be careful they’re not fake!), and very rarely in places like Forbidden Planet but the best place to get them is online. Always use trusted partners (http://partner.goodsmile.info/support/eng/partnershops/) or shops other people recommend like Sushi Noms, Crunchy Roll and so on. Due to the way Good Smile release them affects how easy to acquire they are. You will find it difficult to find older figures outside of eBay and even then they have a chance of being fake or overpriced. Speaking of price, they can be on the expensive side. For example, I got Nat a Mawaru Penguindrum (Google it) Nendoroid which I would consider quite rare for just over £20. That is good, right? On the other hand the Pokemon Red is priced up at £160… Yes, that much! Then there is the trouble of bootlegs which there is a major issue with. Good Smile does bootleg warnings which are great and helpful, but you still have to be careful. I fell victim to it using eBay. It looked real on the pictures, but I could tell instantly it wasn’t when it arrived, and returned it straight away.

Even though these are some issues, I still recommend Nendoroids over anything.

• Games (Fallout 4, SW: Battlefront, Just Cause 3)

Games are a simple easy present to get. They are released constantly and if it were me I would be happy to receive any game, hell even Viva Pinata! Just check out the hype for the upcoming games and maybe take a little look at their current collection and it should give you a good idea on what sort of games they’re into. At the moment I am playing Fallout 4 and Star Wars: Battlefront and anyone would have a blast playing either of those. The problem with these though is they are out already and said person who you’ll be buying for will have most likely bought them already (like I have), so what do you get? Well one idea is to buy something similar to what they have already, no harm in that is there? An older game I want is the Master Chief Collection, I’m glad I didn’t get it at launch because it was shrouded in problems but they have fixed them and it would be a great addition to any Halo fan boy. I already own the original Xbox and 360 copies of Halo 1,2 and 3 so I would love to be able to play them on my Xbox One.

You could even go retro, have they ever spoken about the good old days playing the Sega Mega Drive or the Super Nintendo? You can find them pretty cheap on eBay, I got hold of a Mega Drive for £30 and it included 10 games. Mega nostalgia for any gamer!

What if you want to get something new for them? Or your partner has everything already? Or you don’t know the difference between Battlefield and Battlefront? Or you can’t work out why you shouldn’t get Duke Nukem Forever?
Well the answer to that really is Just Cause 3. Why? You ask. Because explosions. Every man wants to be Antonio Banderas and not look at explosions and this game gives you all of that with no risk of being branded a terrorist or creepy for trying to be Antonio Banderas.

Antonio Banderas isn’t actually in this but I think the character is based on his [film career] life. It is a silly game that you shouldn’t take seriously, but that is what makes it fun. I have played the two original games and they are beautiful and amazingly fun to play another game that anyone would love to play. I am actually looking forward to it coming out in December. That is why I am suggesting it as whoever you may buy it for won’t have it just yet so it makes a perfect present to get. Just make sure they haven’t pre ordered it!

The best advice I can give for when buying games is to ask them straight up what, if any, games they would like. Then you have no trouble. It may ruin the surprise, but if they are anything like me I appreciate the thought that you want to get something I am actually interested in rather than having to feign happiness that you got me Ride to Hell: Retribution because you saw I liked Sons of Anarchy (FYI: It is a terribly bad, bad, bad, bad, baaaaaaad game).

If you really want to surprise the gamer, make the notes of what games they have and go into any gaming store. GAME staff in particular are incredibly helpful and although they want you to buy stuff regardless, I still feel like they want to help you.

• GAME Gift Cards
  

When I say game store, I don’t specifically mean the chain of stores. You can buy vouchers for pretty much all the major game outlets. Xbox store, PlayStation Network, and Steam all have gift cards available, and depending on what system they use you can tailor it to them. If all else fails, get GAME gift cards. Anything that helps me buy more is always welcome.

• Portal Board Game

I recently got this to play with Nat, but we haven’t got round to playing it yet. It took a while to understand the rules, we were tired and it was late so please forgive us for not being able to truly review it. Most gamers and geeks will know about the video game Portal, so this is a brilliant gift for any fan of the series. Valve, the creators of the series, are probably one of the biggest hitters in the gaming industry so you can’t miss what they have released. Not sure when it released but I had no idea about it until I randomly spotted it in a Games Workshop. It looks fun and I hope we get round to playing it soon. It would be a great gift to open on Christmas and play with the family.

• Stormtrooper Costume

I don’t really know what to say to persuade anyone to buy this…

http://www.stormtrooper-costumes.com/24,stormtrooper_costumes.html

… But I am damn sure I want one.

A full PVC outfit of a Stormtrooper with holster and blaster would be fudging amazing! I have always wanted one, but that price is a bit painful on the soul, if I had one…

• Stocking Fillers/Novelty Clothing

These are awesome little ideas that you could buy someone. I know that I have largely focused on gamers with a heavy dosing of Star Wars but this is really for any geek. There are tons of websites and shops out there to get little presents and random bits of clothing.

Here are but a few:

www.gamer-heaven.net

www.redbubble.com

www.forbiddenplanet.com

www.crunchyroll.com/store

www.tokyotoys.com

www.sushinoms.com

www.tofucute.com

www.animuk.co.uk

Just look on the websites for whatever they are into and you can easily find something. If it is clothing I would recommend sticking with T-shirts as not all nerds and geeks are confident enough to walk around wearing a Naruto jacket, a Survey Corps hoody, or even like having to explain what their clothing is from. Most people don’t understand how adults can be into these “childish cartoons”. Not even when Lucy from Elfen Lied tears people in half creating a bloody massacre whilst strolling naked through a military complex. T-shirts allow people to express their interests, yet be able to cover up when visiting grandparents. There is nothing more awkward than having to explain over a cup of tea why the cake is a lie. Just don’t put them in that position!

• Shit-Bucket

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Shit+Bucket

Stay with me here and give me a chance to explain.

I don’t necessarily mean buying your partner a commode and letting them excrete into a bucket, unless you really want to. I mean giving them the gift of letting them zone out and enjoy their games. Book a day off work for them (and yourself), keep up their supply of Monster and Doritos (possibly with melted cheese), and take an interest in what their playing. I know it is hard to just watch someone play but having support from loved ones means a lot, it’s the thought that counts. Hell, you could even empty the bucket for them…

I joke.

So there you have it, my quick gift guide for that special geeky person in your life. I don’t want this to be limited to just guys as I’m sure some women out there would appreciate the intricacies of a poop bucket. So if you have a geeky guy or girl hopefully they would appreciate some of these things that I myself would love to receive from the bizarro burglar know as Santa.

Ciao for now!

Thanks again to Dane for writing this post for me! The last present idea really did make me giggle! What did my readers think of his ideas? Make sure to let me know in the comments, Dane will be reading them whilst I’m away on holiday.

I’m away for another week yet so I’ll see you all when I get back! Take care.

Currently #3

It’s been a couple of weeks since I updated you on my life, and my currently posts… But that’s because I’ve been too damn busy to! With me working longer hours, and just life being busy in general it has prevented me from doing my next currently, until now at least!

I’ve been really poorly the past couple of days and as a result I’ve been lying in bed, miserable, and resting up… Whilst catching up on blog related matters! So I have finally have time to get on track with my blog, as well as get posts written up for whilst I’m on holiday.

So here is my third currently list!

Watching: I’ve recently discovered RuPaul’s Drag Race, and it’s safe to say I am obsessed. I started season 6 recently, and when I’ve watched this and season 7 I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself! I also don’t know where I’ll be watching season 7 yet as I’ve been watching them all (well apart from season 1 which I watched online) on Netflix. God bless Netflix! I never really thought it would be my sort of thing, but I just adore it, my boyfriend has even enjoyed watching it at times! My favourite winners have been Raja, Sharon Needles, and Jinkx Monsoon, the latter being my favourite. They were all just so different and alternative, the style that I love anyway! I can’t wait to see who will win season 6 now.

Playing: I haven’t really been playing much since I finished Life Is Strange but one game I have been loving lately is TsumTsum, the phone app. I’ve spoken about it in the past on previous currently posts. I love being able to play it on the go, whilst walking to and from work, and before I go to bed. It is a really relaxing game and one that I think people with anxiety like myself should play. On the topic of games, Nintendo recently announced that they will be releasing all the original Pokemon games (Red, Blue, and Yellow) on the Nintendo eShop for people to play! I cannot wait to relive my childhood, and I intend to buy them all to play!

Listening: I’ve been listening to Daft Punk’s latest album Random Access Memories. It’s by far one of my favourites of theirs and one that holds a big place in my heart. It came out the year my life changed dramatically in both good and bad ways, so it holds a very big place indeed. There are certain songs on the album that I love, one being in a YouTube video above. I just love Daft Punk so much, they’re by far one of my oldest and favourite bands. I’ve actually written a review of this album, and it’s pretty in-depth for anyone who may want to read it, I’ll link it here.

Image taken from weheartit.com

Eating: There isn’t any food that I’ve been eating much of lately to be honest… If anything my eating habits have gone rather odd. I find myself not having much appetite one day, and then I’ll want to eat everything another day. I recently tried a chicken, bacon, and three cheese toastie from Greggs. It was amazing and the thought of it at this moment in time is making my mouth water! A food I have found myself eating a lot is egg and chips… I don’t know why! It’s just so easy and simple to make to be fair. I had it for dinner earlier in the week when I was poorly and I loved it.

Wearing: The cold weather is slowly creeping back and with this it has meant I’ve needed to bring out my big parka back from out of the wardrobe. I love how fluffy it is and how huge the hood is on it. As well as this I have finally started to wear my new 101 Dalmatians Vans (post about those here) and they’re so cute and comfortable! I can’t wait to wear them on holiday next week. Speaking of coats too, I have dragged out my red cape out to wear for Christmas parties and popped on my cute new Pokemon pin badge (can see that here) so it shows my nerdy side!

Image taken from Skinny Dip London website

Wanting: There isn’t much I really want at the moment due to Christmas being just around the corner now (well just over a month away!) so meh I don’t know. There just isn’t much I am lusting after I guess. If there is one thing I want it’s more money to buy people’s Christmas presents, and time! Otherwise one thing I would like right now is the Skinny Dip London iPhone 6 Case with the gorgeous Glitter Unicorn pattern on it (can find that here) but I keep saying to myself to wait for it… I hope this has been bought for me for Christmas… 😛

So that was my third currently list! Which of these things are you currently doing at the moment? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below.

Until next time, take care all.