July Favourites ’21

I feel like I always say stuff like this when it comes to my monthly posts, but seriously… How is it August already?! This year has really flown by, so much so I didn’t realise my boiler was due a service because it only felt like yesterday that it had had one! xD

This month feels like it’s been… Strange? My mental health hasn’t been very good to be perfectly honest but at the same time it actually improved due to dog sitting my best friends dog Eddie. I’ll be talking more about him later… 😉

I’m hopeful for August being a better month. I have lots of fun things planned with friends and I can’t wait to go on some mini adventures with some of them too.

Beauty.

• Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap in Peppermint.

This is an all purpose soap that my mom recently gave to me in lavender form. She’d treated herself to some of the scents but had found she had too many. As I wasn’t using it due to having a lot of my on stuff to use, I gave it back to my mom. When I did however, she offered me another scent that she hardly had any of, the peppermint one. This came at a good time with the heat wave we experienced in the UK. This is a multi purpose soap that can be used as a body wash, shaving and even for cleaning around the home! I’m yet to try it for shaving, but so far both me and Dane have used it on the body. As this is peppermint it leaves a lovely cool feeling behind after rinsing off of the skin, which felt amazing during the heat wave! I don’t know if I would go out of my way to buy this soap as I feel for less money I could pick up the Original Source mint shower gel for a lot less money.

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Film – All the Jackass movies!

As some of you may know I am a MASSIVE Jackass fan and earlier last week the trailer for Jackass Forever came out, so I was kind of an excited fan girl… 😛 I was so excited that I decided to binge watch ALL five Jackass films, including Jackass 2.5 and Jackass 3.5. I forgot about some of the scenes from the films so it’s always a delight to be reminded of some of them. I can’t tell you guys how many times I’ve watched the Jackass series as well as the films now. Whilst studying my undergraduate degree I remember watching everything over and over again as it helped me whilst I worked on my dissertation. To add here, whilst I’m really excited for Jackass Forever I’m not excited about a few things. 1. The fact Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn won’t be there (who are both my favourite Jackass guys) and 2. This is actually going to be Johnny Knoxville’s last Jackass film… Gutted! It’s obviously the end of an era in a way and the young 11/12 year old Nat probably didn’t even realise how much this show would change her life. I’ll be writing a post all about Jackass towards the fourth film, which comes to cinemas on 22nd October!

Image taken from Tenor

Favourite TV Show – Beastars season two.

Me and Dane literally binge watched season 2 of Beastars as soon as it came out on Netflix. We watched the first season last year and really enjoyed it! As I haven’t read the manga, I didn’t expect there to be another season coming out, so when it was announced a while ago I was surprised! This being said, I was intrigued as to what would happen in season two and other questions about Legoshi (wolf) and Haru (rabbit). For those of you who may not know, Beastars is about anthropomorphic animals where carnivores and herbivores are divided. We follow Legoshi during his time as a student where we see how this divide is affecting students, as well as adults outside of the school/college/university. I definitely recommend watching! You can watch it on Netflix, subbed and dubbed.

Favourite Music – Girl Talk – All Day.

All Day is an album my ex actually told me about over 10 years ago and I still listen to it to this day. It’s a mash up album with all sorts of genres mashed up to make one amazing piece of work. I love listening to this when I have stuff to do, whether it be doing paperwork, blog work or cleaning around the house, it’s the perfect album to put on and listen to. I especially love listening to it whilst driving. There are 372 songs used on this album. Honestly go and give it a listen if you’ve never heard of it before… I don’t think you’ll regret it. 😉

Favourite Game – The Greatest Penguin Heist of All Time.

This is a game that Dane introduced me to about three weeks ago now! It’s an early access game on Steam and it is fucking hilarious! If you can’t gather what it’s about from the title then… 😛 Obviously you play as a penguin and you’re off on a heist, the greatest of all time! This game can be played alone or in a group of four through private parties and it’s one that me and Dane have been really loving playing together, especially on streams. You play various different levels and each time you are set tasks to complete. You complete the tasks successfully, you make big penguin bucks which can be used to buy new areas to play, as well as weapons, clothing and more! As this is an early access game there are bugs and items still in development but this doesn’t bother us too much as it’s still crazy and fun to play. 🙂 If you fancy watching us play it on stream make sure to drop us a follow so you can watch us play games! We stream this game every Wednesday between 7pm-9pm. Dane’s Twitch and my Twitch.

Just a few of my favourite things…

New Black Milk Clothing pieces.

Okay so I found some Black Milk Clothing bargains online in July, but I also picked up the Snorlax Snoozing Snuggle Suit when it was re-released! It originally came out in the second Pokemon collection. I’d been nagging BMC via Twitter for ages to bring it back and it would seem myself and others would get their wishes (and nagging!) come true. I’ve owned it for a month now and I’ve worn it loads when the weather was cool enough to. It’s really comfortable and I feel adorable as fuck in it too! If there’s one thing I realised this year, it’s just how much I love BMC’s snuggle suits and how I need more. 😛

As I mentioned, I did pick up some bargains, two in fact! The Snorlax Apples Apron Dress originally came out in the second Pokemon collection and I snagged for £10 less than what BMC are selling it for! Although I’m yet to wear it out and about, I have zero regrets about buying it! It’s a gorgeous apron piece that I’ve teamed up with a strawberry t-shirt from TU Sainsburys. Apron pieces are some I’ve always been unsure of due to the length, but with leggings or a pair of tights with shorts on top, I’m sure it’ll be fine! I’m planning to wear this outfit soon, maybe on a day trip with a friend or for a picnic date with Dane! It’s the perfect outfit for spring and summer!

The second bargain I picked up is the Mew Sheer Midaxi Dress which came out in the first Pokemon collection. This is a piece I’d always lusted after but… Couldn’t justify the monies. I’d bought the Gastly Evolution Handkerchief Dress and felt that was enough for me. However, months later BMC put the Mew dress into the sale and I started to think more about ordering it. I put it off and just as I went to, it had sold out… I was gutted and it was clearly never meant to be. However, one morning whilst scrolling through the internet I found someone was selling the Mew dress on Vinted for a decent price! It was a size M, so a size down from what I usually buy and after some chat with the seller I placed an order. It arrived a few days later and fits perfectly! I’m so happy I bought it and I’m waiting for the right time to wear it… But with the way the weather is now in the UK I may need to wait a while. xD

Lucky art commission from Claire Likes To Doodle.

About a year ago now my amazing friend Claire/Claire Likes To Doodle would stream whilst doing art over on Twitch channel and as she would stream during the day I would join to watch during work for company. I saved enough channel points so I could ask Claire to draw something quick for me! I asked for Lucky from Animal Crossing and she smashed it! Recently I asked her if she still had that initial quick sketch she did for me and she did! I paid for her to finish it for me and paint him. I met Claire for coffee last weekend and was presented with this gorgeous piece. I love how Lucky has a cute little butterfly on his nose, as well as the bees around the flowers too! I’m currently catching loads of bees on Animal Crossing so I can make lots of bee models for my hive!

If you’re interested in getting a commission from Claire yourself make sure to check out her Instagram page and drop her a DM. 🙂

New clothing in general… 😛

I seem to have acquired some new clothing pieces over the last week of July and I have my reasons for this! xD I’d seen the Disturbia Strange Oversized Skater Dress making it’s way around social media for a while and after a lot of thought, I decided to pick one up! I’d seen and heard in a lot of posts and reviews of this dress that the sizing of it was incredibly generous and as my size(s) had sold out, I had to go for a size I haven’t been able to fit into for a VERY long time. Alas a few days passed and the dress arrived. I was so anxious to try it on in case it didn’t fit, but alas it did and it was still very oversized. This being said I don’t mind it, it feels really comfortable and with a belt around (as shown in the image above) you wouldn’t even know how oversized it is! I’m planning to wear this over the weekend.

This sweater literally arrived a few days ago and as you can see it’s a Space Jam Lola Bunny sweater from George Asda. To be able to order an item I’d wanted for AGES I had to order something else, so I decided to get this sweater. It claimed to be oversized and it had Lola Bunny on it so… Win win really! 😛 I used to love Lola Bunny growing up, so much so my dad bought me a keyring/chain with her on. I loved it! I remember being so hyped for a female bunny character and Space Jam but when it came down to watching the film, I was left feeling disappointed and a bit freaked out by the aliens. xD I plan on watching it again soon.

Dog sitting a cutie pie! ***WARNING IMAGE HEAVY***

Finally I’m here to show off this little cutie pie, Eddie, my best friend and her husbands dog! He’s a Shih Tzu Yorkshire Terrier cross, or a Shorkie for short. Me and Dane love him to death so when our friends were talking about where they could put him (aka a kennel/dog boarding) whilst they go on holiday we offered to look after him! We had him for a week and we loved every minute of it. I wanted to share with you guys some of the memorable and funny moments we had with Eddie during his week holiday at ours! We’ll be looking after him again in August and hopefully September which we’re really looking forward to!

This is our living room and for some reason a couple of days into his stay with us he got obsessed by our living room light. As you can see it’s mirrored and he kept staring at it one day after Dane had come home from visiting his family. Eddie was going crazy after a while, in the sense he was trying to get up to the light, whether it was via my airer or the dining table! We don’t 100% know why but we can only assume he saw himself in the mirror and thought it was another dog. We ended up wrapping the light with kitchen roll in the hopes he would forget about it, he didn’t. 😛

On his way home one day from work Dane brought Eddie a puppuccino from Starbucks. It’s basically just a cup of cream but damn did Starbucks give Dane a big cup! Eddie really enjoyed it but he kept wandering off thinking he was finished, when he wasn’t! We might treat him to one in August/September if we get time to. 🙂

Most of the time Eddie would nap, especially during the work day when I was busy and in the evening when me and Dane were chilling or streaming on Twitch. This was taken the day he went back home after his mini holiday with me and Dane. This was typical of Eddie to have a nap next to me on the sofa, or underneath my desk. Look at his cute little face!

The weather was mostly lovely whilst Eddie was staying with us and one afternoon whenever I let him out for a wee or was sorting my washing, he would sit on our decking (I know it’s seen better days…) and look out at the garden and take in all the smells! It was really nice to sit with him and relax, especially if I wasn’t having a very good mental health day. Taking this photo of Eddie has really added to me want to get a dog to sit and have chill moments with… As well as other reasons of course!

Finally my favourite part of having Eddie stay with us for the week was all the doggy cuddles we got to have… More so me than Dane as Eddie really did get attached to me. Every morning Eddie would come and sit on my lap during my morning meetings and then later on come for snuggles and cuddles on the sofa during lunchtime and then on the bed before me and Dane would sleep. These two photos of him are my favourites as he’s given me those perfect puppy dog eyes for fuss. I mean, who can say no to that face?

I know I said finally before, but the day after Eddie went home, I went to my besties for a hot tub party! Typical Eddie came for snuggles with me… 😛 I didn’t mind of course. 😛

So there we have it guys, those are my favourites from July, with Eddie being number one of course!

What were your favourites from July guys? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Until next time all, I hope you’re having a great weekend and I hope August is a good and sunny month for us all. 🙂

June Favourites ‘21

Well, as regular readers will have noticed, this months favourites is late… I’m not sorry. 😛

I’ve been so busy lately that this is the only chance I’m getting to write my favourites for June, it’s rubbish but we can’t help how busy and crazy life can be sometimes.

But I’m here and I’m raring to go for today’s blog post about my favourites from June! I already can’t believe we’re nearly a week into July!

Beauty.

• Carmex Lip Balm in Cherry and Sugar Plum.

This is an old favourite I’ve been reminded of recently when searching for a new lip balm to use. Carmex is a lip balm I used to use LOADS when I was working in my last retail job, as well as previous admin role. I didn’t realise I had some spare pots lying around in my beauty drawers so when I found these, I decided to give them a go. They don’t only smell amazing, but they feel great on and leave your lips baby soft! They also contain menthol so they leave a tingly cooling sensation on the lips, which might plump them a little too. The cherry one is still around, but the sugar plum version was limited edition MANY years ago (around 2017?) and I never ended up using it until recently! I much prefer Carmex to Vaseline so when these are used up, I’ll be buying Carmex more often!

So… Now it’s time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month! If there isn’t anything I’ve done I’m not going to mention.

Favourite Film – The Talented Mr. Ripley.

This is a film I watched at the end of June after seeing it on Netflix. I’ve never watched it but both me and Dane had watched a preview from the film and I added it to my list. I ended up watching it on my own whilst I did some work and I really love it! It’s about Tom Ripley, asked to go and find a mans soon, who he befriends. It isn’t all plain sailing though and shit hits the fan. I definitely recommend giving it a watch if you never have! Fun fact, Matt Damon claims this is his favourite film he’s been in to date.

Favourite TV Show – Viva La Bam.

I don’t know why but towards the end of June I got the itch to binge watch season 1-5 of Viva La Bam. If you’ve never heard of it (although I’ll be shocked if anyone hasn’t…) it’s basically a spin off of Jackass in a way where Bam Margera terrorises his parents alongside with his friends. Basically cKy films, but a show! It’s clearly all scripted but this is a show I loved as a teenager. When I would skip school (yes… I skipped school!) I would stay at home and put MTV on during the day and watch random shows, including Viva La Bam. I also used to binge watch this and Jackass when I was working on my dissertation during my university days! When I was old enough to I saved up my pocket money/money I earnt through odd jobs and bought all of the box sets as and when they came out. Years later I still love this show and scripted or not, it still brings back a lot of memories. My favourite episode is season 1 episode 8, Scavenger Hunt.

Favourite Music – Random game music I use on Twitch!

I love having cute music play before my stream starts and I usually try to limit it to a couple of songs to get people hyped for the stream! Above are just three of my favourites that really do get me into a dancing mood before streams! Especially Monday and Friday streams where I bring my Cookie amigurumi (you can read about her here!) to hang out! 😛

Favourite Game – Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

This is a new game purchase I made towards the end of June! Doki Doki Literature Club isn’t exactly a new game, but it was announced during E3 that Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! was due to come out at the end of June with loads of DLC and updates! Dane was shocked that I’d never heard of the game and encouraged me to get it when the time was right. So, I pre-ordered on my Switch and I’ve played it a few times since. It looks like a cute dating game, but it’s actually a psychological horror game! I’ve not yet reached the horror parts of the game, but after researching what I was expecting, it’s pretty fucking horrific! This game is NOT advised to be played by children, or people who could be mentally affected easily and the latter is why I why I searched to see what happens. I didn’t want to worry I bought it, played and it affected my mental health. I don’t think it will… This is a game I thought about streaming on Twitch, as a few people had asked me to as well. However, this isn’t going to be happening due to the disturbing themes. It isn’t worth it.

Quite a few of my favourite things…

Becoming a Twitch Affiliate!

As many as you guys may have seen from previous posts on my Twitter and Instagram, as well as potentially on my monthly posts in June… I finally made affiliate on Twitch! It was a proud moment for me and I as so fucking happy. It had been something I’d planned to get to by the end of May, so the fact I hit that target on 1st June was typical. 😛

Since then I feel my Twitch has continued to improve and I’m still enjoying streaming Animal Crossing and more! I also have a camera set up now, so you guys can watch me play games and chat away, which is always good! If you haven’t come to check out my stream yet, please pop by, it would be amazing to see you. 🙂

Finally wearing my Black Milk Clothing Butterfree dress!

I bought my BMC Butterfree dress back in September 2020 and finally for a meal and drinks out with my best friend and her bridesmaids, I got to wear it! It’s so bloody comfortable, flattering and made me feel so pretty and confident. I haven’t had the chance to wear it again since, but honestly I can’t wait! I’ll be wearing it at some point in the future when me and Dane go somewhere for a day out, as well as if we decide to go on holiday anywhere in the UK this year too. If you want to find out more about the dress, you can read all about it here.

My best friend got married!

Almost a month ago now, my best friend got married! It was such a beautiful day and many tears were shed due to that. I had an amazing time and was so happy to be a huge part of it with being her maid of honour really was an honour! Not going to lie though, I was so tired by the late afternoon and evening and I couldn’t wait to sleep. 😛 It’s just amazing how quick the time has flown already since the day and I’m so proud of my best friend! 🙂

I would have posted a photo from the day but I feel it isn’t my place, so you guys can have the one of me holding the flowers my best friend and her husband gave to me. 🙂

Gorgeous flowers.

In June my mom came over to help me with my garden and gifted me this amazing hanging basket she’d done up, as well as some flowers in one of my flower beds. Our garden is looking so beautiful and colourful and I’m so thankful for her help! I love how pretty my garden now looks and I cannot wait to do more in the future with it now. 🙂

I bought myself a new car…

So… I bought myself a new car! It was a very random and spontaneous thing but I’d been thinking of getting something new since I came back from Japan in January 2020. Due to COVID it didn’t happen and lockdown and working from home that also put me off as I wasn’t needing to drive anywhere. Finally I decided to bite the bullet and get something new! Originally I was going to buy a two year old car, but it didn’t feel like it was very… Me? So I settled on my gorgeous blue Citroen C3 and I love it! I’m hoping to do a post about it in the future, but I don’t know if/when that will be sadly.

So there we have it guys! My favourites from June! June was a good month, but I constantly felt hectic and busy so July will be nice to just try and relax a bit. 🙂

What were your favourite things about June? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time guys, I hope you’re having an amazing week and take care.

Cotswolds Crochet – Animal Crossing Cookie Amigurumi

Today’s post is one that has been a long time coming on my blog and I’ve been a mixture of excited and nervous to write it. Don’t have a clue about why I’m so nervous to write it however… I think due to how big a purchase it was, I’ve been in that frame of mind, maybe?

That being said, I really hope you enjoy this weeks blog post! If you’re an Animal Crossing and plushie fan then I have a feeling you’ll love this post. 😛

First of all, some of you may be asking, “What’s an amigurumi?”. Well, amigurumi is Japanese for crocheted or knitted stuffed toy, so basically an amigurumi is just that… A plush/stuffed toy crocheted. It’s something that seems to have blown up on the internet lately, more so since COVID in my opinion. I mean, I’ve even had a go myself at making Biskit from Animal Crossing.

As many of my regular readers and friends know, I LOVE Animal Crossing as well as Japanese culture and plushies, so for all three to come together really does make me smile.

I can’t quite remember how I discovered Harriet and her amazing amigurumi business Cotswolds Crochet, but as it was through Instagram it was more than likely through someone sharing her work on their stories. I fell in love with it instantly and gave her a follow. I continued to be in awe of her work and when Harriet announced she would be opening up slots for commissions towards the end of January this year, I KNEW I had to snag a slot.

I set an alarm on my phone and everything ready for the commission slots opening, but due to a busy day I COMPLETELY forgot and a few hours initially after her slots had opened, I dropped her a frantic DM on Instagram asking if I’d missed out. Thankfully I hadn’t and I got my request in to Harriet, as well as my deposit.

I knew exactly what I wanted and how I wanted it… Her to be. I requested for Cookie the dog villager from Animal Crossing, my favourite villager and my bae to boot. 😛 Four months later Cookie would finally arrive at my home and a month on she’s definitely fitted in well with my Pokemon plushies. 😛

I wanted to share my experience of requesting a commission through Harriet and Cotswolds Crochet with you guys today as Harriet is an amazing business owner and one of my favourites to work alongside for a commission. I know Harriet faced a few issues when creating Cookie for me, but this wasn’t a bad thing. I know it was a massive learning curve for Harriet and if anything it showed how hard working she is to make sure both she and her customer are happy with their purchase. I already cannot wait to commission Harriet again later this year and I already have an idea of what I’d like. 😛

Getting a commission slot with Harriet wasn’t too bad to be honest. I dropped her a DM on Instagram, told her exactly what I wanted and paid my deposit. Harriet keeps a commission progress board (hosted on Trello) visible via her biography on her Instagram page, so anyone who has commissioned her can see the progress of their piece. This being said though, Harriet does post often on her Instagram page stories of her progress on a piece she’s working on.

Harriet did this when it came down to Cookie and I was constantly excited to see updates on my cutie over on her stories, whether it be just starting off with the design, random updates through tags of what she was currently up to and even eventually seeing Cookie’s toe beans… Plus an up skirt shot. 😛

Throughout the process of creating Cookie for me, Harriet was a star and made sure to message me to keep me updated too or ask any questions. An example of this being to ask if I was happy with the colours she’d chosen for Cookie’s pink markings. I was more than happy and 100% trusted Harriet in regards to this.

Towards the end of April Harriet messaged me some pictures and stated she had finished Cookie! I was so excited to see the final result, however, I wasn’t 100% happy with how Cookie’s face was looking, I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something felt… Off. Harriet agreed and she decided she actually wasn’t happy with how Cookie’s head had turned out and decided to rework it for me. Harriet apologised so much in regards, but I wasn’t fazed at all. I was more than happy to wait to ensure both me and Harriet were happy with the final product of Cookie. I knew that this was the first Animal Crossing dog villager that Harriet had worked on, hence why she wasn’t feeling the head shape 100%.

A couple of weeks later and Harriet made sure to keep me updated again, as always with how Cookie was coming along. Harriet had complete changed Cookie’s head, as well as removed the pink markings on her head from crocheted pieces to fabric, which personally I found looked a lot better and not as… Chunky.

A month had passed since Harriet had decided to rework Cookie’s head and she messaged me again with updated images of Cookie with a brand new head and looking amazing! Cookie looked like how I imagined her to be and with less weight on her head, she just looked better to me.

@cotswoldscrochet

Cookie 🍪 My hardest commission yet 😰 #animalcrossing #acnh #crochetiktok #amigurumi #fyp

♬ Bubblegum K.K. – DIMSVM

Also, how cool is his TikTok video that Harriet created to show off the creative process behind Cookie?! It made me smile so much when she sent it to me to watch!

I was happy with the changes Harriet had made and paid the remainder of the commission fee. A couple of days later, Cookie arrived at her new home with me and has settled in really well!

As I’ve only ever owned tiny keychain/keyring sized amigurumi’s, I wasn’t sure whether Cookie would be okay to cuddle and squish, so she lived in the box she arrived in for a week before moving into the plushie shelf that I have next to my side of the bed in our bedroom. Cookie has really fit in with my Pokemon plushies and is very much loved! I try and get her in selfies I take but my selfie game is usually happening in my office.

One thing I didn’t want to discuss/address on this post was how much I paid for Cookie as this doesn’t reflect on the overall piece. This commission was not cheap but fuck me it was worth every penny and I was more than happy to pay it! So much thought, love and hard work from Harriet went into creating Cookie and quite frankly I’m happy to support a small business, especially with the way the world is right now due to COVID. If you are really interested in how much I paid for Cookie, drop me a DM on Instagram or Twitter.

In the future I would love to commission Harriet again, whether it be to create a smaller dog villager such as Bones or Cherry, or maybe even Puppycat from Bee & Puppycat!

Speaking of commissions, Harriet’s commissions are currently closed, however Harriet did inform me that she’s hoping to reopen her commissions in September! I’ll definitely be in line to snag a commission from her.

If you’re interested in snagging a commission yourself later this year then make sure to go and check out Harriet’s Instagram page for Cotswolds Crochet, which is linked below, as well as at the start of this post.

I have also linked Harriet’s Etsy store as she does sell amigurumi patterns (Pokemon, Animal Crossing etc), as well as amigurumi plushies!

I have also linked Harriet’s blog, where she posts free patterns and her TikTok too where she posts videos of commissions she’s worked on, including Cookie!

Instagram

Etsy Store

Blog – access free patterns!!!

TikTok

What do you guys think of Cookie that Harriet over at Cotswolds Crochet created for me? I honestly love it so much and I’m so happy to finally have a Cookie plushie of some form in my collection.

If you were to commission Harriet for an amigurumi what would you ask for and why? Make sure to let me know in the comments below!

Until next time guys, take care and have an amazing weekend!

Games I’m Excited For After E3 2021

The last time I wrote about E3 on my blog was back in 2018 when me and Dane wrote our his and hers reactions. I honestly don’t know why I stopped writing about E3 since then… Maybe so much good stuff happened that I just couldn’t fit it all onto one post? 😛

E3 is actually one of my favourite times of year! Ever since me and Dane have been together we’ve cuddled together with yummy food and drinks and watched the E3 presentations. Granted since COVID it’s not quite the same, but it’s still been good. I’m not going to lie, E3 2021 for us felt a bit rubbish in regards to the bigger presentations such as Xbox, Nintendo, Bethesda, Ubisoft and Square Enix.

The majority of the games I have fallen in love with (both new announcements and previous from last year) are indie and I just had to share as many with you all as possible! Especially since starting to stream on Twitch. Games is something I was introduced to from a young age thanks to my older brothers with Tetris on the Game Boy, as well as various games on the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System).

I’m going to start with my favourite presentation of E3 2021, which was Wholesome Games. It was one of the first ones I watched and I’ve now found out about twelve games! Some of these are games I already knew about or have backed on Kickstarter, but even so it was definitely my favourite direct and I’ve been talking about it and sharing as much as possible!

I’m going to be jumping straight into this! I’ll try and add trailers where possible as well information about when the game will be released and what platforms. Some I may talk about in a bit more detail, whereas others I might not at all. I don’t want to cause the blog post to be too long! I really hope you guys enjoy reading this post, I’ve had so much fun writing it and sharing some cool games with you all.

Snacko – Out 2022 on both Steam and Nintendo Switch.

Former big city kitties Momo and Mikan are starting a new life on a seemingly deserted island. Unravel its mysteries while you rebuild a community, farm, fish, and explore the island and beyond! Lift a curse and revitalized a ruined island in Snacko, where former big city kitties Momo and Mikan are starting a new life! Grow crops, raise fluffy cows, go fishing, exploring, customize and decorate as you please, and much, much more in this farming cat-venture.

This is actually a game I backed on Kickstarter a while ago now and whenever I hear news about it through the Wholesome Games directs I get so excited about it! I’m also part of the Discord so I’m constantly hearing updates form the developers. Snacko reminds me of Animal Crossing but with cats! It looks so damn cute and to hear it’s now also coming out on the Nintendo Switch has got me even more excited!

Behind The Frame – Out 2021 on Steam.

Combining escape rooms and narrative games, Behind the Frame presents a profoundly interactive storytelling of characters’ emotions and plot development. With 360°panorama techniques and an exquisite hand-painted art style, the game takes you into the world of Behind the Frame. Listening to the brisk chirping of birds under warm sunshine, the painter once again picks up her paintbrush as usual. Sometimes she would look out the window and enjoy the scenery outside when she’s having a quick break. However, a short interlude happens during her regular days. A lost cat, the old man painting next door, some handwritten notes… Everything seems unrelated yet familiar…

Loddlenaut – December 2020 on Steam and HOPEFULLY Nintendo Switch. KICKSTARTER LIVE NOW!

A creature-raising survival game on an ocean planet. Explore the depths of GUP-14 as you clean up a polluted ocean, repurpose marine debris, and take care of axolotl-like alien creatures!

This was actually the last game to be announced during the Wholesome Games direct and I’ve fallen in love with it! I’m planning to back the Kickstarter soon, but I’d love to hear about it coming to the Nintendo Switch first before I do finally back the game. I’ll see how I feel, but the Kickstarter ends on July 12th 2021, so make sure to go and check it out!

Yokai Inn – Release TBC.

You are forced to take shelter in an abandoned inn, and the place springs to life with otherworldly patrons as soon as the sun sets! Yokai Inn is a slice-of-life sim game, inspired by titles such as Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, that is currently in the early stages of development.

Bear & Breakfast – Out 2021 on Steam and Nintendo Switch.

Build and run a Bed+Breakfast in the woods, but you’re a Bear. Tourists are flooding in, your decoration senses are tingling, and the woods are making a kooky noise.

This is another game I have been hyped for for MONTHS now! Bear & Breakfast looks like so much fun, especially as you’re playing as a cute little bear running their bed and breakfast in the woods. I just love games like this, so when I see animals involved too, I’m always hooked! I’ll be getting this on the Nintendo Switch.

Shashingo – Release TBC.

Learn Japanese Vocabulary! Explore a bright, fictional Japanese city street filled with details and interesting objects to capture with your camera. Each photograph you take will translate the name of the content into Japanese and English so you can learn with your surroundings.

Unpacking – Out 2021 on Steam and Nintendo Switch.

Unpacking is a game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking. Over the course of eight house moves, you are given a chance to experience a sense of intimacy with a character you never see and a story you’re never told.

This is another game that I am so excited for and I think in the list this is probably number one for me right now! I’ve played the demo of the game twice now and I’m just craving more each time! Unpacking is such a relaxing game where you unpack your life out of boxes and into your new room/home. It’s nice to arrange items around the room and get to know the character who’s items you’re organising. It was announced recently that Unpacking would be coming out on the Nintendo Switch which has made me so happy!

The next directs I’m going to be lumping together are Nintendo and Xbox. I wasn’t too impressed with Xbox, but I was incredibly disappointed by Nintendo. It’s the direct I was looking forward to the most and it really let me down. I know a lot of people were disappointed by either no news about Animal Crossing, Pokemon or even both! I wasn’t bothered about this, it just felt like the majority of games mentioned from Nintendo were remakes of previous classics.

I really wanted to hear news about more retro consoles coming to the Switch Online. I wanted to especially hear the Game Boy/Game Boy Colour and Game Boy Advance coming for us to play! Having the NES and SNES is great, but I want more now!

Mario Party Superstars – Out 29th October 2021.

I’m excited for this game, but at the same time I’m a bit miffed… As someone who already owns Mario Party, it would have been good to get some DLC instead of a brand new game. Eventually I’ll buy this as I love playing Mario Party with both Dane, as well as our friends.

WarioWare: Get It Together! – Out September 10th 2021.

I’ve never played a WarioWare game but I’ve ALWAYS wanted to! Finally I’m going to be getting that chance and I’m super excited for it. The best bit is this is (apparently) the first WarioWare game where two people can play at the same time! I’ll be pre-ordering this as soon as Gamersheek have it up for pre-order. 😀

Back 4 Blood – Out October 12, 2021.

When me and Dane first got together he would always encourage me to play the Left 4 Dead games. I never played games like that previously and I was shitting myself! It really brought me out of my shell in playing shoot ’em up games more and I’m glad for that now. Sadly about five years ago Dane decided to sell loads of his old Xbox 360 games, which including both of the Left 4 Dead games. I was gutted we couldn’t play them anymore and we haven’t since. Back 4 Blood is meant to be just like Left 4 Dead, so I am HYPED for it!

Party Animals – Out 2022.

Party Animals is a crazy and fun fighting game where it’s pretty much a free for all! Me and Dane fell in love with this game purely for how cute the animals are! The otter has stolen our hearts, that’s for sure! As this is a Games Pass game, I know for a fact Dane will be getting it.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands – Out Early 2022.

Tiny Tina—the beloved bomb-chucking star of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. In the game, Tina is your guide through an extraordinary and chaotic fantasy realm.

Borderlands 3 is the game that really did get me into playing shooter games. When Dane got it in 2019 he really encouraged me to join him in playing it. I don’t regret it and if anything I am so fucking excited for a Tiny Tina game/DLC to be coming out to play in the future!

Any other games mentioned now are ones that me and Dane have heard were featured or discussed during E3.

Tunic – Release TBC.

TUNIC is an action adventure game about a tiny fox in a big world where you don’t belong. Presented by Finji.
Developed by Andrew Shouldice, TUNIC is a game shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Crafted to evoke feelings of classic action adventure games, TUNIC stars a heroic little fox as they explore a foreign land that hides danger around every corner. Discover unique items, new combat techniques, and arcane secrets as our hero forges their way through an intriguing new world.

I remember this game being announced in 2018 and I even mentioned it on my blog all those years ago! Tunic is a cute little fox who resembles Link from the Zelda games. It’s a fox, so I instantly fell in love with it three years ago when it was announced. Nothing has really been said about it much until now, which is good! I remember back in 2018 saying I was hoping it would be out the end of that year, haha!

Life is Strange: True Colours – Out September 10, 2021.

Alex Chen hides her ‘curse’: the supernatural ability to absorb and manipulate the strong emotions of others. When her brother dies in a so-called accident, she must embrace her volatile power to find the truth — and reveal dark secrets buried by the town.

I am a massive fan of the Life is Strange games. I especially love the first one and have craved a game like that since. I’m so hopeful for True Colours to be more like the first game than Life is Strange 2 was. I’m popping this mention of the game here as I’m planning to pick it up on the PS4. I have all my other Life is Strange games on that console, so why break the pattern?

I will pop some honourable mentions, as well as link to directs or trailers of the games!

Recolit

Pekoe

Button City

Pupperazzi

Amber Isle

Woodo

12 Minutes

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

So there we have it guys! All the games I loved discovering through E3 2021! I have a feeling there a lot more games I’m yet to discover, but at the moment these are all the games I have seen and fallen in love with. I just had to share them, they’re all so bloody cute and with me now playing games on Twitch, I cannot wait to play some of these games with my friends and viewers. 😀

What did you guys think about E3 2021? Did you love it, hate it? Which game(s) have grabbed your attention? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time guys, take care and have a lovely weekend!

June Wish List ‘21

I am officially off work for a week! HORRAY! This has been much needed as I can’t actually remember the last time I was on holiday for more than a few days or over a long weekend. Work has been busy lately so it’s much needed! I’m excited to spend time with Dane, as well as some much needed catch up time with friends.

I do have some amazing and exciting news to share with you all for this month wish list post… I made affiliate on Twitch on Tuesday! I always said I wanted to aim for gaining affiliate at the end of May, but I got it on the first day of June instead, which is close enough. 😛

It’s also mine and Dane’s eight year anniversary on Tuesday. The years have flown by! It’ll be nice just to spend the day together. We’re planning to have a chilled day and have a picnic style dinner with drinks and yummy snack foods. 😀

I have decided in June that I’m actually going to be on a spending ban due to being a little bit too spend happy in May. I have zero regrets for a lot of the items I purchased and pre-ordered but yeah, I’ve been a bit silly. 😛

This month there are a few items on the list that are pre-orders and one that is a HUGE wish list item… Pretty sure you’ll already see which one that is, huh? 😛

• Smoko Astro Tayto Night Light – (link)

As regular readers may know and remember, I LOVE Smoko and their cute AF original characters and homeware items. It all started off with Elodie the Unicorn and has slowly moved over to Asian food related items and Tayto. A cute coach potato with big goals in life. Recently he’s been sent off into space, ASTRO TAYTO!  As Smoko is located in America, I always keep eyes peeled on Firebox’s website for any new Smoko releases. Last week Astro Tayto was added to the website and I had to fight the urge to order him there and then. I’d love to get him for my desk, at least in our bedroom to be with the other Smoko night lights I own!

• Studio Ghibli Kiki’s Delivery Service Jiji & Soft Toy Jiji Clock – (link)

I’ve had this item bookmarked in my “wish list” folder for quite some time now, but due to the price I’ve just not made the plunge to order it. I would like a clock in our office as we don’t actually have one and a Ghibli themed one would be to die for! This one is of Jiji and toy Jiji together, which I think is such a cute idea personally! Kiki’s Delivery Service has fast turned into one of my favourite Ghibli movies over the years and it was only from being in Japan in January 2020 that made me realise how much I love it. 🙂

• Sanrio PomPomPurin x Miki Takei Mini Letter Set – (link)

I decided in 2020 with everything that went on with lockdown that I would really love to write letters to some of my friends as a reminder of how much I love them, how proud I am of them and sometimes share some old and funny memories too! I bought a wax seal stamp set last year/early 2021 too so I’d love to seal letters with that! As many regular readers will know, I LOVE Pompompurin, the cute little pudding dog created by Sanrio. This letter set is so fucking cute and I definitely want a couple of packs in my life so I can write to my friends.

• JeanaDraws Lakko the Otter Apparel, Bag & Pins Kickstarter – (link)

This is a Kickstarter that I backed at the end of May and also one that doesn’t begin to fulfil until the end of the year in December. I wanted to mention it on this months wish list though because I wish I could have the cardigan I’ve backed for NOW! There are various items to back for, including knitwear, a plushie bag and enamel pins. As shown in the image I’m backing for he brown cardigan. I do love snuggling in cardigans in the colder months and I think this one is perfect for me with both working from home and out and about. I’d also really love to back for the Lakko bag too, but this isn’t my style, sadly.

• Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Tohru and Kanna Plushies.

These are pre-order items from YY Kawaii back in January and I cannot wait for them to arrive this month. Regular readers will know that Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is one of my favourite anime and manga series. When I saw these two cuties available for pre order I wanted to snag them to keep in our bookshelf with all my copies of the manga. I think they’re due around the end of June so I’ll soon be showing them off on Instagram when they’ve arrived.

• Hot Topic Studio Ghibli Kiki’s Delivery Service Oversized Cardigan.

Another Kiki’s Delivery Service AND cardigan item! I saw this for sale on Hot Topic a while ago and fell in love with it, however I didn’t like how much it might cost me to get it to the UK, so I left it. I recently discovered it for sale on a website based in the UK, so in the future I might buy it from them, if not a personal shopper I use in America. It’s a cute and simple cardigan, I like the fact it’s cream as I don’t own anything like that. Most of my cardigans are rainbow colours. It would be nice to have a neutral one for the summer months.

• Maybe a new car…?

Finally… I MIGHT be getting myself a new car this month. I spontaneously starting looking at cars online and I’ve discussed with Dane. I wouldn’t get a brand new one by the way, but I’d definitely opt for a car with a good age against it. My current car is amazing and gets me from A to B, but I think it’s starting to show it’s age of late. I want a car me and Dane can share so if he doesn’t want to use his, we can always use mine in confidence. Plus, it would have something nice like that! I said when I returned from Japan I would get myself a new car, but then COVID happened and messed up my plans. We shall see… I’ve seen one I like which we might go with. You never know. 🙂

So, there we have it! My wish list for June! I’m really excited for June to be honest with you, the weather is already gorgeous and we’re already getting plans organised with people who we’ve missed during lockdown and COVID.

Not only am I interested in what you guys have on your wish lists this month, but do you have plans with loved ones and friends this month? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Until next time guys, take are and I’ll see you next time!

Black Milk Clothing x Pokemon 2.0

Back in February Black Milk Clothing announced that they would be bringing out a second Pokemon collection and I was SO excited for this! I counted down the days and watching their Instagram page like a hawk to find out what designs were coming out, as well as WHEN the collection would drop… Which dropped at the start of March!

I made sure to get my order in there and then for the goodies I wanted and I didn’t miss out on anything I wanted. However, I do regret not ordering a couple of items in particular that I’ll be sharing with you all in today’s post.

Considering I’d shown you all the first Pokemon collection from Black Milk Clothing and the Animal Crossing collection, I thought it would be nice to show you the pieces I snagged from the second Pokemon collection! I only grabbed two pieces, but they’re both so pretty and I’m really excited to rock them this summer. 🙂

Just a heads up, both of the pieces I picked up are limited, which means they’re limited edition and may not be available anymore to buy, OR might have certain sizes left in stock. I will address this when I talk about each item.

Another thing to bear in mind/address is that I always pick up a size L in my Black Milk Clothing pieces as they’re the fit I like. They’re not tight and they have a little bit of give with them, which is perfect for me. 🙂

For Pokemon 2.0 I personally didn’t feel that this collection was as strong as the first collection, but this being said there were aspects of 2.0 that really stood out and certain things the first collection could have done with. Examples of this being the evil tee dresses. There were SO MANY that came out of 2.0 and they were all gorgeous! I picked one up myself, but I could have easily picked up two. Alongside this three blazers came out with gorgeous print inside. I really loved these, but I’d have never worn them.

Some of the pieces were very hit and miss however and quite frankly I was incredibly disappointed by the fire starters print Black Milk Clothing had created and put out there. It looks like something anyone could photoshop and work on themselves at home. The fire starters are my favourite starter Pokemon so I was really excited to see what Black Milk Clothing would bring out. I wasn’t the only person to complain about this issue. Thankfully there was another design they revealed that I fell in love with!

• Fire Type Floral Cuffed Shorts (link)

I recently bought my first pair of cuffed shorts from Black Milk Clothing (Isabelle Gingham Cuffed Shorts) and they’re so bloody comfortable! I’m looking forward to wearing them with tights underneath and a cute t-shirt or sweater. I fell in love with the floral fire starters design as it has that 60’s/70’s feel to it that I really do love! Plus I’ve started to bring more pink colours into my wardrobe, which these shorts are perfect for. The fire starters are dotted all over the design, with my two favourites Cyndaquil and Fennekin featuring in perfect places on my pair of shorts! I honestly can’t wait to wear these during the warmer months, especially as lockdown begins to lift again.

• Psychic Type Longline Evil Tee Dress (link)

This is by far my favourite piece that came out of the Pokemon 2.0 collection and I couldn’t wait to snag it for myself! I bought my first evil tee dress when the Halloween collection came out in 2020 when I picked up the Ghosties Longline Evil Tee Dress and since then I really wanted to grab another one, so this Psychic Type version of the dress was good timing. It’s a gorgeous dark purple colour with lighter purple and blue swirls all over, as well as psychic Pokemon including – Mew, Mewtwo, Espeon, Slowpoke, Starmie, Indeedee, Ralts, Woobat, Meowstic, Espurr, Galarian Ponyta and Galarian Rapidash. It’s just gorgeous and would definitely be a conversation starter when out and about. I don’t know when I’ll wear this next, but I’m planning to rock it soon whenever me and Dane or friends go out and about.

Those are the only two pieces I picked up from the Pokemon 2.0 collection. I mentioned earlier regretting not picking up a few pieces, one of them being the Eeveelution Camo Cargo Pants and the piece mentioned below…

Image taken from Black Milk Clothing

If there is one piece I regret not buying it’s the Snorlax Snoozing Snuggle Suit. I’d bought the Pokemon Dreams Snuggle Suit not long before the second Pokemon collection was announced and I have fallen in love with it. I wear if often, including after work and on days off. I didn’t quite realise how much I was going to fall in love with Black Milk Clothing’s snuggle suits and due to that I regret not buying the Snorlax variant too. I have reached out to ask Black Milk Clothing if this will ever come back in stock and they said maybe at the end of the year. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled on eBay and Depop in the future for this to show up. Honestly I need it in my life! What I love the most is the colour of it. This is my favourite colour and whilst I’m not the biggest Snorlax fan, he is a sleepy boy and I can relate to that on a big level. 😛

So, there we have it guys! Honestly I’m so glad that Pokemon has reawakened my love of Black Milk Clothing. I’ve really started to show off my love of dressing quirky and different during the past year and it’s something I’m excited to continue doing in the future, especially with lockdown and restrictions easing!

If you’d like to check out any of the previous posts I’ve written about Black Milk Clothing collections I’ve bought, I’ll pop them below:

Black Milk Clothing x Pokemon

Black Milk Clothing x Animal Crossing

What do you think of the pieces I picked up, as well as the other designs from the Pokemon 2.0 collection? Did you buy anything from this collection? Are you planning to pick up any Black Milk Clothing pieces for yourself soon/in the future? Make sure to let me know in the comments below.

Until next time, take care all and I hope you have an amazing weekend!

7 Things I’m Looking Forward to Doing Once Lockdown Eases

As many of you may know (especially if you live in the UK) we are starting to ease lockdown again this month and whilst I’m not fussed 100% about it all right now, it will be nice to have some “normality” to the world again soon.

So far this month I’ve been really stumped for ideas of content to write, probably due to lockdown three really kicking my arse mentally! Due to this, I reached out to my friends and followers on Twitter to see if there was anything you as friends and readers would love to see and read on my blog. My amazing friend Connor suggested I share some things I’m looking forward to doing when lockdown eases, so go and thank him for today’s post! 😀

Want to also pop a little plug here for Connor. He has an AMAZING blog himself and it’s all about Japan, so if you love and especially loved my Japan content from last year, I know you’ll love what Connor has to offer! His blog is called KumaGaijin’s Japan Guide, so just click the name of it and it’ll take you straight there! 😀

I’m actually really excited to share some of the things I’ll be hoping to do once lockdown lifts. I haven’t got a holiday booked, nor do I have a lot of other things set up, but little things we have all taken for granted will be mentioned here. I really hope you enjoy it! 🙂

Image taken from Drive Time Drag’s Twitter

Image taken from Klub Kids

Drive Time Drag and Drag Fest UK.

If there is something I was able to do before I went to Japan in 2020 and COVID really took hold of the world was go to a drag show. It was Miss Vanjie and it was amazing! I was hungry for more and had already planned who else I’d love to go and see with my friends, but yeah… COVID happened. After discussion with one of my friends we’re going to Drive Time Drag in April and we’re contemplating going to Drag Fest UK in August as well!

I would love to go, see and most importantly of all support queens who I’ve discovered from RuPaul’s Drag Race who I adore. I’m hoping to see The Vivienne, Baga Chipz, Tayce, Ellie Diamond and my favourite, Lawrence Chaney. I’m so excited to be able to have a drink and a laugh with one or more of my friends who love Drace Race the same as me!

If you’d like to know more about either of these drag shows I’ve popped links below the images! 😀

Image taken from GIPHY

Summer BBQ, games and drinks with groups of friends.

If there is something I’ve missed it’s spending warm summer days with my friends and their children. We might have a BBQ with some, takeaway with others. Play games, both board and video, chill with the kids and watch Disney films and more. Overall it’s just amazing to spend time with our friends, especially the ones we treat like family. One group in particular we haven’t seen since what feels like summer 2019. We had organised to see them but then we fell poorly, then the next time they fell poorly and then COVID happened, so us all spending time together is well overdue. Not only are we excited to see and spend time with them again, but both them and their children are too.

I’m so excited, I can’t wait for when we can all be together again. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Going out for food and drinks.

If there is one thing I really took for granted this past year since COVID hit… It’s how much I love Asian food. I’ve especially missed sushi, bubble tea and Asian breads. Basically, the Chinese Quarter in Birmingham town centre, as well as YO! Sushi. I have been able to have a taste for sushi when it was mine and Dane’s anniversary last June, as well as bubble tea when we bought a kit to make ourselves (which was really nice by the way!), as well as when I went into town in August 2020 and bought bubble tea home for me and Dane.

Some other foods I miss are Chinese buffet foods, Nando’s (I know I’ve made it at home but it isn’t the same!), yummy coffees (vanilla flat white) and anywhere else that ever took our fancy to eat and drink at really. Hey maybe go out for some alcoholic drinks too, whether it be a pub or a cocktail bar! As I said, I’ve really taken this for granted and I can’t wait for the day that going for a meal, whether it be friends, during a trip out, with family and even a date night is doable and “normal” again.

Image taken from GIPHY

Spending time with friends.

If there is something I’ve missed, it’s seeing my friends, especially my best and closest friends. I haven’t even exchanged birthday and Christmas presents with my one friend that, so that’s very much overdue! I was planning on sending her gifts, but I’m actually still waiting for her Christmas present to arrive. That being said, I would love for us to be able to meet up in the summer, whether I go see her or she comes to me will be decided, but it would be lovely to just spend the day together, catch up, go for coffee and maybe something to eat too. 🙂 I’ve spoken to her quite a lot throughout the lockdowns and more and that’s been lovely. 🙂

Another one of my best friends I really miss. I’m so proud of her achievements already in 2021 and I’m sad we weren’t able to go out and celebrate these achievements! When things are starting to lift, we’re planning to go out for drinks in town. Lots of cocktails, giggles and probably some chips on the way home. Alongside this, we’re planning to grab a hot chocolate/coffee and a picnic and go to a park near my home so we can spend time together. We’ve also thought about going away for a weekend together somewhere nice, which I’m excited to do! It’ll be something to look forward to.

Alongside these two friends, I miss my closest friends who I met up with regularly for coffee dates and gossip, as well as shopping trips, sushi, playing board games and more! I also want to meet up with friends I’ve met online1 I have a few people in mind I’d love to see and have coffee dates with and go geeky/kawaii shopping. I can’t wait to slowly bring all this back, but due to how my mental health has been thrown around with COVID and the lockdowns, it’s going to take a while for me to feel comfortable again with going into town centres and travel on public transport (aka trains) as and when need be. I have a car and can drive, so maybe I’ll finally kick my anxieties in the butt with travelling far from my home. We shall see. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Spontaneous shopping trips.

I miss being able to turn to Dane, friends and even my parents, “Fancy going shopping?”. Even last year when stuff started to lift it was still weird to think about. Me and Dane went out once for “non essential” shopping and even then that was because we needed stuff for the house. We only ventured to Homesense and it was amazing. I think it’s one of the few times I felt “normal” and “safe” during a shopping trip. As I mentioned before, me and a friend went into Birmingham town centre in August 2020 and it was horrible. No one was social distancing, following rules and it was very busy. I was anxious the whole time and for the two weeks after that trip, I was scared I’d have COVID. As well as that, me and that same friend ventured into town a few weekends before lockdown happened and we were anxious the whole time and constantly slathering our hands with hand sanitizer.

Granted all the guidelines we are currently doing are going to be around for years to come, which is fine. I genuinely miss the spontaneous nature of going into town shopping because you’ve been paid and fancy treating yourself to something. Whether it be some new clothes, some manga, anime, cute kawaii goods and more. I miss going to the geeky/kawaii shops in Birmingham, including Worlds Apart and Forbidden Planet. I think I’m too anxious to venture into Birmingham town centre when lockdown lifts and shops begin to open after what happened previously. If there is anyone I’ll venture into town with it’ll either be Dane or one of my friends.

One place I really want to go to at the moment are various gardening centres around my area. 2021 is the year of me getting my garden how I want it to be and this is somewhere I plan to go to in April. I want to buy my mom some plants as a belated Mothers Day present, as well as myself for the garden, including lavender and an iris.

Image taken from Ticketmaster UK

My Chemical Romance.

I’ve definitely spoken about this on my blog before and damn is it a show I’m still fucking excited for! I have a back story for this I just HAVE to share with you all. 😛

So, whilst I was in Japan in January 2020 it was announced that My Chemical Romance would be coming to the UK for a ONE DATE SHOW. I knew I needed to go. Then I found out that tickets would go for sale whilst I was in Japan. I set an alarm in my phone (UK time 9am, Japan time 6pm) ready for when tickets would go live in the UK and we planned to pop to a cafe whilst we were out and about so I could snag my tickets. However, due to the pocket WiFi we’d obtained being a bit “naff” I sadly missed out on my chance to snag the one date show AND the second date that has been announced too. I was gutted and I almost let it ruin my evening.

Not even a week after returning home to the UK and a third date was announced! I KNEW this time I would get tickets. I would be at work when the tickets went on sale but stepped away from my desk for a while to get my tickets bought. They weren’t cheap, but so worth it to be able to see one of my favourite bands again! This will be the third time I’ll be seeing My Chemical Romance live and this time I’ll be with Dane, which is something I’m excited for too!

I just pray it doesn’t get rescheduled again… Or worse, cancelled! I’m so bloody excited and looking forward to dressing up for the evening. I’m going to get some black and red nails done, as well as dress up semi emo for some nostalgia! Alongside that, if things are semi back to normal, I’d like to go for a meal with Dane before the show so we can make a date evening out of it. 🙂

Image taken from GIPHY

Seeing and spending time with my parents.

If there is one thing I’ve really missed throughout lockdown two and three it’s spending time with my parents. I know I’m not the only person to feel this way. It’s good that in this day and age we have technology such as FaceTime, WhatsApp and Skype so that we can video call our loved ones but… It just isn’t the same. I do get to see my parents at the end of my drive too, but again it isn’t the same as being able to sit in a house together with a hot drink and the chance to offer to cook a Sunday roast and more.

I’m really excited for the end of March to go round to see my parents in the garden and vice versa. 2021 is the year of getting my garden finished and to a level that I’m finally happy with it. My mom has offered and already given me a hand with getting my garden to a nice and colourful place, so in the future I would love to have my parents over for drinks and a BBQ. I could go pick them up and bring them round so they could enjoy themselves to the max.

I just can’t wait to be able to actually sit with my parents again. After my aunt passed away in September, COVID and lockdown has really taught me how much time I’m losing with my loved ones and I want that time back again as soon as I can.

So, there we have it guys, 7 things I’m looking forward to doing once lockdown eases. To be honest with you, If I feel certain things I’ve mentioned don’t feel safe to do, I won’t do them (apart from My Chemical Romance because I REALLY want to go!) because it really isn’t worth putting my loved ones in any harm due to everything going on in the world right now. I’d rather stay at home and just call them via a video call or message online.

Now I’ve shared my plans, what do you guys plan to do with lockdown eases here in the UK? Please let me know, I’m  always so intrigued and happy to read what everyone has planned. I just want some form of “normality” back now as I do really miss being able to do things that we could before COVID.

Most of all I really do miss Japan. I’m craving to go again soon and there’s not much point in planning much right now because we don’t 100% know when we can go back due to COVID. My memories from my Japan trip in January 2020 really have kept me going the past year since I started working from home and the first lockdown hit the UK.

Honestly though guys, we can get through this! We’ve been doing this for a year and we’ll continue to support and keep each other going until we can have some sort of normality back in the UK.

So please, do share with me what your plans are when lockdown eases here in the UK. 🙂

Until next time guys, stay safe and take care!

March Wish List ‘21

I can’t quite believe we’re coming to the end of the first week of March. I woke up this morning and said to Dane, “Is it Friday?” because the week has gone by so bloody quickly!

I’ve been having a think about what items to talk about and share with you for my wish list this month as I’m struggling a tad AND as I mentioned on my favourites post (which you can read here), I’m on a spending ban again in March. It’s not gone off to the best start but meh… It is what is it and I’m going to try and be better throughout the rest of the month!

All of the items on this wish list are things I plan to purchase come payday due to pre-orders or because they’re home related items I’d like to buy.

I hope you enjoy this months wish list as always! 😀

• Persona 5 Animation Parts 1 & 2 (link)

As everyone knows, I love Persona 5. It was a game I played when it first came out in the UK and I quickly fell in love with it. I’m currently playing Persona 5: Royal and will look at FINALLY starting to play Persona 5: Strikers today. I love anime and when I heard Persona 5 was getting one, I was so excited! This was quite a while ago now and I’ve never actually watched the anime. 😦 This is because at the time it was subbed (Japanese speaking with English subtitles) and as I’d played the game dubbed (English speaking) I wanted to watch the anime with the same voice actors that I’d played the game with. I know Channel 4/All  4 have the English dub to watch, but with adverts and all that, I was put off. Now it’s coming out for pre-order at the end of the month I’m happy to wait a little longer after ordering! 😀

• Pokémon TCG: Eevee Sweet Choices Playmat (link)

I’m not a Pokemon Trading Card player, but I do hope to get my own desk in the future and this ADORABLE Eevee Sweet Choices playmat would be amazing to buy to use as a massive mouse/keyboard mat for my future desk. It’s a cute design with an Eevee on the front holding and surround by Eeveelution themed chocolates. The background is white and is covered in the Eeveelution themed chocolates. This is really hard to get hold of now and you’re looking over £60 to get hold of one from America. This is kind of frustrating to be honest as it only sold for $24.99 this time last year. I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for it, as it’s definitely something I’d love for a desk. It would be so bloody cute. 🙂

• M&S Pure Cotton Strawberry Bedding Set (link)

I don’t know about you, but I’m always up for buying some new bedding, especially in spring and winter. I was contemplating buying some new bedding in winter but ended up leaving it, which I’m glad about as I’m definitely planning on buying this bedding soon! M&S bedding is really lovely and great quality, so when I spotted this strawberry bedding set on the website, I fell in love! I love strawberries and the print on this bedding is really sweet, delicate and the pink strawberries remind me of Japan a little. This would just be perfect to use throughout the year, especially spring and summer. When payday hits at the end of the month, I’m going to order this. 🙂

• Smoko Pearl Boba Tea Air Purifier (link)

I LOVE Smoko’s products! They’re so practical and kawaii that I do love having them in my own. I love their Pearl Boba design and I already own the little light variant of it. So when Firebox announced they’d got the air purifier in stock, I KNEW I had to have it! As someone who suffers from hay fever, this purifier would be perfect in the summer to keep next to me when working from home in the week. Imagine too if I had my own desk, with the cute Eevee playmat, as well as this air purifier? Would be so cute!!!

• Asda Artificial Succulent In Dalmatian Pot (link)

For some reason I thought I’d mentioned this last month… But I didn’t! I actually discovered this through someone on Twitter, which was amazing! I would have bought it last month if it hadn’t been for a mixture of spending ban AND you need to buy something else in order to snag this item from the website. I haven’t seen anything I want or need to justify ordering it, which is a bit of a shame. I’ll get one eventually I’m sure. I plan to keep it by the front door to add a bit of colour into the hallway!

• Lunaticgumis Puppycat Enamel Pin & Sticker (link)

Finally we have this amazing enamel pin and sticker design from Lunaticgumis. I LOVE Bee & Puppycat, so I’m always in the lookout for merch from independent artists. Lunaticgumis is my favourite for Puppycat goodies and I already own some stickers, an enamel pin and even an amigurumi of Puppycat from her (I’ll be talking about her in the future on my blog!). This Puppycat design is so adorable as Puppycat is dressed as Bee! 😀 This isn’t something I’ve seen anyone else do in the community yet, so it’s something unique for sure! I’ll definitely be ordering the enamel pin and the sticker in the future. 😀

So yeah there we have it, all of my wish list items for March! As I said previously, I’m on a spending ban this month so these items won’t be bought in a massive hurry in all honesty, but I do really love sharing my wish lists with you all to promote independent artists and more.

What item(s) do you have on your wish list this month? Make sure to let me know in the comments below!

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

HUGE Shop Small UK Guide – Christmas 2020

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

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

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

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

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

Image taken from GIPHY

Geeky/Kawaii

Image taken from Jennifairy Illustration

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

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

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

Image taken from Littlest Spook Shop

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

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

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

Image taken from FoxLeap

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

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

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

Image taken from NaomiLordArt

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

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

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

Image taken from GIPHY

Japanese Snacks

Image taken from Something Japanese

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

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

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

Image taken from Tofu Cute

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

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

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

Image taken from GIPHY

Home

Image taken from Cushty Co Twitter page

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

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

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

Image taken from Bubble Baskets UK/Books Baths and Beauty

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

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

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

Image taken from GIPHY

Beauty

Image taken from The Bath Bae

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

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

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

Image taken from Happy Melon

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

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

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

Image taken from Hex Bomb

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

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

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

Image taken from GIPHY

Honourable Mentions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November Favourites ’20

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

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

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

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

Image taken from The Latest Kate

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

• Australian Bodycare Skin Wash.

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

• Faith in Nature Natural Lemon & Tea Tree Shampoo.

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

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

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

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

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

Favourite Movie – Tropic Thunder.

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

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

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

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Game – Pokemon Shield.

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

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

What have your favourites been from November?

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

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

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