What I Got For Christmas!

Christmas is nearly over and bloody hell it went by fast! I can’t believe we’ve had the three magical days fly by us and leave a coating of snow behind.

I hope all of my readers and blogger friends had an amazing Christmas and (although it isn’t important) I hope everyone got what they wanted for Christmas! I know I did and more!

So, (as pretty much most bloggers do now!) I thought I would write about what lovely gifts I got from Dane, my family and friends this Christmas.

I want to disclose here that this is by any means me showing off what I got this year and I never feel like when I read fellow bloggers posts, or watch YouTube videos about it that people are meaning to show off. I love reading and seeing what my fellow bloggers received (as I’m a nosey bitch! :P) as it’s nice to see goodies they’ve wished for throughout the year as well as special meaning behind them! If you feel this is me showing off, click off of this post now because, ain’t nobody got time for that!

NOW! On with the post!

When writing this post I haven’t actually received all my gifts and one of my best friends still hasn’t been able to give me hers, but I’ll be seeing her around my birthday so I can definitely mention it then!

The first gift I want to talk about is the gorgeous little Sylveon print that Sarah over at Raiin Monkey sent me in the post! I wasn’t expecting it and it’s so sweet of her! I’m going to pop it up in the office somewhere so I can look at it whilst doing blog work. 🙂

My friend Jacqui was able give me hers from both her and her boyfriend Chris and it was such a thoughtful and beautiful gift! It may not look like much to many, but we’ve had quite a few cocktail evenings together and my cocktail shaker isn’t the best. It gets stuck and then you struggle to get the lid off. So they bought us this Smirnoff kit, with a gorgeous red and silver shaker in (it matches our kitchen!) as well as a glass and measure cup in! I couldn’t be any happier with it to be honest.

My friend Sophi sent me a little box of goodies and I love them all so much! She sent us some little Japanese sweeties (which sadly we ate before I took my pictures! :P), a Pusheen tote bag and some Pusheen socks, as well as a pair of fox socks. I can’t complain at getting socks and I’ll be wearing them to work to keep my feet toasty over the rest of the winter months! OH and she also put in a cute little Pusheen keychain too, which I’ll pop on my tote bag!

Speaking of Pusheen! Dane’s brother and his girlfriend bought me a gorgeous boxed Pusheen mug with socks! I love it so much and am currently drinking some lemon green tea from it. The socks that came with it are so adorable and have paw prints on the feet. As well as that they also gave me a cute Minnie Mouse face mask as well as a Winky Lux flower balm in green. When you apply it to your lips it works with the PH and turns into a gorgeous light pink! I can’t wait to use this and I’ve wanted one of these since they first came out!

My aunt and cousin both bought me and Dane this gorgeous dachshund pillow which I’m going to have for the chair in the office! As well as that they also picked me up a gold fox keyring which was popped into my Christmas card.

Dane’s gran bought me a little something for Christmas and that’s a Bailey’s gift set with a little glass and some Lindt Lindor chocolates, which I LOVE! This will be enjoyed New Years Eve or on my birthday for definite! 😀

My sister in law and  my nephews bought me a cute little lip butter set, and it’s so strange! They’re lovely and you get three flavours, coconut, cherry and peppermint.. I’ve never used a lip butter like this before but I’ll definitely be keeping these for work and around the house!

Dane’s parents bought me some lovely gifts and one that really did make me chuckle! The first gift I noticed they’d bought me and one they get me every year is a Lush Christmas gift set! This year they bought me The Snowman gift set. This one contains The Snowman bubbleroon, Butterbear bath bomb, Man In The Moon bubble bar and Snow Angel bath melt. I’m super excited to try Man In The Moon!

They picked me up three hot chocolates on sticks! I LOVE these and they actually bought these from one of our friends coffee stalls in Coventry! These are so amazing and work really well! They bought me a normal one, a mocca one and a peppermint one! I can’t wait to try the peppermint flavour and I’ll definitely make it in my new Pusheen mug. 😛

One of my favourite presents from Dane’s parents has to be the Your Name Blu-ray that they bought me! This isn’t just the ordinary Blu-ray either, but actually a collector’s edition so it comes with both Blu-ray, DVD and also a CD of the films soundtrack! It’s such a beautiful film and was one of my favourites I’d been to see in the cinema last year. I definitely recommend watching it if you get the chance, or if you have Amazon Prime as it’s on there to watch in both subbed and dubbed right now!

Finally the present that made me chuckle is this little pom pom… That is actually a panic alarm! You pull the keychain and it makes a very loud noise! I doubt I’ll pop this onto my handbag but I’ll definitely keep it inside of my bag for emergencies! You never know to be fair. I get why she picked this up for me though to be honest! In my old job I would get to the car park at 5.30am, I would be the only one, it was dark and at one point we had issues with people hiding in the dark on the level of the car park I was on. It did frighten me! So this gift whilst being strange, as very thoughtful all the same.

Now onto the gifts that Dane bought me, I’m going to save the present my mom bought me until last. Usually I would save Dane’s until then, but wait until you see what she bought for me!

Since moving into our house we have a tradition now of making stockings up for each other, which consist of cute little bits and pieces, as well as Japanese sweets! This was no acceptation this year and we both gifted each other Japanese gifts!

He picked me up an assortment of Japanese treats, which includes some Puccho sweets in ramune flavour (Japanese soda), some sour candy sweets which are also ramune flavoured, some Pokemon grape gummy sweeties and some green matcha flavoured Kit Kats which are MY FAVOURITE! Finally he bought me a Gudetama DIY kit where you get to make a pudding version of Gudetama to eat! I cannot wait to do this and I think I’ll be saving it for my birthday. ^_^

Also in my stocking I had a few other bits and pieces such as a new refill for my Filofax and what a cutie he is, he bought me on in pink! I need to use my Filofax more this year!

Also in my stocking and presents overall was a couple of little Pokemon goodies, all of them are so cute! The first thing I opened was this Eevee pouch type bag, which is an official Pokemon Center item! I don’t know quite yet what I’ll use this for, but I can see it being for feminine products once a month and maybe some random handbag bits and pieces. This was a gift he’d asked me if I liked the look of when we were both having a nose online for gifts for one another. I wasn’t all that fussed at the time but all the same when I opened it Christmas Day I still loved it! It’s a little Eevee which you’re meant to rest over a glass, but I can see me sticking it to the PC monitor or even by the side of my bed. Another Pokemon gift he bought me was this blind box (although he knew which one he’d ordered) which contain desk buddies. Dane bought me this Pikachu one which holds your mobile phone for you. He bought me this to have for work but I want to have it for by my bed! It’s so cute and such a thoughtful gift all the same.

One of my favourite gifts from Dane just has to be this onigiri squishy keyring from Tofu Cute! I get anxious during long car journeys, as well as in other certain situations! This not only feels relaxing to squish over and over, but it’s also scented with (what I think anyway) strawberries! On the way to and from Coventry for Christmas Day I was squishing away at this, as well as whilst at Dane’s parents on the day! It’s going to end up living in my handbag for when I feel anxious or angry and need to relieve some tension.

One of the presents I had asked for for Christmas after discovering its existence are these Haku chopsticks. Haku is the dragon from Spirited Away and is my favourite Studio Ghibli character! I didn’t know if these chopsticks would be real or fake, but when I inspected the packet they are in fact real and Studio Ghibli approved!

The first main gift that I opened was this, The Manga Cookbook, which also came with a pack of chopsticks! I love cooking Japanese food, especially if I’m craving Japanese and I can’t and don’t want to go out and eat or buy any. This is a cute little gift and I can’t wait for me and Dane to cook recipes together from it.

The next gifts are these two little Pokemon Center plushies, which are like Beanie Babies! I’ve been collecting these for a few years now, thanks to Dane but they’re now so hard to get hold of! I found someone in the UK selling these 2 for a decent price and I didn’t know if Dane wou;d pick them up or not… Alas he did and they’re so adorable! We have a Flareon and a Raichu here and they’ll go so well with my other Eeveelutions, as well as with my Pikachu!

If you got back and take a look at the Christmas wish list I made on Christmas Eve (which you can read here) you’ll see that I wished for a lot of anime shows/films on Blu-ray and apart from one, all of the ones I asked for I got! Two of those being A Silent Voice and Your Lie In April part 2. Alongside Your Name, A Silent Voice was one of my favourite films from 2017 and I’m so stocked to have it on Blu-ray! The box itself is gorgeous and I cannot wait to binge watch it with Dane one of the evenings this week. This is the collector’s edition Blu-ray too, which also includes a DVD and a special booklet that tells you all about the film, as well as about the manga.

The second Blu-ray Dane bought for me is part 2 of Your Lie In April, which is the final part of the special collector’s edition! He bought me part 1 and the special box at the start of the year for my birthday, so now I’m so happy to finally have the box set completed! This is definitely the first thing I’ll be watching with Dane out of all of the Blu-rays I received as I want to binge watch all of this with him! I haven’t continued to watch anymore of it until I had all of the box set for us to binge watch!

Aside from my main presents this was probably one of my favourites to be honest! It’s The Art Of Persona 5 and I have been lusting after this book since they announced it way back in the summer! I’m so pleased Dane bought it for me to be honest as on Christmas Day after I opened it I had a good flick through the whole thing and I cannot wait to sit down with a cup of coffee and read the whole thing, cover to cover. This year I discovered Persona 5, as well as the Persona franchise! I haven’t fallen in love with a franchise this hard since Pokemon and I am so chuffed that back when it came out at the start of the year that I bought it.

Finally we have the main gifts from Dane and my favourites! These are the 2 Nendoroid’s that Dane bought for me this Christmas and I was so surprised to be honest with you! I mentioned on my Christmas wish list that I had a feeling Dane would have bought me Yuri but when I opened Viktor and THEN Yuri I was so happy! I couldn’t have asked for better Nendoroid’s to have received this Christmas and I feel like such a lucky girl. We have no room right now to put these up anywhere so sadly they’ll be staying in the boxes until we have room. But I love my 2 YURI!!! boys so much and I cannot wait to play with them and display them in the future! So many YURI!!! On Ice Nendoroid’s have been announced lately that we will definitely be getting in the future!

Dane really spoilt me this year and I am so grateful for everything I received! I know I have another present arriving that he ordered me, it’s nothing special but it’s the thought that counts! FYI it’s a Macaroon Treats Yankee Candle!

Now onto my final present and definitely the one that blew me away the most. I was so surprised when I opened it to discover my mom had bought me a Dyson hairdryer! I know these aren’t cheap to be honest and I’ve lusted after one since they were announced, so the fact that my mom bought me one makes me feel so loved and special. I still can’t believe she bought it for me and after trying it, I really do adore it. I wish she could read how thankful and grateful I am.

So those were all the goodies I got for Christmas and I am so, SO thankful to everyone who bought myself, as well as Dane gifts this year!

What did you get for Christmas? Big or small I would love to hear what you got from loved ones. You know where to tell me. 😉

Until next time, take care all and I hope you’re all resting after loads of Christmas and Boxing Day dinners!

Christmas Wish List To Father Christmas – Now & Then

This is the post I mentioned at the start of the month that I was looking forward to doing! I decided that for this year I wouldn’t just do my normal Christmas wish list at the start of December and decided that I would do it on Christmas Eve as a sort of, “Father Christmas I’ve been good please bring me this and that and that!”

But I then changed my mind and had an even better idea! I decided as well as doing my Christmas wish list for this year, I would do one as I would have when I was 7 years old! The nostalgic feels will be all over the start of this post and I really hope you guys enjoy reading it, as much as I had putting it all together!

• Happy Monday Store INU INU T-Shirt – £15.23 (link)

I discovered this brand through a girl on Instagram who is all Japanese themed. Basically into the shizzle I’m into! She got sent this t-shirt and I fell in love with it! It’s got a cute little shiba on it, but he’s getting his face squished and pulled and AHH SO DAMN CUTE! I’m really hoping that Dane has bought me this for Christmas, otherwise I’ll be ordering it after my birthday. 😛

• Firebox My Neighbour Slippers – £29.99 (link)

I’m always down with anything that will help me feel all warm and snuggly in my own home! I live for putting my pajamas and slippers on as soon as I get home from work, and who can go wrong with wearing Totoro slippers?! These look so amazing and they’re not cheap, no but come on… They’re Studio Ghibli, they aren’t going to be! 😛

• Good Smile Company Nendoroid Yuri!!! On Ice Yuri Katsuki – £44.95 (link)

I didn’t have a clue what Nendoroid to add to my Christmas wish list, but I thought Yuri Katsuki from Yuri!!! On Ice would be a good one to add for sure. This is a Nendoroid I really hope Dane has bought me for Christmas he’s gorgeous and I really want to get him and Viktor to put with our collection. Any other Nendoroid’s I want are probably really old and very rare ones. In all fairness though, I don’t care which Nendoroid(s) I get from Dane for Christmas, I’ll be happy with any!

• Your Name Manga Vol. 2 – £7.98 (link)
• Your Name Collector’s Edition Steelbook Blu-ray – £24.99 (link)

I LOVED Your Name so much when me and Dane went to watch it in the cinema so I would love to not only get the collector’s edition blu-ray for Christmas, but I really want volume 2 of the manga to read! I picked up volume 1 in the summer when it came out and it’s so good. If you loved the anime, then you will probably love the manga even more! I also really want the Your Name Nendoroid’s too! 😛

• Pokemon Indigo League Season 1 Blu-ray – £49.99 (link)

As regular readers will know (or anyone to be fair…) I am a MASSIVE Pokemon fan and I remember back in the day waking up early to catch the weeks episode of Pokemon on SM:TV Live. Earlier this year I binge watched all of the episodes of Pokemon Indigo League on Netflix. When I saw that this was coming out, I was super excited and it was one of the first items added to my Christmas wish list! I really hope I get this so me and Dane can binge watch it whilst I’m off work over Christmas.

• Your Lie In April Part 2 Blu-ray – £41.09 (link)

This is an anime I fell in love with this time last year. Dane bought me part 1 on blu-ray for my birthday this year and back in April part 2 came out. it’s a limited edition set and of course I NEED part 2 to add to my collection. Again, I hope I get this so me and Dane can watch it all together. I haven’t actually finished watching this anime, but I’ve read all of the manga. It’s amazing but really quite sad.

• A Silent Voice Blu-ray – £29.99 (link)

ANOTHER ANIME BLU-RAY! Oh man, I’m so sorry! 😛 I had so many blu-rays on my wish list, all anime related! This was my favourite film of this year and is one I was so stoked to go and see and I left the cinema feeling great. I bought the whole manga series after and read them all so quickly. Again, it’s by far one of my favourite manga series as well as anime films. Dane recently wanted to watch this again in dubbed, as we saw it subbed in the cinema. A part of me hopes I have the collectors edition of this for Christmas. I can see me binge watching this loads if I get it.

• Pokemon Center Vulpix’s Crystal Season Purse/Wallet – £37.99 (link)

This is a wallet I regret not asking YY Kawaii to pick up from Japan for me back in October when she was out there! I got one thing from that collection, that being a notebook. This wallet is so damn cute and I could imagine it getting just as much attention as my Loungefly Pokemon handbag. I doubt very much that I’ll get this for Christmas and with that I doubt I’d be missing out. 😛

• Studio Ghibli Spirited Away Haku Chopsticks – £10.78 (link)

I LOVE using chopsticks and whenever I get the chance to use them, I do. I have 2 pairs my friend Sophi (HEY! :D) gifted me over the past couple of years and they’re amazing! When Dane asked me to look for some little present ideas, I found these Haku chopsticks. Haku makes me happy, merch especially, as well as artwork so I would be so stoked to use chopsticks with him on too!

• Studio Ghibli Spirited Away No Face Sweater – £24.99 (link)

Another Studio Ghibli item, but whatever! 😛 Truffle Shuffle are really on it right now with the Studio Ghibli merch and this and the Totoro sweater they’ve brought out are amazing. I would love this to snuggle up in with shorts and my Docs! I’d love them to bring out a Haku one but I doubt they will. If I got this I’d totally wear it for New Years Eve!

• Lush The Man On The Moon Gift Set – £44.95 (link)

Finally we have my last Christmas wish list item on here and of course it has to be a bit of Lush! 😛 Dane asks me every year to find a gift set or two from Lush that I like the look of, one for him to possibly get and one for his parents to possibly get. I linked quite a few for him and sadly this isn’t one he would accept due to the price. BUT it’s the one I actually really, REALLY loved and wanted! First of all I love the re-usable tin, as well as all the night time themed products inside, which I’d love to use on pamper evenings and weekends. It also contains quite a lot of items I’ve never tried before either! If I don’t get this for Christmas I’ll try and get some in the Boxing Day sale.

Now that I’ve done my actual wish list for “Father Christmas” this year (Father Christmas being Dane pretty much! :P) it’s time to go back in time to what I would have asked for Christmas 20 years ago when I was seven years old. 🙂

Just a little disclaimer though, I don’t think all of these came out in 1997, some may be 1996 and later but meh I remember receiving these over Christmas… You get the idea! 😛

• Loveable Bears.

These were cute little bear keyrings that came in different colours and scents! I can’t remember which I had to be honest, I have a feeling I had mint and strawberry. I know I had 2! They came with little bottles and if they cried you would feed them. They were like little Tamagotchi’s and were so adorable and fun to have on your backpack. Not so fun and adorable if they cried though!

• Barbie & Ginger Doll.

This was one of my favourite Barbie’s, for so many reasons. First of all, look how cute and fluffy Barbie’s golden retriever Ginger looks! Second of all, it moves and third of all Barbie rides a skateboard, which Ginger helps her to achieve. As a kid this was just all kinds of wonderful to me and I remember playing with it all Christmas Day and onwards.

• Doodle Bear Pets.

I remember getting a Doodle Bear when they first came out and I loved writing and drawing all over it, only for my mom to wash it so I could have myself a blank canvas all over again. I remember seeing the Doodle Bear Dog and I pleaded with Father Christmas to get it for me, which he obviously did! 😛 I never drew on it though to be honest, I loved it too much to be honest to, “ruin” it.

• Pocahontas Braided Beauty Doll.

This was definitely one of my favourite dolls, EVER! The first film I saw in the cinema was Pocahontas and I was in love with that film, and it’s still one of my favourite Disney films to date, especially my favourite Disney Princess. I never even knew this doll existed until Father Christmas gave it to me. I was in love! Not only did it come with a Pocahontas doll, but of course it also came with a Meeko who would braid yours and her hair. What else could a girl ask for? 😛

• Baby Born Doll.

This was one of the baby dolls that really opened up the market for the future of dolls like this. It would eat the “baby food” you gave it and poop it out, pee the “milk” you would feed it and even cry “real tears”! It was a hit with kids alike and I was so excited to open mine on Christmas Day! That doll really did last ages and I loved it so much. Due to it peeing and pooping so much you would constantly have to put nappies on it to catch all of that, or at least some washable type knickers. Mine broke after a couple of years and the water you could give it as “milk” would leak out of it’s arm and leg joints. I loved that doll though, so damn much!

• Home Alone Talkboy.

Finally we have the one toy every kid wanted, as well as teenagers at the time I’m sure! I remember being gifted one of these after 1997 (I think anyway…) but I just had to mention it here! I remember watching Home Alone 2 and not really thinking, “oh man I want that recording thing he has!” but when I got one I loved it! I didn’t realise until researching the toys to add to this post that this was actually made because it was in Home Alone 2! It wasn’t a toy until after that movie, how cool is that?! It was just a prop and because loads of fans asked about it, they made it. What legends!

Oh man I have to be honest and say this is one of my favourite posts I’ve done in a long time, purely because of remembering some of my favourite toys from Christmases years ago. I can’t believe I was seven 20 years ago! That makes me feel hella old. 😛

Well it’s Christmas Eve, I hope you’re all ready for tomorrow to spend a lovely day with your loved ones. I hope if you have children they get everything they wanted and wished for from Father Christmas.

But I’ve said it many times over the years and I’ll say it again, don’t forget that Christmas isn’t a time that everyone is happy. It’s also one the worst days of the year for people with mental health. If you know someone who needs support this time of year, please support them if you can. If you’re someone who isn’t feeling their best Christmas Day, please seek support, whether it be from friends and family, or even Samaritans. I’ve been depressed over the Christmas period and it’s really crippling, especially when it’s that time of year when you’re meant to be “okay”.

I’ll leave all the links and numbers down below for anyone who needs to reach out and get support this Christmas. Also, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m always willing to listen and support. You can find me over @maybeecoffee on Twitter.

Samaritans:

Call in UK and ROI for FREE from any phone, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. You don’t have to be suicidal to call – 116 123

If you don’t feel up to calling someone you can also email them at – jo@samaritans.org

 I want to hear what presents you have on your wish lists, as well as some of your favourite toys from Christmas when you were younger!

Until next time all, Merry Christmas!

May Wish List ’17

I swear this months wish list should be called “holographic/metallic wish list!” as most of the items on here are just that. That and holiday related items too. As I mentioned in one of my posts recently, me and Dane are going on holiday this year which is super exciting! I didn’t mean to find so much holographic and holiday related stuff to be honest… I kind of just ended up stumbling upon stuff out of boredom last week… Oops! 😛 Oh well, it makes for some reading today for you guys. ^_^

• New Look Turquoise Metallic Lattice Longline Bikini Top – £16.99 (link)
• New Look Turquoise Metallic Tie Side Bikini Bottoms – £12.99 (link)

I discovered this bikini recently through a Google search whilst looking for holographic/metallic bikinis. I don’t really need a new bikini but I wouldn’t mind picking up a new one for my holiday in September. This is gorgeous and is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before to be honest. Not only does the design of this look unique and have a grunge style to it (which I LOVE!) but it’s also a beautiful turquoise metallic colour which is the perfect holiday and beach colour. Although this is gorgeous and probably my perfect bikini for Fuerteventura it’s kind of impractical for sunbathing in due to the lattice design. Due to this I’d probably use this mostly for popping down to the beach and on very hot days to the shops. Of course I would pick up both the top and bottoms. I’ll definitely be buying these on payday next week so I don’t miss out the chance of getting them!

• Your Lie in April Part 2 Limited Edition Blu-ray – £44.99 (link)

I LOVE Your Lie in April and especially around the start of the year when I first started watching the anime series, as well as reading the manga. Since then I’ve finished the manga and been awaiting part 2 of the blu-ray to come out and be added to my collection. I haven’t actually finished watching the anime yet as I wanted to binge watch it all on the blu-rays with Dane, so of course I am really excited to be able to finally do this!

• New Look Silver Holographic Mini Backpack – £17.99 (link)

I don’t NEEEEED a new backpack but it never hurts to add a new addition to your collection… Does it? I’ve owned backpacks similar to this from New Look before and they’re definitely some of the best ones I’ve owned to be honest. They’re comfortable, look great and are a bargain for how much wear you get from them. I really am on a holographic kick at the moment, like a holographic magpie so I couldn’t help but eye up this backpack. I’d love to try and pick it up in the sale (if it goes into sale obviously) before I go on holiday, but we’ll see what happens. I’d want to try and cutesy this bag up by popping a couple of badges on it and some cute Japanese gatchapon keyrings.

• Truffle Collection Truffle Flatform Holographic Sliders – £14.00 (link)

Again I was looking for some holiday ideas and the first thing I thought to search for was (yet again!) holographic themed items. I found this flatform sandals and I’m unsure what I think of them to be honest. I don’t love them enough to buy them as soon as possible for the holiday, but I don’t know if I hate them enough to not warrant myself buying them at all. I would love another pair of shoes to take with me to wear around the house, to the beach and in the evenings as something light but I have my flip flops to do that. I’m definitely more of a Vans slip on trainer and flip flop girl when it comes to going to Fuerteventura. If these went to a dirt cheap price I’d definitely pick them up as they’d be great to wear casual in the day and dressed up in the evening a little. I think what puts me off the most is that they’re white. Black would have been SOOOO much better!

• Forever 21 Holographic Windbreaker Jacket – £24.00 (link)

When I saw this jacket it just reminded me of the 90’s and of the style of jackets my mom and brother used to wear… But not holographic obviously. 😛 For the final time on this blog post I’ll be talking about something holographic… I do apologise about how much stuff there is on here that’s either that or metallic. Again due to the holiday I was having a look around to see what else I could find on Forever 21’s website to buy in the future and this jacket looks cool! I’d want to pick it up to wear over the summer, as well as for the holiday. As cool as the turquoise colour is I don’t know if the jacket itself would look good or even feel comfortable. I’d want to go in store and have a look at this first before buying it, or at least read a handful of reviews.

• Good Smile Company K-ON! Yui Hirasawa Nendoroid – Prices vary depending where you buy.

Finally we come to the last item on this list and it’s one that me and Dane both want to try and find next month! We were really naughty this month Nendoroid wise and bought quite a lot in one go. We’re part of a Nendoroid group on Facebook and someone on there was selling all of her K-ON! collection so erm… We bought all of the ones we needed. We picked up four out of five she was selling which means the only girl we need now is Yuki! She’s the main character of K-ON! and is Dane’s favourite character. We’ll try and keep our eyes peeled for someone else on that group to sell a Yui Nendoroid or we’ll end up buying a new or second hand one from Japan. These Nendoroid figures came out years ago, not long after they started being made so they’re not as easy to get a hold of now, but this being said they’re cheaper.

So that’s my wish list for this month! I really need to stop spending money now and put it in savings to have towards the holiday. I don’t really want anymore manga at the moment so I’ll definitely be saving money not buying those. I’ll also be saving money not buying much else too because besides the stuff on this list I don’t want anything. 😛

What items do you have on your wish lists? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

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

His N Her Manga Collection and Q&A

As regular readers will know, me and Dane are both massive fans of manga and our love of it is only growing more as we start and end another manga series.

I was writing and aiming for this post to be up on my blog around World Book Day but sadly due to life and how busy it can be, I never got around to finishing and publishing it on my blog.

BUT no time like the present and I’ve accumulated more manga since World Book Day which is amazing of course! I of course have included Dane into my manga collection as with both of our books combined we have a great collection so far. I also did some questions for both me and Dane to answer in relation to manga. So it’s kind of like a his and her manga post today! I hope you enjoy it.

Manga We Own

Dane:

Attack on Titan – Vol. 1-20

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall – Vol. 1-5

Attack on Titan: No Regrets – Vol. 1 and 2

Berserk – Vol. 1-6

Death Note – Vol. 1-6

One Punch Man – Vol. 1-10

Natalee:

Azumanga Daioh

Nana – Vol. 1-21

Nichijou – Vol. 1 and 2

Paradise Kiss – Vol. 1-3

A Silent Voice – Vol. 1-7

Sword Art Online: Progressive – Vol. 1-4

Wolf Children

Your Lie in April – Vol. 1-11

Manga We Want:

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall – Vol. 6

Attack on Titan: Lost Girls – Vol. 1 and 2

Berserk – Vol. 7-38

Masamune-kun’s Revenge – Vol. 1-3

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid – Vol. 1 and 2

Nichijou – Vol. 3-6

One Punch Man – Vol. 11

Sherlock: A Study in Pink

Sword Art Online: Progressive – Vol. 5

Dane Questions & Answers:

• What was the first manga you read?

Admittedly I have gotten into manga much later than I could or should have. My first manga was (is) actually Attack on Titan. After watching countless anime I watched the first season of Attack on Titan and couldn’t wait for the next season so I began reading the manga.

• What is your favourite manga to date and why?

Easily Berserk. I have seen and heard about it in the past but always thought it was a manga that was “edgy” for the sake of being edgy. Granted the first arc of the manga does show Guts to be an edgelord (someone, especially posting on the internet who uses shocking annalistic speech and opinions that they themselves may or may not believe to gain attention and come across as a more dangerous and unique person) but he is kept likeable and grows over the course of the manga.

The world of Berserk is a dark one, the manga is very explicit in this and does not shy away from some truly WTF moments. It is not for everyone. It begins with Guts getting freaky with a crazy demon only to kill it mid coitus which is a great way to show what is in store for you. This is one of its greatest assets the fact it is not afraid of going balls to the wall with its story, there are some truly great characters and events that will make you smile and sometimes you will be cutting onions outside in the rain whilst miraculously keeping the book and everywhere but your face dry.

One of the other assets that make this manga worth people’s time is the superior artwork that goes into it. Kentaro Miura is a master when it comes to bringing his panels to life, the character design and the detail (particular the full spreads) are just sublime and you have to see them to believe. Every artist has their moments where some things don’t look quite right but Miura can be excused when he does things like this:

Seriously, anyone should give this article (http://www.exprofundis.com/the-art-of-berserk/) a read because it helps break down the inspiration behind some of the art and showcase some of the best images.

The manga was not my first experience of Berserk. I had tried to watch the anime on a few occasions but never got into it. I have always found it difficult to watch most 90s anime because it doesn’t always gel with me. After giving the 90s season another go I surprised myself when I had a thirst for more, so, like I did with Attack on Titan I began reading the manga. I also heard about the three films which cover the golden age arc, which is the same arc as the 90s series. To me the CGI in those films works really well and I enjoyed those adaptations the most and really makes you wish they carried on making more. The problem is neither really follow the manga chronologically, the 90s anime has a few minutes of the black swordsman arc to go into the golden age arc and obviously the films skip the whole first chapter. So what you are left with is no true adaptation of a brilliant manga.

This then leads me on to why you should stick with the manga for the time being: The 2016 Berserk anime series. Since the first season has finished airing it has been greenlit for a second season. It was amazing to hear that we would finally get to see the full story of Guts in animated form. Only to be disappointed with a horribly directed and crudely animated shit show. The story was mostly there, even some moments which fans expected to be censored or cut (If you dare Google rape horse). I won’t go into too much of a critique but it had some good moments but was overshadowed by some really bad moments. It showed promise and I hope that the studio receive more time and money to give Berserk what it deserves.

• Any online websites or phone apps you suggest for reading manga on?

If you really can’t get the physical books to read I would recommend the manga rock app. It’s free, has decent scans and is what I used to read Berserk and some works by Junji Ito.

• What is a manga you regret reading and why?

I don’t really regret reading any not in that regards. I have looked at some and thought “nah I can’t be arsed with that” but never have I spent the time to read one and thought why did I bother.

To answer the question in a different manner I would say I regret reading some of the short stories Junji Ito has created. They leave you with a sense of uneasiness I haven’t felt from a book before. He is the master of the full spread shock and horror. The stories are some of the most unique I have experienced too, the creativity astounds me and leave you eerily excited to know the outcome but you are always left with a gaping hole because horror stories hardly ever end well.

• What is a manga you can read over and over again and why?

All the manga I am currently or have read is still in production so the stories are incomplete. I have Death Note but that is on my to-do list. So the only manga I can legitimately say is Berserk as I am currently on my second run after finally purchasing the physical copies.

• What is a manga you would suggest people read when first getting into it?

Attack on Titan was a very easy manga for me to get into, it has a decent story and is mature enough to keep me entertained. It is also one that lacks the typical tropes I have found with Japanese media; the fan service, unnecessary cute characters, sweat drop and so on. I don’t mind those things generally but sometimes I feel they remove you from the immersion in a story and western viewers may not appreciate too much of it.

• Is there a manga you think is overrated?

I cannot allow myself to say a manga is overrated because I have not experienced enough to judge. Although I will bash something in my own time I would feel unfair to claim something I have little exposure to. Especially as I can understand liking something that the general public would see as weird or too nerdy just because it’s different.

• Is there a manga you think is underrated?

Anyone who has read Berserk I hope will understand why people like it, even if they don’t themselves. I don’t think there are any that I have seen which don’t have a cult following or a new anime adaptation due out.

• Would you read any of the manga Natalee owns? If so which one(s)?

I would definitely give Your Lie in April and Nichijou a read as I have already taken a quick look and they have peaked my interest. Nana and Paradise Kiss aren’t really my thing, both are most likely brilliant in their own right (the anime for Paradise Kiss kept me interested enough) but it’s just not my thing.

• What’s a manga you love but hate the anime of?

Berserk, as mentioned above. Hate is a strong word for it though.

• What is the next manga you wish to buy and read?

I am currently purchasing as many Berserk manga as possible but it doesn’t really count as one I am due to read as I already have caught up to the latest chapter.

I haven’t really thought that far ahead to be honest so I genuinely don’t know.

Natalee Questions & Answers:

• What was the first manga you read?

The first manga I read was Elfen Lied. I had wanted to read manga for years but I never knew which one TO read. After watching the anime over a handful of times I knew it was time to find the manga to read. Physical copies are hard to come by in Japanese and I don’t think they’re available in English so I resorted to reading it online.

• What is your favourite manga to date and why?

This is a hard one because I love all the manga I have completely finished so far. I honestly can’t answer this question with one manga to be honest. I would like to say A Silent Voice as the story is so realistic and one that has really pulled on my heartstrings. It left me thinking too which I loved. This being said I also loved Elfen Lied and Nana, although Nana isn’t officially finished yet.

• Any online websites or phone apps you suggest for reading manga on?

I have used a phone app in the past but I can’t remember what it was called. I hated it. It wasn’t the app itself but just the way I felt about it. I can’t remember the website I used when I read Elfen Lied. I just Google’d it to be honest when I wanted to read it.

• What is a manga you regret reading and why?

I don’t think there’s a manga I regret reading to be honest with you. I usually check out the anime before reading the manga so I’ll always know if I’ll like the storyline or not. I don’t regret reading it because I haven’t bought it, but I do want to get Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid but the artwork doesn’t look as nice as the anime does… I could see myself regretting buying that one for example.

• What is a manga you can read over and over again and why?

Definitely Elfen Lied as I love the story. I especially love how different it was to the anime.

• What is a manga you would suggest people read when first getting into it?

Something light and quirky is always a good choice. Azumanga Daioh is one of the first I read and it’s an easy one to read and very funny! I suppose any anime you have watched and fallen in love with you should read the manga because the chances are you’ll love that more!

• Is there a manga you think is overrated?

From what I’ve seen it’s definitely got to be One Piece. I haven’t read it and I don’t even know what it’s about but fuck it takes up most of the manga books in shops such as Nostalgia Comics in Birmingham and Forbidden Planet’s all over the country. I’m sure it’s amazing and all but there’s just so many volumes! Same goes to Naruto as well.

• Is there a manga you think is underrated?

I want to say anything by Ai Yazawa but this being said I don’t think she’s underrated. Paradise Kiss is a classic alongside Nana, which isn’t even finished yet and very much sought after these days by Ai Yazawa fans alike. I’m saying it’s underrated because of how long the hiatus of Nana has been now. People have probably given up now on ever knowing what happens in the end. I however have a little bit of faith left in me. I hope we find out sooner rather than later what happens.

• Would you read any of the manga Dane owns? If so which one(s)?

I don’t know to be honest… I’d love to read Attack on Titan and One Punch Man but I would worry they’d involve too much action for my liking. Surprisingly I love this in Sword Art Online: Progressive but I don’t think I would like it in Attack on Titan and One Punch Man. This being said I love the anime of both of these, especially the action behind them!

• What’s a manga you love but hate the anime of?

I recently started watching the anime of Paradise Kiss to coincide with me reading the manga and so far I’m preferring the manga a hell of a lot more! I just find that there are huge chunks missing from the anime which sucks! The same can definitely be said for Elfen Lied too, which leaves the ending in the anime in a really poor manner. There is so much more to the story than the anime lets on which is extremely frustrating. I definitely recommend reading the manga if you love the show. It’s shit loads better!

• What is the next manga you wish to buy and read?

I don’t want to buy it because I wouldn’t be able to read it BUT I really want to print off all the Elfen Lied manga and pop them into a folder so I can physically read them. I would want to do the same for other manga that isn’t available in English.

Besides that I want to try and have a look at Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid before reading to see if I’ll like it and Masamune-kun’s Revenge as I recently started watching the anime which I’m really enjoying. I can see the manga being just as good to be honest.

So that is our lonnnng manga post! Do you like reading manga, or have you just started reading manga? Make sure to let us know which series you’re reading or have read! We’d love to hear from you all.

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

Currently #9

I know it hasn’t been that long since my last currently list but I thought it would be nice to write another considering how much stuff I have been currently doing! I’m pretty damn excited to write about a lot of them… I would have waited for my day off tomorrow to write this but the ideas and thoughts of it just came to me, so I have to get it typed and published tonight! I’m sure it’ll make some good bedtime reading for some, as well as some equally as good morning reading for others. 😛

Watching – Lately me and Dane have been watching a lot of anime if not just anime. Why? Well because we can and we want to! Before Christmas Dane bought a membership to Funimation which enables anime lovers to watch loads of anime with English dub instead of English sub. We don’t mind either way how we watch anime but sometimes if we’re multi-tasking we much prefer dubbed. We also have a membership to Crunchyroll which we use to watch subbed anime. ANYWAY! So lately we’ve been watching Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid and Masamune-Kun’s Revenge on Funimation and Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid has fast become one of my favourite anime shows! I want to read the manga for it next, the same goes with Masamune-Kun’s Revenge too. They’re both completely different to one another which is what I like. Dane got me into both of them which is really cool.

Masamune-Kun’s Revenge is a slice of life style anime where you get to see Masamune try to get a girl to fall in love with him only to break her heart. Why does he want to do this? To gain revenge for years of being bullied by her! It’s very funny and one you should check out if you like comedy romance style anime.

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is completely different and not slice of life or realistic at all and I think you can gather that from the title alone! As it states Kobayashi has a dragon maid. She befriends Tohru after a drunken night out and tells her she can come and stay with her and become her maid. From there we see them live their lives together with Tohru mostly in her human form and occasionally in her dragon form. We also see Tohru’s dragon friends becoming human too and joining her and Kobayashi’s friends. My favourite dragon so far is Kanna, the youngest of the dragons and therefore the cutest! 😀

Reading – I have been reading so much manga lately that I feel like I can’t keep on top of the addiction it has fast become! Since the start of the year I have either finished or started four series of different manga. WOW! I’ve not read this much since 2009 when I discovered the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. I remember binge reading them late into the night. I have read and finished both Your Lie in April and Paradise Kiss, which I loved and will hopefully be reviewing in the future! Your Lie in April was an amazing manga to read and everyday during my break at work I found myself getting through a book a day and soon enough the series had finished and I had no more to read. It ended sadly but not as sad as I imagined to be honest, but I put this down to already knowing what was going to happen. Paradise Kiss was bought for me by Dane for my birthday this year and I bought the third and final volume myself. This is a manga by the same person as Nana and I didn’t know what to expect when reading it. I loved it and it was realistic and romantic at the same time but without too much romance. I did really love reading it and it was different to what I normally read. I especially love how Ai Yazawa breaks the fourth wall with her manga, it’s not something I’ve seen anyone else do… Yet. I started reading Nichijou, which I love but I’m in no hurry to continue with just yet.

Image take from weheartit.com

I’m currently reading A Silent Voice which alongside Elfen Lied, Nana and Your Lie in April has fast become one of my favourites… If not my number one favourite right now. The story is so realistic and amazing. It talks about bullying and how it can affect everyone so well and is definitely the sort of thing I love to write myself. It has inspired me even more to create my own manga series in the future. Me and Dane went to watch the anime movie of A Silent Voice yesterday and it was amazing. I’ll be reviewing it VERY soon.

Listening – In February me and Dane booked for us to go and see cKy in May! AHHH I’M SO EXCITED! I’ve been a fan of the band since I was fifteen and have always wanted to see them live, but just never got the chance… Until now! I’ve been listening to most of their albums since then as I just forgot how much I love listening to their stuff. My favourite album of theirs definitely has to be Infiltrate Destroy Rebuild. I don’t know why, just all of the tracks make me so happy and I can sing them loudly, one after the other. I love all of their other albums of course, but this one just stands out the most. My favourite song from it is Plastic Plan, which I’ve put the music video for above. Let me warn you, it’s really fucking old. 😛

Image taken from weheartit.com

Eating – There’s not really much I’ve been eating lately that’s any different to lately. If anything me and Dane haven’t been following out diet like we were at the start of the year. We have cut out a lot of junk mind and still have, but at the same time we’ve been binging on things. We recently discovered that at one of our local Asian supermarkets you can buy birthday cake Oreo’s, as well as matcha flavoured Oreo’s and they weren’t as expensive as you’d think either. Just over £1 a packet! I wish we had bought more but meh got to be good. 😛

Wearing – To be honest I haven’t really been wearing anything too special lately… If anything I’ve worn a dress I bought in the Christmas sales in 2016 for a day out with Dane and an evening out with my dad and brother. I also recently bought a dress for a family wedding I’m attending this weekend. That will be exciting to go to! I would show pictures but I’m not too keen on showing them on my blog. Not because they’re horrible or anything, but they’re just not the sort of pictures I feel will work on a post. I’m waffling. 😛

Wanting – I really want a holiday to be honest. Even if it isn’t abroad, just for me and Dane to get away for a week max and have a relaxing time would be lovely. We did look to go to a spa weekend for his birthday in April but sadly due to everywhere being pretty much booked for Easter we aren’t really able to do that. We’re going to try and see if we can do something in June instead for our anniversary, but we shall see!

So that was my currently list number nine! Wow before we know it it’ll be my tenth one which is kind of weird to be honest. They’ve all flown by so quickly. To be honest this whole year is already flying by quickly. 😛

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

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

February Favourites ’17

I’m not going to lie not only am I glad to see the back of February due to how incredibly shit it was, but I also struggled with my February favourites post this year. I couldn’t think of many products when I was planning this post a week ago but luckily as I sat down to write it, can of cider in hand (oh God…) I’ve seemingly remembered some stuff I have indeed loved this month. YAY!

• Imperial Leather Foamy Banana Shower Cream.

I LOVE this shower cream so much, so much so I have the bubble bath to go with it. I loved foamy banana sweets as a kid and I always remember my mom buying me some whenever we went into our local Woolworths… Oh good ol’ Woolworths eh? This shower cream smells just like them which makes me so happy! I just love the smell of bananas in general and sadly due to an allergy to them I can’t eat them. So things like this make me happier than they should. ANYWAY! Not only does this smell great but it leaves my skin feeling lovely and clean and smelling great. It also perks me up in the mornings if I need to be up at the crack of dawn for work. It’s a bargain at a £1 a bottle so if you fancy giving it a go you know you won’t break the bank buying one on a food shop.

• Reece’s Lip Balm.

I don’t know why but throughout February my lips have been covered in cold sores and blisters and been so damn sore and uncomfortable! I haven’t been able to wear any lipstick which sucked to be honest. But even when using Blistex products nothing was getting rid of the cold sores. I eventually bought a cold sore cream from Boots which helped but THEN another nasty massive cold sore appeared. FUCK! I didn’t know what it could be but when I started using this lip balm during work the cold sores just seemed to heal quicker. So not only was I comfortable, but my lips smelt and tasted amazing too! It just makes me laugh.

• Bath and Body Works Black Cherry Merlot PocketBac Hand Sanitizer.

This is on of the other Bath and Body Works items that my friend Sophi brought me back from America and it’s definitely my favourite item she brought me back! I have wanted to try this scent since it came out a couple of years ago but as of yet I haven’t been able to and oh my it has been worth the wait! It is such a warm and yummy smell, just like black cherries and reminds me of a black forest gateau. I’ll be sad when this runs out. I’m currently not going to pause writing this post to go look for more on eBay… Oh dear… 😛

• Moisturising Foot Socks.

I only have one of these to show off at the moment but at one point I had at least five of these lying around to use. You can pick these up pretty cheap from Body Care for a £1 each and you can pick up all sorts of types. Argan oil, tea tree, coconut, etc. I bought my mom loads of these and decided to get some for myself too. You pop your feet into them for 15-20 minutes and when you take them out your feet will feel soft and smooth. I keep my feet in them for at least an hour to make sure they’re as soft as they can possibly be. As someone who is on their feet constantly due to work these are a lovely treat once a week after a hot bath.

• Bath and Body Works Body Creams in Lavender & Honey and Cherry Blossom.

My friend Sophi went to America in November last year and she was lovely enough to bring me back some goodies from Bath and Body Works, including these body creams as well as a hand sanitizer I’m mentioning in this months favourites too. I’ve been using this as a hand cream instead of for my body and it finds it works really well and keeps my hands moisturised for a long time, although not as long as I would have hoped or wished. They both smell lovely, but my favourite of the two is the Lavender & Honey scent. It’s so refreshing yet comforting to smell. Can’t go wrong!

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Favourite TV Show – The Last Leg

I know this show has been out for years but I only recently discovered it on YouTube through clips, the one added above caused me to cry with laughter. The show is just hilarious, witty and currently just rips the shit out of Donald Trump, which is always funny. 😛 I just love it and if you haven’t watched it before definitely give it a go! I’ve only watched series 1 and I’m currently up to date with series 10. I need to try and find the other series to watch online!

Another Favourite TV Show – Sex and The City

Sadly I don’t have a favourite film for this month so I decided to talk about another favourite TV show. I mentioned in a post recently about how I was watching Sex and The City again and I’m about a handful of episodes away from finishing the show for God knows how many times now. I re-watch the show at least once a year and every time I do I’m reminded of how much I love all the characters but how pissed off I get at the all too… Apart from Sam. 😛 Dane is watching it with me for the first time which has made me so happy! He’s actually really enjoyed it too which is nice. I’m going to put the films on for us at some point for us to watch.

Favourite Book – Your Lie in April

I know I mentioned this last month on my favourites but I would be lying if I said I was reading anything else other than this… Which I actually finished a few days ago. I haven’t been able to get enough of each volume and during my breaks at work I’ve read a whole book! I’m not even joking. So in a week I got 5 volumes read… Well I don’t know what to say about this manga other than I love it so damn much and it has fast turned into one of my favourite manga and anime series. I can’t really say much about it without ruining it but it’s a very sad story to be honest but with a positive ending which makes you think. I cried to be honest at the end. 😛 I wish it could have lasted a little longer but I’m glad with the way it finished.

Favourite Song – Duke Dumont – Ocean Drive

I discovered this song at the start of the year through a beauty guru on Instagram. She said what the song was in the posts description so I went to search for it on YouTube and here we are. It’s been out for nearly two years now and only now have I heard it! WHAT!? I do tell everyone how I don’t listen to chart music… This is evidence of that! It’s a catchy song which is very chilled sounding and reminds me of something from the 80’s. I love it so much and it’s always something I listen to whilst getting ready to go out and even when doing blog related work. 😛

Favourite Game – Pokemon Moon

 This game came out towards the end of 2016 and during February I actually picked it up and played it constantly! I hardly played it when it came out due to being busy with work, getting ready for Christmas and being an adult. 😛 BUT when I had time in February I picked it up every day when I got the chance. I haven’t finished it yet and I haven’t picked it up for about a week now… But I will… I will…

So those were my favourites for February! It was a long but at the same time quick month and I am so pleased it is done and dusted. I won’t state why but it was shit… Really shit… Stuff still is shit but it’ll get better. Well I hope anyway. 😛

What were your favourite things throughout February? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time take care all and here’s to a new month… and hopefully some better weather. 😛

January Favourites ’17

Woohoo a New Year and therefore a new favourites post, BUT I have decided to change it up again this year! Instead of just writing about my beauty favourites, I’ll also mention one favourite TV show, film, book, song and game. Of course as it always has been, my favourites will focus on beauty.

So without further ado let’s get on with talking about my favourites!

• My Face Shop x Kakao Friends Clarifying Foaming Cleanser.

I picked up this foaming cleanser around my birthday when I popped in TK Maxx to have a look for some goodies. It only cost me £2.99 which I thought was a bargain and I wish they had more of these in stock as I would have bought more. This is one of my favourite cleansers at the moment to use as it leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean and fresh. It’s said to leave your skin looking brighter and I can’t say as I have noticed this severely but I do feel like my skin looks healthier since using it. You only have to use a little bit too because as soon as the cleanser gets into contact with water it foams up loads on your face. If you can pick one of these cleansers up then do as they’re worth every penny.

• Lush Bubbly Shower Gel.

This as many people will know was one of Lush’s new Christmas additions in 2016 and I am so sad that I was never able to get anymore of this. I’m glad however to have picked up a little bottle to see what it was like as aside from Snow Fairy and The Comforter this is one of my favourite shower gels to date. It smells of oranges and lemons and is really refreshing to use in the mornings or to perk you up in the middle of the day. I’ve been using it lately when I’ve been on the really early shifts at work to perk and wake me up in the morning.

• The Body Shop Drops Of Youth Concentrate.

This was something else I picked up from TK Maxx for the bargain of £14.99 when it was originally meant to be over £30! I worried I would regret picking it up but alas I love this serum so much and it’s something I use on a daily basis! It’s a lovely cooling serum and a little bit goes a long way to cover the whole face and neck. I use it after my toner and eye cream and before my moisturiser. I would recommend picking it up if you want to introduce an anti-aging serum in your daily beauty regime.

• Blistex Intensive Moisturiser Cherry.

My lips have suffered during the harsh cold days lately and I’ve found only this seems to have fixed them and even then they’re still very blistered and sore. This is a thick cream lip balm that smells and tastes of cherry drops, yummy! A little goes a long way but I do find I have to keep applying it to ensure that it’s doing its job to its fullest.

• Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Body Lotion.

This is an odd favourite this month because I haven’t been using this the way it should be… Instead of using this as a body lotion I use it as a hand cream during my shifts at work. I often get water on my hands and wash them a lot so it’s necessary to keep them hydrated when hand creams and lotions to make sure my eczema doesn’t flare up again. This body lotion works remarkably well as a hand lotion and it also smells amazing! I keep it inside my Etude House seal pot which did originally have a green tea hand cream in, but I used it all. Hey! Why through away such a cute little pot when I can re-use it?

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Image taken from weheartit.com

Favourite TV Show – Sherlock Series 4

This will always be one of my favourite TV shows as I have some very fond memories behind it. One being that my best friend Gabriella got me into it in the first place and second of all I remember my boyfriend Dane wanted to catch up on series 3 episodes online whilst he was on a snowboarding holiday and suggested we watch them at the same time during a Skype video conversation. Other than that I LOVED series 4 and although I am sad to see the show come to an end the three last episodes had me on the edge of my seat, but not as much as the last! My favourite moment was the start of episode 2 when Sherlock goes out for chips with Faith and tries to stop her from killing herself. I thought it was heartwarming myself and really pulled on my heart strings.

Image taken from weheartit.com

Favourite Film – Gone Girl

Although this isn’t a new film and is also one I watched back in December, I couldn’t actually think of a new film I’ve watched recently… I was going to mention Star Wars: Rogue One but meh I saw that nearly two months ago. That was still a great movie mind! But Gone Girl was amazing to be honest and one that kept me constantly shouting at the TV and to Dane about what’s going on throughout the film, until the truth is finally revealed. I might watch it again in the week if not in a bit as I really did love that film. I wouldn’t mind reading the book to see what the differences are between the two, as well as see how it was written. If you’re interested in watching it it’s on Netflix.

Image taken from weheartit.com

Favourite Book – Your Lie in April

Of course it’s going to be this manga. I haven’t stopped talking about it since around Christmas and I have fast become obsessed with it, as have most people! I’ve only read volume one of the manga so far but after I’ve done loads of blog work I’m going to sit down with a nice cup of tea and continue to read the series as I love the anime so much, so I know I’ll love the manga just the same.

Favourite Song – The Pretty Reckless – “Absolution”

I love this song so damn much and it’s one that I’ll listen to loads as and when I can. I recently saw them play live in Birmingham and I had such a lovely evening! Sadly they didn’t play this, but that’s not a problem. It’s from their second album Going To Hell.

Image taken from Nintendo UK website

Favourite Game – Pocket Card Jockey

This is a game on my 2DS that I have been addicted to since I downloaded the demo of it! I immediately bought the game when the demo ended as I was just enjoying playing it. It’s especially good for relaxing if you feel stressed of anxious, which I’ve found has helped me a lot throughout the month. You’re a jockey and in order to win your races you must play solitaire and win games etc etc. That’s the only way I can describe it. The demo is still available for the game and to buy it it only costs £6.29. The game itself reminds me of a horse racing game me and my dad used to play at an arcade years ago when I was little.

So those are my favourites from January! January was a weird month for me to be honest and I know February isn’t going to be that much better sadly due to some personal stuff going on at the moment. Sadly I won’t be sharing any of that on my blog, but just know that I am okay and I’m slowly on the mend.

What were your favourites from January? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time take care all and see you soon.

Currently #8

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image taken from weheartit.com

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

Image taken from weheartit.com

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

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

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

Image taken from weheartit.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

What I Got For My 27th Birthday

I can’t believe I hadn’t yet thought about doing this post… Until now! Whilst chilling on the sofa and enjoying a well deserved Sunday lazy day I thought, “Hey! I never wrote a post about what I got for my birthday!” and I surprised myself. I mean I wrote a wish list so why not add a post about what I actually got?

Well better late than never… It has been over a week though since I turned 27… Oh dear. Maybe with age I am forgetting? 😛

These presents above are a mixture of gifts I received from Dane and his parents.

My favourite gift from his parents was this beautiful fox figure for the garden. I’ve been after something like this for quite some time now but hadn’t yet found anything I wanted and if I did it was shockingly priced (those are treats for in the summer when we do up the garden!) so I was really happy to get this. The detailing is gorgeous and it’s now sat outside by the back door. I hope we get some foxes in our garden when the weather improves… I love them so much!

Dane’s parents bought me some lovely gifts but I was especially happy to see four volumes of Your Lie in April manga inside of one of the gifts (which was actually on my wish list!). Apparently I was meant to receive the Azumanga Daioh manga instead but I already owned this manga so Dane is going to send that book back to Amazon. Oops. 😛 With the manga was an iPad holder from IKEA and a can of red spray paint. I had said how Dane’s moms was really nice but how I would want one in red. So that’s why I had a red can of spray paint. I’m going to definitely be spraying it when we have a nice day!

Then we have the gifts that Dane bought for me! Above as you can see there are four volumes of Your Lie in April BUT there is also the box on the far right which is the Blu-ray for the anime series of Your Lie in April. I’m so happy to have it as the art for the box is beautiful and it’s limited edition which makes me even happier!

As well as getting Your Lie in April manga I also got the first two volumes of Paradise Kiss manga! AHH! I love Nana which is written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa who is also the person behind Paradise Kiss. I’ve watched a little bit of the manga and I really enjoyed it, so I know I’m going to love the manga just as much. Sadly like Nana they’re not easy to find and when you DO find them they aren’t exactly cheap… We shall see what the future holds in terms of picking the rest of the manga up as there are five volumes in total so I only have three more to pick up.

My final present from Dane (that I got on the day anyway…) and my main one is this gorgeous Frozen Elsa Nendoroid! I had shown Dane her ages ago as she was on sale on a website we buy Japanese items from and bless him he went and ordered her. I had a feeling I was going to get a Nendoroid for my birthday but I didn’t think it would be Elsa! I’m not one of these obsessed Frozen fans but as soon as she was announced years ago I KNEW I had to have her. She’s gorgeous and so beautiful to look at and I know I’ll need to get Anna soon to go with her. I swear I need to do a collection post about mine and Dane’s Nendoroid’s soon as we have twenty now and counting. 😛

For my birthday in the evening we went out for a meal for both mine and my moms birthday as hers is the day after mine! We went to Frankie & Benny’s and had a lovely meal, drinks and had a right laugh! It’s a shame we didn’t get to do much else. The next day however me and Dane went to Peak Wildlife Park which was amazing! However we left pretty late so didn’t get to spend all day at the park like we wanted to. We intend to go back in the spring.

But on with more gifts! My mom didn’t buy me anything and instead gave me some money whilst my dad and brother both bought me some charms for my Thomas Sabo bracelet, which I got for Christmas from my mom (which you can read about here).

They both bought me some lovely charms and ones I had set my eyes on on Christmas Day when I was seeing what charms I could get in the future! My brother bought me both the robin and the lucky cat (which I recently found out is called a maneki-neko!) and they’re both so eye catching and different. The maneki-neko has definitely had loads of compliments and questions as to what it is.

Then on a daughter and dad day at the start of the week my dad bought me the fox charm which I’d hoped he would be able to get me. He also offered to buy me another charm too but sadly I didn’t see anything I was after in particular so we left it for another time.

I’m really loving how my Thomas Sabo bracelet is turning out! I’ll be writing up a wish list post for future charms in the next week or two.

This was one of my belated birthday presents from Dane, which he was intending on keeping a secret but wasn’t 100% sure if I wanted it still. I’ve been waiting for this game to come out for almost ten years and finally in late 2016 it came out! However whilst I was going to pre-order it and have it straight away Dane put me off due to some reviews he had heard about which were bashing the game and putting it down. This being said there were more positive reviews than negative and he bought it for me when it went down in price. Sadly due to so many people buying it we had to wait a couple of weeks for it to come out. It has been totally worth it though! We’ve been playing it together since we got it last week and I love it.

This is one of the final presents I got… I say got but I wasn’t gifted it. My aunt gave me some money for my birthday so I decided to treat myself to a new water bottle with the money. This is from The Disney Store and as you can see it’s a Baymax water bottle. It’s so amazing and I love it so much! I mostly use it for work as I like to keep hydrated during my shifts. It’s screw cap and fits a good amount of water in. I try to drink at least two of these a shift (I work 8 hours a day btw…) which I think is a pretty good goal! You can also pop lemons into this too but as of late I haven’t bothered with drinking lemon water. It’s something I’ll start doing again very soon.

So those were my presents I got (or bought with money…) for my birthday this year! I loved all my presents and I can’t say that I have a favourite… Although I do love how my Thomas Sabo bracelet is turning out! I loved everything though to be honest. I loved getting more manga to read, a fox figure for my garden, money and geeky things!

I just want to thank not just my family and friends for helping me have a lovely birthday this year, but mostly Dane for always being there for me. I’m so excited to start 2017 in our home and I’m even more excited for all the adventures we’re going to have this year.

How are all my readers doing? I miss your faces! Leave me some love down below or over at my Twitter (@maybeecoffee)/

Until next time take care all and I hope you’ve had an awesome weekend!

27th Birthday Wish List

Yes in 3 days time it will be my birthday and I will be turning 27… Oh age really is creeping up on me! I’m not going to moan though, I hate when people do shit like that. What I especially hate younger people asking how old I’ll be to turn around and say after my reply, “OH MY GOD YOU ARE SOOOOO OLD!!!” Urgh just shut the fuck up. Sorry to sound very negative but I hate younger people being so ignorant as to say things like this. 😛

With a birthday comes gifts and presents (if you’re as lucky as myself and many others. Some people sadly don’t get gifts and presents on their birthday…) from various different people and whilst I’m not the type to say, “I WANT THIS FOR MY BIRTHDAY!” I will direct people in the right direction if they aren’t sure what to get me, especially Dane although this year  he seems to know what to get me as he’s ordered majority of my presents.

So here is my wish list for my birthday this year! It’s got some geeky stuff on as well as some beauty related goodies and jewellery.

• Pokemon Center Vulpix Pikachu Crossover Plushie in Normal Form – £25.50 (link)

I know I always post about Pokemon Center plushies that I want and lust after but this is one that I REALLY want! It’s an adorable Pikachu dressed up as Vulpix, who is one of my favourite Pokemon. This also comes in the new Aloha form but I prefer the original. I don’t think I’ll be getting this for my birthday as it doesn’t come out until the start of February but as soon as I get paid next week I’ll be ordering one myself. ^_^

• Your Lie In April manga volume 2 – £8.99 (link)

This is a new manga and anime I have gotten into lately and I really do love it! I read volume 1 as soon as I was given it by Dane as an early Christmas present and I can’t wait to read more of the manga to be honest. The anime is really good and although the manga and anime are meant to be aimed towards men I find that women can watch it too. The anime is currently on Netflix but it is in Japanese with English subtitles. I’ll pop a trailer up so you can watch it!

• Kat Von D Beauty Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in shade Mother – £16.00 (link)

I love Kat Von D’s liquid lipsticks and I was so glad to get my first one (Bauhau5) in November from the Oxford Street store when I went to visit my friend Sophi. Since then I have craved to buy more but I’ve been good so far. Even if I don’t obviously get an actual liquid lipstick for my birthday some vouchers for Debenhams would be great so I can pick up a couple of shades. Mother is a gorgeous rose pink shade which I would love to pick up for when spring and summer are here.

• South Park : The Fractured But Whole Mysterion figurine – £39.99 (link)

Dayyyyum this is something I really want but I know I won’t be getting… Sad times. Me and Dane love South Park and as soon as I saw this on Forbidden Planet’s website I wanted it. We’ve also seen it in the Forbidden Planet store in Birmingham and it looks amazing! He’s 6 inches so he’s huge as well. We nearly ended up buying it New Years Eve when we went out shopping but left it due to being on a spending ban… 😦 I’m sure we’ll buy it as a treat in the future. We already know where we would put him in the house, on the fireplace! 😀

• Thomas Sabo Fox charm pendant – £25.95 (link)

As I mentioned on my Christmas natter post recently my parents gave me a Thomas Sabo charm bracelet for Christmas, which I love! I know my brother is buying me some more charms for it for my belated Christmas and my birthday present combined and this is one of the charms I showed him. As regular readers of my blog will know I love foxes so this is right up my street! I love how simplistic but gorgeous it is.

• Lime Crime Diamond Crushers Liquid Lipstick in shade Trip – £13.95 (link)

I’m not a huge fan of Lime Crime due to the controversy surrounding them but the past year they seem to have somewhat bettered themselves. That and my friend Claire has told me nothing but good things about the liquid lipsticks… I trust her with make up gossip that’s for sure! I have loved the look of the Diamond Crushers since they were announced a while ago. Trip is my favourite out of the bunch, which is a beautiful blue lipstick topper, which you can also wear alone. I’d team it up with various different liquid lipsticks. It’s currently sold out on Love-Makeup but I’m going to keep my eye out for it in the future!

• Pokemon Eevee Evolution water bottle  – £9.90 (link)

I thought I was going to get this for Christmas as Dane had shown it to me before ordering my presents, but alas he never. I don’t think I’ll be getting it for my birthday either. He insists that I don’t need anymore water bottles but I beg to differ! I love having water bottles for work, as well as for on the go and although I love my owl water bottle that I use for work, I’d love a Pokemon related one for work too to show off my inner geek! This one is pretty simple but I love that it’s purple. If I have some birthday money I might treat myself to it.

• Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick in shade No Tea, No Shade – $18.00/£16.00 (link)

I decided that I’m going to calm down on my Jeffree Star liquid lipstick buying as I want to try out loads of other brands instead of just sticking to the same one. HOWEVER he announced this shade just before Christmas and I fell in love, hard!!! I can’t wait for it to come out on Beauty Bay this month because as soon as it launches I’ll be buying it. It’s a beautiful purple metallic shade and it’ll be perfect for autumn and winter seasons.

• Thomas Sabo Bird charm pendant – £35.00 (link)

I know I’ll be getting this for my birthday as my brother told me he would get it for me. It’s a Christmas themed charm but I’d love it all year around. It’s call the bird charm but as you can see it’s a robin, which I love. They’re just such gorgeous birds and they always remind me of the winter season. It’s not a cheap charm however as it originally costs £70.00! OUCH! If however he doesn’t manage to get me this charm I’ll pick it up on my birthday as a treat to myself.

So that was my wish list for my 27th birthday! God I really am getting old and whilst at 27 you probably expect to see more adult present ideas on a post like this, you won’t find that with me. I am a big kid and even though I’ll soon be 30 I know I’ll stay that way for a very long time.

What kind of gifts do you like to receive for your birthday? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

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