One of my favourite things about this time of year is the movies/films/motion pictures, whatever you want to call them, I love them all the same! There is something so lovely and maybe even magical about the type of films made for this month. They are lighthearted and designed to fill the minds of children which equates to the perfect escape route for adults. Sometimes we all need a little escapism in the shape of Halloween Town or in the company of Casper.
This morning I am up extremely early… Christmas early… and for what reason? Who knows.
But as a product of this, my obsessive love of autumn/winter and my somewhat troubling addiction to lists… this was born…
The List.
Here lies the list of dreams, or rather MY dreams. For both Halloween and Christmas I have listed my all-time favourite movies from ‘most loved’ to ‘loved a fraction less’. I went to the lengths of doing this for no other reason than the fact that I am a seasonal geek (Autumn/Winter edition only).
So, on this merry Sunday morning if you are up now with me too, I am simply giving you a reason to stop whatever you are doing…
S T O P .
and watch at least two of these.
Some call it procrastination… others call it therapy. We all need a break and so this is your sign.
Take. The. break.
Who knows it may even help you go back to sleep for a little while but if not name a better way to start a Sunday!
And if you are a listographer like myself please send me yours lists I would love to see them 🙂
Love to you all. Thank you for all the support you’ve shown me and my blog the last few days. You’re all incredible.
I am feeling 13 again when tags were at their peak and we all wanted to be huge youtube stars… I won’t lie… I kind of love that tags are still around. We just need to encourage photo-challenges back from the dead now.
I saw this tag on Peace.Love.Veggies page and loved it, go and give hers a read and take on the tag yourself!
Please tag me if you give it a go I would love to see your answers.
Enjoy…
What is your favourite halloween song?
You have to admit… even if this isn’t your favourite you will be singing it later it’s quite the ear-worm.
What is something you wouldn’t want to meet in an abandoned building or dark forest?
Literally anything. If I am alone in a dark forest or an abandoned building I want it to be just me and my trusty torch thats it!
Have you ever played with a Ouija board?
Personally no, I was banned from playing with these as a child and the older I have gotten the more I appreciate that. It is not something I ever want to mess around with.
Who is your favourite horror monster/villain?
100% Oogie Boogie. He creeps me out to no end but I kind of love him… It’s a strange one really.
What is the creepiest thing that ever happened while you were alone?
I have never experienced anything creepy when alone, typically it always happens when my partner is with me… take from that what you will! But the worst one was one evening, we were both just falling asleep when there was three distinct knocks on the floor. Now for some context, in my partners house our bed is currently a mattress on the floor so these knocks were right by his head. We obviously bolted upright and flicked the lights on. We tried for at least 30 minutes to recreate the sound and failed miserably. After a while and a distracting conversation we were again falling back asleep… guess what happened? YUP this time we ignored and said goodnight to whatever was making the noise.
You are dared to spend the night in a haunted house, do you go?
ummm, yes I think so. If I was going with a group of friends 100% just for the adventure. I think it could be great fun.
Are you superstitious?
I find trying to explain my position on this a little tricky. I will try and put it simply. I believe that in a world so vast, complex and full of incredible people when we die we cannot just disappear. I think that, for example, you can be in an empty room and not really be alone. But I equally believe that you are surrounded by good – not bad. I find peace and comfort in knowing that there are people around, some of us just can’t see/experience them.
Do you ever see figures in your peripheral vision?
As of now, no. I have never been someone who sees things and until I met my partner I wouldn’t hear things either… although saying that i did used to believe a man slept underneath my single bed as a child however this did not scare me. (Odd I know). I am surrounded by people how do experience sightings and find such comfort in it but myself, I am perfectly happy not seeing but believing.
Which urban legend scares you the most?
In truth I have never paid too much attention to urban legends. We had a few go around on BBM (what a throwback to the BlackBerry days) and the school playground but nothing really resonated.
Do you prefer gore or thrillers?
I prefer a thriller… psychological… gores either gross me out to the extent that I will just shut my eyes and miss the whole thing or lead me to nitpick on the bad effects. I prefer something that gets me thinking or just messes with my head for a little while.
Do you believe in multiple dimensions or worlds?
This is another topic I really haven’t thought about. Similarly to the spiritual question, I believe that there must be more out there but I am very much of the mind that it should be left alone. Aliens for example… leave the poor things alone.
Ever made a potion?
Oh 100% the majority of my childhood was spent in the garden making mud-cakes and ‘perfume’ i’m sure potions came into the mix at some point.
Do you get scared easily?
Anxious? Yes. Jumpy? Yes. Scared? hmm I suppose so yes. But not by the typical things like bumps in the night or creaking floorboards I tend to rationalise too much.
Have you every played Bloody Mary?
Nope.
Do you believe in demons/the devil?
Nope.
You’re home alone but you hear footsteps in the house, what do you do?
To be honest probably not a lot… I would assume it was a member of my heavy-footed family and if it all went a bit sour I have the quickest way out the house anyway!
If you got trapped in one scary movie which one would you choose?
Scary Movie. This may be cheating a little bit but how fun would it be to be stuck with this lot?
If you could only wear one halloween costume for the rest of your life what would it be?
I would be a pumpkin because comfort all the way. Bodysuits and cat ears are all fun and games until the headband makes your head hurt and the body suit is riding up in ALL the wrong places!
Would you go to a graveyard at night?
No. I struggle with graveyards generally but not because of fear. I always feel so disrespectful walking around them, unsure of truly what is beneath my feet and always so conscious of where I am walking. So I most definitely wouldn’t go at night.
Would you rather go to a halloween party or trick-or-treating?
A halloween party. I not a huge fan of trick-or-treating the entire concept makes me nervous… going to strangers houses and taking sweets from them. I don’t know it makes me all nervy.
You’re in a horror movie, which trope are you?
100% going to die first. But I will also TURN ON THE DAMN LIGHT.
Do you have to watch something happy after a horror movie?
oh yes. SpongeBob is a favourite.
Whilst watching scary movies are you the person yelling at the characters, the person with their eyes covered or the one asleep?
Typically I am in a full blown conversation with the TV. “No don’t do that you silly woman”, “Um HELLO whats that in the corner”, “Don’t go into the CREEPY attic you’ve never mentioned before now”
Are you the scarer or the scare-e?
A bit of both but I am better at being scared than scaring somebody.
What is your favourite horror book?
Horror is not really my genre when it comes to books… but I’m sure anything Stephen King would go down a treat.
How old were you when you saw your first horror movie?
13. The woman in black. LOVED IT.
What was your first halloween costume?
I truly cannot remember, but I hope it was something sweet like a pumpkin (a trend is emerging)
What are you going to be for halloween this year?
A twenty-year-old, final year university student with a cracking headache and the need for sleep.
If you could have a spooky pet what would it be?
mmm I think it would have to be a black cat. I am allergic but would suffer through for the cat cuddles.
And thats it! I hope you enjoyed reading through my answers, please remember to tag me if you have a go at this tag too.
I have been gone for so long that I don’t know where to begin. In all honesty there is no real reason for my absence. I suppose in many ways I just fell out of love with writing and I don’t yet know if I have managed to re-kindle that but I am going to give it a go regardless.
Over Lockdown here in the UK (from March – June 2020) my initial focus was putting my second year of University to bed. I wrapped up final assignments and then began to refocus in an attempt to figure out what this period of isolation would look like for me. Like many of you I took the time to binge those series I had put on hold, organise my room a few too many times and prioritise my health a little more. Soon however my need for structure poked its head from the duvet and demanded study! The next month was filled with as many free online courses that took my fancy. I ended up with certificates in:
Event Management
Wedding Planning
Introduction to Child Psychology
Although these are not ‘official qualifications’ it inspires a great topic of conversation and learning, however unofficial, is never a bad thing! So the next time you are bored… maybe give it a go. There are so many out there to try.
So, lockdown came and went although at the time of course It did not pass as quickly as that makes it sound. In truth despite the world being in a state of chaos and heartbreak, lockdown for me was not the worst experience. It gave me precious time with my family, a chance to settle back in to living at home and the opportunity to watch my younger brothers learn. Of course I wish that Covid-19 was not the reason for these happenings but i am thankful for the time none-the-less.
As the restrictions fell I was able to reunite with my partner, celebrate my twentieth birthday and indulge in childish-fun culminating in a fabulous fort.
And now I am back to blogging. Having turned twenty and now nearly a month into my final year of university, I know very little for certain. I am unsure of what the next few months will look like, let alone my future which, I recognise is a feeling many of you can relate to. The only thing I know for certain is that my favourite season is upon us and I have so much of it to share.
Thank you to those who have stuck around and are willing to read this ‘i’m back and confused’ babble I appreciate you all. I hope you are doing well and that lockdown was kind to you.
One of the many worries surrounding lockdown is how to ensure that your relationship survives it! For anyone in a long distance relationship this will seem like a walk in the park I suppose but for those of us who aren’t its entirely new and quite daunting.
Like with most things communication is key. Whether in lockdown or not having open conversations is vital and this is more important when you aren’t seeing each other. Discuss what you both need to feel connected, in the loop and just generally loved. It seems simple but one of you could cope with the distance really well and the other may drown in the separation – its important to know where you both stand.
So things to help:
Virtual dates: Facetime, Zoom, House party, Skype, Facebook, Whatsapp just a few of the many platforms you can use to move your dates online
Games: there are a multitude of games you can download on the app and play store to play together from any distance. I am a huge fan of Animal Crossing… why not invite your other half to your island and host an entire date night.
Letters: I am a huge fan of writing letters, whether you do physical letters and wander to a local post box on your daily walk or write a lengthy email its a bit of old fashion fun.
Video Diaries: become a private vlogger, share what you are getting up to with your partner. It’s a fun way to make each other feel like you are right there in the moment. Platforms such as snapchat and instagram could not make this any easier.
Text: this seems like a simple one but sending regular messages or voice notes is so important, use all the resources we have to reach one-another.
Myself and my partner are fortunate in the fact that we live next-door to each other so despite the fact that we aren’t coming into contact with each other we can stick our heads over the fence to say hello.
Last night my partner came up with a lovely idea of doing a date night gift exchange… with no limitations or guidelines so what I have made for him may be worlds apart from what he has done for me. It’s just a little bit of fun both to put together and to give something to each other.
My gift for him:
I turned a shoe box into a make shift gift box and filled it with ‘Open When’ letters and our Pig-a-nut.
The pig-a-nut was gifted to us by our friends after their holiday in the Caribbean. For during the isolation I have placed a card with morse code on it and the web address for a website to translate it. Again just a little bit of fun and hopefully something to make him smile.
‘Open When’ letters are not a new concept to our relationship, the first Christmas we spent together I hand wrote him a bundle of them to open over the year. Since then I’ve always left him notes and written lengthy letters whenever I’ve had something to say. For the isolation I’ve made them specific to help him fill the time and remind him of better days.
The jar links to ‘Open When you are bored’. Here are examples of the contents of the jar. On each piece of paper I have written something for him to do. They range from cleaning, building, sorting, organising and simply silly things.
It took a great deal of time but I am hoping they will last him a while!
And of course within his gift there is a little slice of his favourite cake… Now I wait excitedly to see what i’ve got!
Once again, I hope you are all doing okay during this uncertain time. I want to say another massive thank you to all of the key workers.
Keep Smiling.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to hear about mine
It has been too long since I last uploaded but as we are all too aware so much occurred last month. My previous post shared my hopes for kick starting a cleanse and living a healthier lifestyle for the entire month of March. It all started incredibly well, I bought fresh produce from my local farm shop and began putting a great deal of thought into what I was putting into my body.
I tried my hand at more adventurous meals, cut out as much wheat as possible and even mastered the cauliflower pizza… it was to die for.
And then we shut down.
It seemed as though over night university had come to an end and shopping was more about picking up what was left rather than having the freedom to make choices. My cleanse plans were quickly swept under the rug as my entire world, along side everyone else’s, was taking a new form.
In the course of three days myself and my roommate had decided to travel back home leaving Bournemouth and our final year of study together behind. Our decision came just in time for Boris to announce the official lockdown the night before we were set to go. With pizza in one hand and wine in the other we took on our last evening together in our flat. It was quite the whirlwind and there is some comfort found in knowing that we were most definitely not the only ones.
Over the next few weeks I adjusted back to life at home with my family, began to study entirely from home and said an incredibly early goodbye to my second year at university.
My heart goes out to those in their final year of any school stage. The changes i’ve faced this year are nothing compared to those missing proms, graduations and the chance to sit final exams as they had been preparing for.
Isolation 2020 is like a permanent ‘new year, new me’
So despite my planned cleanse firmly flying out the window this isolation has brought about a new lifestyle entirely. Since having exams cancelled and deadlines extended I’ve had more time on my hands and through this I have found a passion for pilates. Now do not get me wrong I am very much a beginner and I am taking it slow but I do it every single day and have been doing so for over a month now. For many this may not sound very impressive but historically I have been one to give something up if I do not see instant results which is ridiculous I know! So the fact that I am persevering and genuinely enjoying it is surreal.
I will do another post on this later down the line going into more depth about the resources I am using and general progress. But for now here are the changes I saw between day three and twenty in my legs. I’ve always been one to hold my weight in my legs so just seeing a slight change does the world of good for my determination.
So here we are…
20.04.2020
Still in lockdown and trying to stay safe for ourselves and others, I hope each and everyone of you is doing okay and managing to keep a smile through all of this chaos.
To those of you who are key workers, thank you so much for continuing to put yourselves at risk for all of us.
Keep smiling everyone.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read about mine
For many people, myself included, this day is little more than an excuse to consume an unnecessary amount of pancakes and there is nothing wrong with that. For others however today marks the beginning of lent. I myself have never been much of a traditionalist and so this year, like so many previous, I will not be embarking on a 40 day fast however I will be having a ‘cleaner’ March.
I do not eat terribly. I try my very best as a student to ensure that I keep my diet as balanced as possible alongside a few Wetherspoons trips here and there… The reasons behind my aim for a cleaner March stem from the simple want to feel better on the inside.
In late 2018 I discovered that I have a fair few food intolerances, all of which I have successfully ignored and of course continued to live a pretty uncomfortable -bloated- life! From March 1st right until the 31st I want to focus on cutting out a few of the worst sensitivities and focus a little more on healthy snacking… I understand that as a student cutting out my snacks all together would be pretty counter productive so I will just up the fruit and cut the crisps!
A list of my endless sensitivities,
The Plan.
M a r c h :
Cut out Barley, Wheat, Butter and Buckwheat
NO:
Crisps
Chips
Sweets
Sugary Drinks
Pastries/cookies/cakes
Ice cream
and
Pizza….
Although this is quite a sudden change I think its just what I need and I’m feeling good about it. Plus, its only for a month! You never know, it might become a whole lifestyle change, but either way I will be sure to check back in at the half way mark and once more at the very end of the month.
If you are doing anything similar, perhaps Dechox 2020 with BHF, let me know in the comments below!
Ever since I planted my final full-stop at the end of #Blogmas2019 I have felt ever so intimidated by the concept of returning to Simply Everything. I’ve felt an immense pressure to come back with a fresh mindset and new ideas. Perhaps in many ways I fell victim to the ridiculous notion of ‘new year, new me.’
Hello February.
Here’s what my life has looked like since my last post:
Birthdays.
This year, so far, I’ve celebrated my baby brothers, my partners and my best friends birthdays. I am a huge fan of birthdays and so enjoyed every second… those ageing perhaps enjoyed it a little less. But laughter, cake, presents and alcohol was had either way!
Fur Baby.
If you haven’t met him before, myself and Kasia have been raising a Syrian hamster, called Pickle. He is our little furry saviour despite having successfully escaped on numerous occasions! It is evidently clear that he has an obsession with bedding behind the washing machine of all places.
Over the Christmas break he came home with me and was endlessly spoilt and showered with all the human cuddles. From the tiles above you can see he had his own little Christmas dinner.
Photography.
One of my focuses for 2020 is to fall back in love with being behind the camera. I am yet to even pick up my Nikon, two months into the year, with university and work taking up a great deal of my time it is tricky to make it happen but the time will come.
On February 14th myself and my mama set up an Etsy page to sell her crochet creations. Showcasing lovely crochet keepsakes and lanyards Limpet Dreams is the hub of my mamas creativity. They make such thoughtful gifts I have linked the store for you to have a little look. You never know they might just be the present you were looking for.
Simply Everything 2020.
For my comeback in 2020 I redesigned my logo for no other reason than i outgrew the style of the last. Black (as a debate colour or shade) has always been a constant love of mine and so it seemed a little silly that I hadn’t featured it before. After all, Simply Everything is an open space for me to share aspects of myself!
I hope you all enjoy the new face of Simply Everything, and the first look at my newer content.
A huge thank you to those who have stuck around in my absence and who gave my #Blogmas2019 such love.
x
c u r r e n t l i t e r a r y l o v e : “When things change inside you, things change around you”
Here we are, at the end of my first Blogmas and its very bittersweet.
I have loved every second of blogmas: writing the posts, taking the pictures and pulling together 12 days of content that I hope you have all enjoyed. It has broken up the stress of my uni semester and heightened my excitement for the season. I will definitely give it another crack next year… and perhaps challenge myself to make it to 24.
Before I round of Blogmas 2019 and say my B I G thank you’s to all of you who have shown your support by reading and leaving comments I want to share with you the results of my instagram photo challenge.
enjoy 🙂
December 1st
Merry
Something Sweet
Green
Tradition
Scarf
Bright
Joy is…
Family
Rest
Warmth
All wrapped up
and thats it, well for now…
Thank you, again, for supporting my Blog this year. Writing ‘Simply Everything’ has filled a void I never even knew I had and opened a door to a new world consisting of such talent and wonderful content.
You are all absolute stars and your support means the entire world. I wish you all the most memorable Christmas, and enriched New Year.
Simply Everything will be back in the New Year to discuss all things resolutions…
This post is for all of you who love a good old Christmas jumper. Whether you reach for the novelty, the classic or the tacky this is something for you.
Every year I find myself a new jumper to celebrate the season and this year I fell in love with two. One is a little more tacky and very on the nose but the other is a little more fun…
The Cheeky and The Tack.
My ‘Tits The Season’ jumper was an Etsy find, which I have linked if any of you love it just as much as I do! It’s a fun one to draw out the smiles and so comfortable.
I find that Christmas jumpers take the stress out of your winter wardrobe entirely. On those chilly winter mornings you can wake knowing that you have that staple jumper to pair with jeans and take on the day.
This time of year is also known for the many events that quickly fill your calendar all begging for the best Christmas attire:
Work-do’s
Meal with friends
Meal with family
Christmas Draws/Raffles
Christmas Markets
Theatre trips
What kind of jumper do you reach for at this time of year?
Whichever style becomes your festive go-to I hope you have the very best month as you countdown to Christmas.
This blog post is a slight insight into my Christmas. Between myself and my partner all things Christmassy gets a little competitive even down to the perfection of our wrapping. We take every element seriously…
The paper
The patters
The ribbon
The labels
The lines, the precision all down to the placement of the tape. It is all every important in our Christmas bubble.
Now, this may have very little importance to you but even if this is so I hope this post can inspire you in some way as I share some of my very favourite wrapped gifts for this year.
The gifts above come from my partners selection this year. The beautiful labels are from B&M and have a traditional element to them which would complement any gift wrap.
The gold complements the navy paper perfectly and falls slightly outside of the expectations of traditional Christmas colours but we all need an upgrade every now and then.
There is something so special about taking the time to wrap a present. Not to mention it’s the perfect end to a day; wrapping gifts and watching a Christmas film… What more could you ask for?
Other than wrapping presents, another festive favourite of mine is wrapping the house up too…
This can all be done on a budget too! Me and my roommate achieved all of this for £10. B A R G A I N !
Making my home warm and cosy for the Christmas season is another key part of the celebration for me. No matter what time during the month you do this, whether it be Christmas eve or the very first of the month its the best way to get into the spirit.
l i g h t s – Fairy lights are a personal favourite all year round however at Christmas you can put them up by the truck load! Plus you can save a huge amount on your electricity bill for all of December if you are relying on battery operated ones!
Wether your home is decorated floor to ceiling, a little here and there or none at all I hope you are having the best countdown to Christmas.
simplyeverything.home.blog 