A Last Minute Gift Guide For Her

Hey Guys!

As Christmas day is practically around the corner and some of you won't have started some of your Christmas shopping I thought I would share some present ideas with you for either your mum, best friend, girlfriend or your secret Santa! I broke it up into price brackets so that it is easier to see what you can get for your particular budget. I've linked the products in the name so you can easily find what I've listed. 

Presents £5 or Under

Whether you have a budget for your secret Santa or you need some stocking fillers here are some last minute presents you can get easily from Boots, Waterstones and Marks & Spencers. 

Soap and Glory Pink Me Up - £5.00

This would be a great present for a stocking filler as it is something quite small that could be an addition to a main present. Furthermore, if not for a stocking filler it would work for an office secret Santa as most people love a perfume or body care product. Perfect for something small and simple if you're on a budget.

Bunny Headband - £4.00

These headbands from The Body Shop are so cute! The bunny headband is my favourite. This is a great gift for a friend or relative as everyone loves a cute headband to hold back their hair when they are washing their face or doing their make up. These are better than just a plain looking headband as they have a lot more character and this puts more thought into the present :)

M&S Christmas Themed Socks - £5.00

Everyone loves something Christmas themed for a present! So if you are looking for something for a secret Santa present amongst your friends or for something to further fill up a relative's Christmas stocking these would be a great choice! They are cute and Christmas themed - perfect for opening on the 25th! 

Presents £25 or Under

Elf Christmas Pyjamas Set - £25.00

Christmas themed pyjamas are so fun! And if you haven't seen Elf where have you been?! These pyjamas would be perfect for an huge Elf fan and for those who love Christmas themed pyjamas! I love getting Christmas themed clothing items, whether that is pjs, socks, mugs or jumpers so this would be perfect for any of your friends and family who have a love for Christmas themed presents!

Yankee Candle 3 Small Jar Gift Set - Sale £19.59

Christmas themed Yankee candles smell so good! Especially 'The Perfect Tree' and 'Christmas Magic' candles as they smell exactly like what you'd expect Christmas to smell like. There are so many people who are a fan of Yankee Candle, I know my auntie loves them for around the house and anyone who loves Christmas would love a Christmas scented candle. It will make their house even more festive!

Urban Decay -Afterglow Highlighter Palette - Sale £18.90

So many people love Urban Decay's products so why not treat a friend or family member to their 'Afterglow Highlight Palette' this Christmas! Everyone loves a highlighter palette, it will add to that Christmas sparkle haha!

Huggable Heat-Up Koala Cushion - £16.00

As it is always cold this time of year it is always a great time to get either a hot water bottle or some sort of comforting warm present like this heat-up cushion. There is nothing worse than going to bed and being absolutely freezing, so I'm sure anyone would appreciate this thoughtful present from Urban Outfitters!

Presents £60 or Under

Pink Short Faux Fur Coat - £44.99

If Christmas isn't the perfect time to get someone a coat when is?! I really like this light faux fur coat as you could pair it with most outfit selections whether it is casual or more of a formal attire. I don't know if it is just me but I love receiving coats around winter and December as I have something else to wear in the freezing cold weather! You could get this for your sister, bets friend, favourite cousin or your daughter as a nice winter warmer gift ♡ 

Monstera Leaf Duvet Cover Set - £30.00-£50.00

If you have a friend or relative who you know loves bedroom interior design then this would be great for a Christmas gift idea. This isn't the only design Urban Outfitters do, they also have a celestial one, a swirl design and a few more other sets that are very bright and colourful for any style of bedroom. 

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette, Smokey Eye - £49.00

The fact the palette has everything in one is very convenient as there doesn't need to be a individual make up palette for every face product. If any of your friends and relatives like Charlotte Tilbury then this will be a great gift idea for them! It has all the different face products us make up enthusiasts need and for the price you pay you aren't just getting one thing but seven different options which can be incorporated into any look!

Amazon Kindle eReader, 6", Wi-Fi, Black - £59.95

For all those who are book lovers this would be perfect! Nowadays there are so many books being published and when you are travelling and constantly on the go it can be frustrating carrying around loads of paperback and hardcover books so having a Kindle can be so convenient and easy. The Kindle can store up to hundreds of books, is light weight and can be read in the sun or the dark so if you have friends who love to read on holiday this would be great for them to receive as a gift ♡ 

Which gift ideas would you choose for your friends, relatives or secret Santa? Let me know in the comments below! 

See you tomorrow my lovelies! ❤ 

Amy xx

Would You Rather Christmas Tag

Hey Guys!

I've been scrolling through Twitter trying to get some ideas and inspiration for more Christmas related blog posts when I came across the 'Would You Rather Christmas Tag' so after doing the normal 'Christmas Tag' I thought I would give this a go as well. This year I'm so excited for Christmas, more than I have been for the past few years so I'm trying to share this festive spirit as much as a can! Last night my housemates and I cooked a Christmas dinner for ourselves and then played Game of Thrones Monopoly and for that I was way too excited - to the point that I was jumping up and down in our kitchen waiting for the pigs and blankets and stuffed chicken to come out of the oven! I think having our Christmas in our house this year has made it a lot more special compared to last year when we lived in university accommodation :)

I got the inspiration for this 'Would You Rather' from the lovely Lauren from Bournemouth Girl, after reading her Blogmas post I decided this was one I was going to have to try for my own blog. Go check out her version here.

Lets Go!

Giving presents or receiving presents?

I'd say giving presents. I always love buying presents for other people and finding things that I know they would love, especially for my family members and best friend. When it comes to giving them their presents I love seeing them open it and their reactions, it is the best feeling ❤ 

2. Christmas pudding or trifle?

I don't really like either, they aren't my favourite choices for dessert. But out of the two I'd probably choose Christmas pudding as I don't mind it if it's with custard. On it's own it really doesn't taste that appealing. For our Christmas dessert yesterday my housemates created their own Christmas chocolate brownie mix with marshmallows and oreos, it tasted so good!

3. “Home Alone” or “Christmas Carol”? 

I would say 'Home Alone' as its such a funny Christmas movie! I do like the story of the 'Christmas Carol' but I'd choose 'Home Alone' as I'd prefer something funny. They are both classic Christmas movies though :)

4. Spend Christmas abroad or stay at home? 

I already spend my Christmas abroad with my parents, auntie, uncle and two cousins so I guess I'd choose abroad as that is our new tradition as a family. The holidays we have had away have been so relaxed and fun! We have created so many memories and it is such a nice break for all of us. There are a few things I miss about being home for Christmas but that is because there are a lot of Christmas memories in my family home too. But I would still choose to go abroad, it's special! 

5. One expensive present or several not so expensive presents? 

I do love the little presents I receive, for example this year we did secret Santa at my uni home with a budget of £5 and I received an adorable Santa mug with chocolates and sweets all inside which I loved! I've been wanting a Christmas themed mug for my uni home as I have one at my parents house as well and after hearing me talk about it my secret Santa went and got me one for my present :) It is something small and thoughtful and to me these presents are my favourite ❤  

My Questions

1. 'Last Christmas' By Wham or 'All I Want For Christmas is You' by Mariah Carey?
2. Christmas games or Christmas movies?
3. Pigs in blankets or turkey?
4. Christmas pyjamas or Christmas jumpers? 
5. Mince pies or cheese and crackers? 

Who I Tag

Beth from Steal The Beauty
Emily from Drained Beauty
Rebecca from Rebecca Louise Blogs
Holly from The Chronicles of Holly
Shona from What Shona Says 

After you've finished this tag come up with 5 'Would You Rather' questions of your own and tag 5 other people to continue with the tag ♡ 

See you on Sunday my lovelies!

Amy xx

Top Christmas Movies To Watch This December

Hey Guys!

Now that it's December the countdown to Christmas begins! There is nothing better than watching classic Christmas movies for the build up to the festive occasion. So here are my ten favourite Christmas movies to watch throughout December to get in the festive spirit. Lets go!

Home Alone

If you haven't watched this movie around Christmas or at least seen it on TV where have you been?! This movie is a classic and a favourite amongst most people in the UK! This film has been played every Christmas none stop all of my childhood and even now I still laugh at the same scenes even though I've seen them so many times. It is one of those films that really gets you into the Christmas spirit and will always be an ongoing classic ♡ 

Elf

Elf is a classic Christmas movie! It was always the one movie we would put on at secondary school when we had movie week before breaking up for the Christmas holidays. It's fun, light-hearted and its one of those festive movies that you don't get sick of :) Buddy's character is just so lovable!

The Muppet Christmas Carol

I remember always choosing to watch this film when our teachers gave us the choice of what Christmas movie to put on at the end of term. Compared to the original Christmas Carol movie this version is so much more fun. As a child I always watched loads of Muppet episodes with my grandma and family so I love that this film has them as characters and narrators - it makes it a lot more fun for me!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

This film is so funny! It is such a timeless classic and Jim Carrey is perfect in this film, he brings the character of the Grinch to life and I never stop laughing at this movie. You see all these memes on Facebook and Twitter of scenes from the Grinch movie and these scenes just make the movie the classic it is. But it isn't the typical soppy Christmas movie as it has the silly and hyper Jim Carrey playing The Grinch making it crazy funny and more of a comedy!

The Holiday

I've watched this so many times in the Christmas holidays. My friends and I used to always have snow days in secondary school and this was one of the films we always used to put on when we stayed round each others houses. It is one of those movies that isn't all about Christmas but it builds up to be about the festive occasion! If you haven't seen this movie I highly recommend it as it's such a cute film about two girls who swap houses in Los Angles and Surrey to get away from their current realities and have a break :)

Love Actually

Everyone has got to love this movie! I love that there are lots of different stories going on all in one movie and it jumps from one scenario to another. It makes you laugh, smile, feel sad and overall is a feel good movie for this festive time of year. I love the scenes with Sam and his dad and with having so many different story lines going on throughout the movie it shows us there are different forms of love and this film addresses both the easy going and difficult types of love. It is a great movie for the holidays when you are spending time with your loved ones ❤ 

Nativity 

The Nativity is quite a recent movie compared to some of the others and it was only this year that I watched it. My housemates had all seen it before and raved about it, so last week we popped it on and it is so cute and fun! Doing a film about a school's nativity play is a great concept for a Christmas movie seeing as here in the UK in Infant and Primary school we all had to take part in the nativity play. In my case I was always an angel, donkey or star, unfortunately for me I never got the chance to be Mary. But looking back at it I probably would have forgotten all my lines haha! This film is so relatable to us who always had to be in the Nativity play this time of year, it's a nostalgic feel good movie!

What is your favourite Christmas movie? Let me know in the comments below ❤ 

See you on Thursday my lovelies!

Amy xx 

My Christmas Playlist 2017 // Spotify

Hey Guys!

This month there are so many Christmas songs playing in all the shops, on the radio, in restaurants and cafes to get us all in the festive spirit, so I thought I would share with you guys what songs I'll be adding to my Spotify playlist for this Christmas! This year I'm in a very festive mood so whenever I'm on my way to uni, doing work or just doing things around the house my 'Christmas at Chili's' (our house is nicknamed Chili's after the vine) playlist is on! 💜

1. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

2. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues

3. Mistletoe - Justin Bieber

4. Santa Tell Me - Ariana Grande

5. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Michael Buble

6. Cold December Night - Michael Buble

7. Santa Baby - Kylie Minogue

8. Santa Clause Is Coming To Town - The Jackson 5

9. Last Christmas! - WHAM

10. Sleigh Ride - Carpenters

11. Do They Know It's Christmas? 1984 Version - Band Aid

12. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Dean Martin

13. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley

14. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everday - Wizzard

15. Merry Xmas Everyone - Slade

16. Stay Another Day - East 17

17. Santa Clause Is Coming To Town - Michael Buble 

18. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Michael Buble

19. Santa Baby - Michael Buble

20. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Michael Buble

21. Silent Night - Michael Buble

22. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Michael Buble

23. Frosty The Snowman (feat. The Puppini Sisters) - Michael Buble

24. Winter Things - Ariana Grande

25. Not Just On Christmas - Ariana Grande

26. Last Christmas - Ariana Grande

27. Santa Baby - Ariana Grande 

28. It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams

29. Santa Clause Is Comin' To Town - Bruce Springsteen

30. Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens 

31. Christmas Day - EXO

31. Miracles in December - EXO

32. Driving Home For Christmas - Chris Rea

33. Dear Santa - Girls Generation - TTS

34. All I Want For Christmas Is You - BOM & HI

35. I Do I Do - Secret

36. December - Ariana Grande

37. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause - The Impressions

38. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Frank Sinatra

39. Winter Wonderland - SHINee

40. Baby It's Cold Outside - Michael Buble feat Idina Menzel

Here is the link to my Spotify playlist so you can check it out: Christmas at Chili's 💕

What is your favourite Christmas song that you always play? Let me know in the comments below 💙

See you on Tuesday my lovelies!

Amy xx

The Christmas Tag

Hey Guys!

On Twitter I saw that @onceupunatime_ has done a Christmas tag to get in the Christmas spirit and kick off day one of Blogmas so I became inspired and decided to do the tag as well. I'm so ready for Christmas this year and actually can't wait to spend Christmas with my family, so nothing better than starting December with a Christmas tag 💜 

I also have a new blog post schedule for the month of December. I was going to attempt doing Blogmas this year but I don't have enough content and Christmas themed ideas so I thought I'd upload content every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 6pm instead. 

1. What’s your favourite Christmas Movie?

This is a hard question as I love so many Christmas movies! There is The Grinch, Elf, The Muppet Christmas Carol and The Polar Express, but my favourite is probably Elf as its the perfect jolly Christmas movie that you can put on whenever and no matter how many times you watch it the charm never goes!

2. Where do you usually spend Christmas?

A few years ago I would have spent Christmas at home with my mum and dad having a traditional Christmas dinner and then Boxing Day would have been spent with the rest of my extended family. But for the past three years myself, my mum, dad, uncle, auntie and two cousins have travelled to Lanzarote to spend our Christmas somewhere different, and now that is our new tradition :)

3. What’s the best present you have ever received?

That's a hard question as I've always been so spoilt when it comes to Christmas presents. But the best present I've ever received would have to be when I was younger and my parents would buy me Polly Pocket. They were my favourite toys growing up and my collection could have been a small toys shop. One year they brought me the Polly Pocket Cruise Ship and it was honestly the best present ever! It came with deck chairs and three dolls, it was honestly the best! Especially as I was obsessed with it my entire childhood 💕 

4. Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

We have a fake Christmas tree that we have used since I was young and it's perfect! We have never really gone for a real tree as my mum probably doesn't want to clean up after all the needles when they drop, and we have pets, specifically ones that like to climb trees!

5. What’s your favourite Christmas memory?

I have two favourite Christmas memories, one from my childhood and another from my second Christmas in Lanzarote. 

My favourite childhood memory was when on Christmas Eve my dad and I put out carrots on the lawn for the reindeer, then put our 'STOP! Santa' sign outside the front porch so that Santa would know where to stop to give us our presents. Then we put a little glass of dry sherry and a mince pie on our little coffee table next to the Christmas Tree so that Santa could have a little snack before setting off to the next house. The next day when I woke my parents up (very early of course) I went down stairs and into the living room to find loads of snow on the living room floor and big foot prints leading from the fireplace to the tree, and then loads of presents under the tree. To me that was my favourite memory as a child as it was so magical and I was so excited! The fact my mum and dad went to so much effort to put down fake snow and put down foot prints makes me very grateful for my childhood! 

My favourite Christmas memory in Lanzarote was last year. Unfortunately for my Christmas holiday last year I was recovering from a bad cold/flu and was still pretty sick so even though it was relatively warm in Lanzarote I was freezing and constantly had to be wrapped up in a blanket to keep me warm. But, besides the fact I was feeling pretty poorly I had an amazing time. My favourite part was that every night we would all snuggle up on the sofa and watch loads of films all together. I just loved being cosy in my blanket next to my favourite people watching our favourite films and it made me very grateful for the people I have around me. 

6. What’s your favourite Christmas food?

All of it! But my favourites are the pigs in blankets, roast carrots, stuffing and the gravy! It all just tastes so good and the fact I'm with my family having a great fun filled day makes everything so much better! My dad cooks our Christmas dinner and even though we are in the Canary Islands we are able to get everything; turkey, brussel sprouts, pigs in blankets, the works. 

7. One thing you really want for Christmas?

Because I go away for Christmas that is a big enough present for me, as it is truly a treat being taken away on holiday. But if I was to ask for something that I really wanted it would be an INSTAX mini 9 instant camera, as I love being able to take a photo and have it printed there and then. I've used my friend's Polaroid camera quite a few times here at uni and they are great for silly instant pictures! I really want one so that when I'm on holiday and spending Christmas with my family I can capture memories in the moment. Then with all the printed pictures I can create a scrapbook and a display in my room  💙 

8. Do you have special pyjamas just for Christmas?

Of course! A few years ago when shopping with my mum in Tesco I persuaded her to buy me these Christmas themed pyjamas bottoms with candy canes, holly, and Christmas sayings on and then we picked up some Christmas socks with Santa, Christmas pudding and hollies on :) They are so cute! I might have to invest in some more this year - Primark are doing some really cute sets!

9. What’s your favourite Christmas song?

'Last Christmas' by WHAM! and 'All I Want For Christmas is You' by Mariah Carey, they are some classic Christmas tunes! I love loads of other Christmas songs too but these are the original classics that I always listen to on repeat haha!

10. Do you have any Christmas traditions?

We now have a new tradition where we go to Lanzarote every year for Christmas. So we will fly out a few days before Christmas Day and then spend a week in the sun, sipping cava by the pool. It is a holiday for my family where we can just relax. Our old Christmas tradition has changed since the children have grown up and my grandparents passed away so, we decided to make a new tradition, which is a Christmas holiday abroad :)


Here are the bloggers I tag:
Becky - Becky Lumbard
Lisa - Lisa'a Reality
Lauren - Lauren Catherine
Cat - More About Cat
Lauren Ann - Lauren Ann Beauty
Lily -  Learning Lily 

What is your favourite part of Christmas?

Let me know in the comments below!

See you on Thursday my lovelies!

Amy xx 

My Top 10 Halloween Movies

Hey Guys!

It's Halloween in less than a week and as I was scrolling through my Twitter it appears everyone is really excited for the occasion this year! Like very excited! So I wanted to share with you guys my favourite Halloween themed movies and what I hope to be binge watching next week on my days off from uni! 

#1 The Nightmare Before Christmas

I feel like The Nightmare Before Christmas is such a classic when it comes to Halloween themed movies! At school we would always watch it around the end of term time (In England we have a school holiday around Halloween) and it always used to be on the TV. I hope it will be on this Halloween so my housemates and I can watch it. I love that it involves Christmas as well, gets me all excited haha! 

#2 Halloween (The Original)

I swear this is on every Halloween movie list so you probably won't be surprised to find it on mine, but it is a movie everyone should see! I didn't find it that scary because it was made quite a while ago and since then there are films out that have more jumpy scenes and CGI but it is still a good movie and based on Halloween. They did make more movies after this one but I find this one is better compared to the rest :)

#3 The Addams Family

What a classic! If you haven't seen The Addams Family you have to go see it now! It is one that my mum showed me when I was younger and it is so funny! It isn't scary at all but it is very dark, silly and weird. It is just perfect for Halloween as it is supernatural and weird, and if you need Halloween inspiration you could always dress up as Wednesday Addams or the mother Morticia Addams!

#4 Woman In Black

Considering this was a certified 12 movie I could not cope when I saw this in the cinema! I have never been so scared and for weeks later I refused to sleep without the light on or go into any corridor without the light on. This movie should have been a 15 like the second one! I think it is so scary because of how jumpy the film is, like when she comes out from nowhere and her face is terrifying! I hate how her face is all broken up and she wears all black and a veil. This is not a film for the light-hearted! 

#5 Scream

I remember the first time my mum allowed me to watch Scream and in the end we watched it together. It is honestly one of the best classic horror movies that everyone should see! But I do recommend watching Scream before you see any of the parodies like Scary Movie because I watched Scary Movie before seeing this movie and I could not take it seriously. It was suppose to be a really scary and jumpy film but because I had seen the parody I didn't find it scary!

#6 Corpse Bride

I remember when I first saw this movie and I ordered it on DVD straight away so I could binge watch it for about a week! I love nearly all of Tim Burton's films as they are just so out there and bizarre! Which is one of the reasons I love this film. It is so creepy and bizarre for a children's movie but it is also fun and even at 19 now I can't resist watching it!

 #7 Twitches

These twins were so fun and silly in the Twitches movies! I remember being a kid watching Disney channel and getting to watch this movie every Halloween. I remember one Halloween my mum even tape recorded the movie so I could watch it whenever I wanted! I always wished I had the powers they wanted and the ability to draw, as a kid at Halloween I would pretend I was them haha! 

 #8 Return To Halloween Town

If you had Disney channel as a kid you were in for a treat. At Halloween both Twitches and The Return to Halloween Town would come on and they were so good! They still are! They are classic childhood Halloween movies when you weren't allowed to actually watch horror movies (even though me and my friends still watched horror movies without our parents knowing). They were so silly and fun ♡ 

#9 The Conjuring 2

The Conjuring 2 is so much more creepy and jumpy than the first one! Don't get me wrong the first one is really creepy and scary too but this one just had an edge. The Demon Nun was absolutely terrifying to the point where I couldn't watch the film again for a long time just so I could get a good night sleep. It's the perfect film for Halloween as it involves a demon and its supposedly a true story that actual took place here in London, England. 

#10 Insidious 2

I chose the second movie out of the trio because this is the one that scared me and my housemates the most. We decided to watch the trilogy last year and I find the other two are just creepy, they don't actually scare me that must, whereas the second film actually made me scared to sleep that night! Compared to the first one it is way more creepy and much more jumpy!

What is your favourite Halloween movie to watch?

Let me know in the comments below!

See you on Sunday my lovelies! ♡ 

Amy xx