Friday, 16 December 2016

BLOGMAS Day 15 and 16: My favourite Yankee Candles.

I adore candles, and in particular I am a sucker for Yankee. I have so many candles, boxes and boxes but I always go back to the same candles time and time again.
The first Yankee candle I brought was garden sweet pea. I found it in a clearance bin in my local garden center, I was so excited haha. A lovely floral smell, perfect for spring.
I discovered the candy corn candle by accident. I was watching Youtube candles hauls (because I have an exciting life) and saw this, didn't think much of it. Saw it in the Yankee candle shop and fell in love with the smell. I brought a ton of the sample size ones. Ideal for autumn and of course Halloween.
I'm not sure where I found this one, but sadly you can't buy it on the shop online. But the candy cane forest sent is exactly what it says on the tin. OMG! It smells good enough to eat. I've had it lit pretty much constantly since December 1st. 
And finally, my personal favourite and go to sent is soft blanket. It is so fresh and perfect. It also smells like clean washing. I have brought several of the big jars this year so far. You need this candle in your lives. It actually calms me. 

Highly recommend all of these candles. The big jars are worth the money. I always have candles burning. Feels more homely. 

Love yah 
IsThataRedHerring 

BLOGMAS Days 13 and 14: Not very exciting facts about me...

Okay so I have been slacking on the blog posts lately, So the next couple are going to be joint days. Sorry. No excuses just how things have happened. So have some not very exciting things about me! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS
  1. My favourite book is Where Rainbows End by Cecilia Ahern also known as Love Rosie.
  2. I am slightly addicted to The Sims 4, not playing the game, more building the houses and killing my sims in weird ways.... you all do it! 
  3. I love to cook and bake. Love finding new recipes. 
  4. Marvel over DC any day. X-men in particular 
  5. The Phoenix is my favourite mutant ever! (seriously she can control all matter!!!)
  6. I am slightly addicted to candles. I can't resist buying them. 
  7. I rewatch comedy shows all the time, and still laugh at them even though I know the jokes. Yeah I'm that person. 
  8. My music taste is something to be desired. I love anything cheesey! Give me anything from the 80's and 90's. Who doesn't love ABBA? But I also love Punk and soft rock. I just like to sing badly to songs. 
  9. I don't like cheese okay. I'm sorry but its horrid. It makes me sick and smells horrid. Say no to cheese. 
  10. I'm single! Like really single HA.
  11. I'm still learning to drive. I can drive, just haven't done my driving test. 
  12. I know most of the words to the album Curtain Call by Eminem. Also 8 mile is one of my favourite films.
  13. I am really untidy. Not dirty just really untidy. 
  14. Cider is a glorious drink... I cannot drink vodka it never ends well for me. 
So, yeah sorry haha. 14 random facts about me, as this is day 13 and 14... 

Love yah 
IsThataRedHerring 

Monday, 12 December 2016

BLOGMAS Day 12: My favourite books and why!

I have done it! That's right.. my top 5 books EVER! In no particular order at all...

The Martian by Andy Weir
FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell 
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion 
Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon 


But why these books in particular? Each of these books mean something different to me. I read them all at different times in my life. I have reread Where Rainbows End aka Love, Rosie dozens of times. I adore it, simply adore it. It was one of the first 'bigger books' I have ever read. It's set out in such a way that I had not read before. It is constructed via emails, letters and texts. It's great. We jump from conversation to conversation and follows two best friends of the same age but at very different stages in their lives. Based in Ireland, one best friend moves away to America and the other remains in Ireland. It's a lovely book and a very easy read, and for me the ending is perfect. It has been made into a film, called Love, Rosie, and honestly I love the film as much as the book. I was hesitant at first with the film, and I didn't actually watch it until about 6 months after it was out, however I can hand on heart say I loved it. I have watched it over and over again. Although some parts are different, I feel like it works for the film. Highly recommend both film and book... let's face it I am going to highly recommend all of these books haha. 

Time to move onto my most recent read which is The Martian by Andy Weir,  I watched the film before I read the book which sometimes is a mistake, but I think for me it helped, because some of th stuff is technical in this book! But OMG this book is amazing, and really well written, And as for the film they are basically the same. I loved every word of this book, and it hit me right in the feels. I felt like I was with him, stranded. Such a good book. I haven't read anything like this before and I am really glad I did.

Everything, Everything was a really, really quick read for me, and it was great. It follows a girl who is allergic to everything and hasn't been outside her house ever. She has a full time carer for when her mum is at work. She is talented and is home schooled. Everything is fine and she doesn't miss the outside world until a new family moves in next door and she befriends the son. She begins questioning everything her mum has told her... is she really allergic to everything? Read the book to find out. I love quick easy YA novels like this. I love these types of books for the summer. Got to love a romance novel.

Thank gawd for Rainbow Rowell for bringing me this book FanGirl,  I adore this book, it follows a set of twins who could not be any different on their journey to college. Cath an introvert who loses herself to fanfiction and her sister Wren who wants to experience college and all it has to offer. Cath wants everything to stay the same between her ans her sister but Wren wants some distance. It follows the journey of these two girls, does Cath get out her comfort zone and does Wren push things to far? Cath writes fanfiction of her favourite film/book series which is very poplar, but how will it all end? This book has everything for me, adventure and romance, a really cute read that I want more of.


And finally The Rosie Project, this book follows a young man who is ready to find a wife, Don is a scientist through and through and sits somewhere on the Asperger scale and takes everything literally. His brain is very much wired in a way that everything can become an experiment including his love life. Don creates a questionnaire, and when on dates uses the questionnaire to determine if the women in question is a suitable candidate. In comes Rosie, she ticks non of the boxes but yet Don is drawn towards her. She is the opposite of what Don wants, and seeks to change Rosie in every way. But does he succeed or does Rosie change him? There is a sequel to The Rosie Project called the Rosie Effect, and I didn't feel that, that book lived up to the first one, it painted both Don and Rosie in very bad ways, and took me quite some time to finish.

Well those are just some of my favourite books, I could add loads more to the list, but for now I am happy with those. If you have any suggestions for me, please comment them below as I love reading.

Love yah
IsThataRedHerring 

Sunday, 11 December 2016

BLOGMAS Day 11: My favourite Christmas Films.

It wouldn't be Blogmas without a list of my favourite Christmas films. So here goes: 

Love Actually 
Myself and my mum every year without fail, sit down in our pjs, with a hot chocolate and some snacks and watch Love Actually. For me this film has everything, it brings together so many cute and adorable stories that everyone can relate to at some point. And let's face it, the acting is great, it has a crappy Christmas song and plenty of fun. A must see, 

A muppets Christmas Carol 

This film is rather sentimental to me, I remember watching it with my Gran, my brother and my cousins many, many Christmas’s ago. It’s a great family favourite that tells the tell of a Christmas Carol but with the muppets. What more do you want?  




Grinch 

Jim Carrey as the Grinch is everything! I can relate to the Grinch on so many levels. If you haven’t seen it where the hell have you been? The scene when he is trying to decide what to wear is spot on! ‘Right that’s it I’m not going’… or when he is looking through the phone book ‘hate, hate, double hate, totally loathe’ Actually tears! And his hatred for see people. But in the end he realised the true meaning of Christmas… Bye, bye Santa. 


Others include Elf, National Lapoons Christmas Vacation and of course Deck the Halls. I love a good Christmas film, who doesn't. Right I'm off to watch the Grinch. 
Merry Christmas

Love yah 
IsThataRedHerring 

BLOGMAS Day 10: Lazy Sunday.

IT'S SUNDAY!!! And I have the day off, yey. I did a night shift last night, got home around 9am and slept until 1230 ish. Rudely woken by my brother... we went to get some bits from the shop, more Christmas shopping and instead we brought food, alcohol, chocolate and new films... only went and got Finding Dory. Promptly watched it straight away. LOVED EVERY SECOND. I'm now curled up n the sofa, in a blanket preparing some new blog posts. One to go up tonight as I once again missed last night :(. It is hard to post a blog post on time when you are at work. But I am hoping to be more prepared in this week and schedule posts going up.

Fire is lit, Christmas tree on, I have a cider and I'm making a curry. A lovely Sunday evening awaits.

Love yah
IsThataRedHerring.

Friday, 9 December 2016

BLOGMAS Day 9: Reapplying for university

I thought it was about time I reapplied for university. I am lucky enough to hold a BA Hons degree in Educational Studies from Plymouth university. And after taking nearly 2 years out of education and thinking long and hard about what I want to do for the rest of my life I have finally chosen what to do. I am currently trying to write my personal statement. I don't think I am the only one who struggles to write about themselves without feeling like a vain twat! I have written half a page so far and I am cringing at every second of it.

Anyway, you may be wondering what I am applying for, well I am putting in my application for a PGCE in primary school teaching ages 5-11. I was umming and arring for so long if to do it. I was debating for a while if to do midwifery or nursing but I decided that teaching was the way forward. I am hoping to get my QTS and within 2/3 years be able to teach abroad. I really want to travel and teach. Or even move to another country to teach. But that is a few years off and I really need to get this application form done first. Haha.

I am hoping to stay close to home this time round. As it will be cheaper in the long run. My top choices are; Reading, Winchester and Southampton. Oxford Brookes was also on the list, but I can only choose 3 and Winchester won its place in the top 3. Its so pretty. All of these universities have great reviews from students. I have done a lot of research into what university to go to, and it has taken me over a year to narrow down my choices. And I am pretty happy with them.

I just need to finish my personal statement, get my references and I can then send off my application. So, fingers crossed I get through to the interview stage and get offered places. I will keep you all up to date.

Love yah
IsThataRedHerring

BLOGMAS Day 8: I was so tired.

As you may have noticed I did not post yesterday :( and my only excuse is that I was very over tired. I couldn't even watch TV! I was that tired. I had finished a night shift, got in at 915 ish, showered and wound down like I would normally. Thinking that I had all day to sleep. Only for a reminder on my phone to go off... I had a driving lesson at 3 pm. Not my smartest move really but I couldn't cancel as I hadn't had one in a while and I need to get back into driving.. anyway it's now 1030 and I just get into bed. I set an alarm for 2 pm as I need a good hour to fully wake up and not be dangerous for driving. I had about 3 hours sleep. Now bare in mind I got up at 1 pm the previous day, done a 13 hour night shift and now running on 3 hours sleep. I did pretty well (didn't crash or stall on my driving lesson and bossed a reverse bay park, thank you very much). Anyway that's my excuse out of the way. And honestly I have no idea what to do with this post. So, its going to be picture of my dogs doing  being stupid.



Enjoy and sorry for a crap blog... My next one being posted also tonight will be better. I promise.


Love yah
IsThataRedHerring