One of my favourite things to do to get in the holiday mood is to watch Christmas films! If you celebrate Christmas, I have some suggestions lined up for you that you need to watch! I hadn't seen a lot of Christmas films before because I have kind of had my favourites since I was a kid, then I would just watch those every year without seeing any new ones. This year, because we've been in lockdown, I have made it my mission to watch more Christmas films that I haven't seen. If you're like me and watch the same ones every year, then why not try watching some of my suggestions?
1. The Grinch
I think the Grinch is probably my favourite Christmas film. I really loved the new Dr Seuss animated Grinch that came out a few years ago. It's just really visually pleasing with the colours and all the Christmas decorations. The animated version is available to watch on Netflix.
2. Home Alone 1 & 2
I love Home Alone 1 & 2 so much! I know there are other but they really don't appeal to me as much without the original cast. Even if you don't like Christmas these are still enjoyable because it just shows the struggles of little Kevin when he gets left behind by his family at Christmas in a comedic way. Both films are on Disney+.
3. Santa Claus 1, 2 & 3
All 3 of The Santa Claus films are classics. I really like watching any of these in the lead up to Christmas just because they are all about Santa Claus and getting the toys to children - it's just cute all round. These are also on Disney+.
4. Miracle on 34th Street
Can you believe I only watched this film recently? This is my mum's favourite and she always tells me to watch it but I haven't until a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed it and it's definitely in my top favourites now.
5. Love Actually
I am just going to make the assumption that 99% of you have already seen Love Actually if you're from the UK? However, you never know. If you haven't, you must! It basically has every British famous person ever in it and it's just a film all British people seem to watch at Christmas time.
6. Christmas with the Kranks
Again, this film was new to me this year. It's not the most amazing Christmas film I've seen but I did enjoy watching it.
7. A Christmas Carol
There are so many versions of this film and all of the ones I've seen seem to be pretty good. The Muppet's Christmas Carol and Mickey's Christmas Carol on Disney+ are cute to watch too!
8. Elf
I've seen so many people on social media watching Elf this year, I have only watched it a few times but it's such a classic for so many people. I'm not usually a fan of Will Ferrell films but I don't mind this one because it's Christmas.
9. The Holiday
The Holiday is another one I had only watched recently. It's definitely a Sunday afternoon Christmas chick flick.
10. Nativity
I think I had only seen bits of Nativity when it had been on TV but this year I watched it all the way through and I really enjoyed it. I need to watch 2 and 3 now to see if they're any good.
What are your favourite Christmas films? Are there any not on here that I need to watch?
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
Looking for more Christmas content? Check out my Christmas activity ideas post, featuring some of your favourite bloggers.
Wool of the King
Christmas Activity Ideas to do at Home
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
When I'm not living in Bournemouth for university, I live in Wiltshire, UK. I will always say that there is nothing to do in Wiltshire, so this list as well as for my readers, is for me, to remind me of what there is to do when I'm at home. If you live in Wiltshire or want to visit after the lockdown, then here are some ideas of what to do while you're there.
Things to do in Wiltshire
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
*This post contains PR samples for review and affiliate links meaning I may earn a small commission when you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own and I would never recommend any products that I don't deem of benefit to my audience. For more information, please see my disclaimer.
I am so excited to be sharing my first proper Christmas gift guide post. A couple of years ago I wrote a post on buying gender neutral Christmas gifts, but it was mainly just ideas and not really a full comprehensive list. After the year we've had with the pandemic, it is increasingly important to support small businesses. Therefore, I will be sharing some of my favourite small businesses which I think sell products that would make great Christmas gifts.
Lifestyle
Alisha from Inside the Voyage blog has started selling the most amazing smelling wax melts. They are such good value for money and I can't recommend these enough! Perfect for a relaxing, self-care evening.
Paulina has very recently started Needle & Stitch. She is making really cute felt keyrings at the moment that would make great stocking fillers!
Melissa sells homemade crafts on her Etsy page. These include conker wreaths and really pretty candle jars.
Over on Asia's Instagram page, she sells dupes of designer perfumes and aftershaves such as Dior Sauvage that smell exactly like the real thing for such a good price. I have tried the 449 which is a dupe of Jimmy Choo Fever and it smells the same. I would definitely recommend these as Christmas gifts.
Katy has an Etsy shop where she sells prints of locations and cities that she designs herself. Some of the locations include Amsterdam, Lincoln and Venice. I just really love the prints she creates and they would look great on someone's wall. They are well priced for the quality.
Lauren from the Artist's Lab sells embroidery kits for beginners. This would be a great gift for someone creative. It would also be a good present to get someone in case of another lockdown or self-isolation. It's something to do while at home and could be a great way to unwind and get away from a screen for a while.
Earrings
Jess sells really cool statement earrings over on her Etsy. I have been loving statement earrings from small businesses at the moment, they are all just so unique.
Kate makes the most beautiful resin earrings with pressed flowers. These would make great gifts for people who love earrings like this.
I haven't seen any earrings like the one Alice makes before. They are so unique and look so cool! Again, they are statement earrings so would be great for people who wear earrings. Alice has made a Christmas gift box containing 4 pairs of polyclay earrings for the value of £17, saving you £7! You can add an optional personal message with this gift box and the packaging is 100% recyclable.
Use the code GIFTGUIDE20 for 20% off when buying any product from Alice Lizzy.
Stationary
Amanthis is a black-owned small stationary shop with a great range of helpful products. My go-to product from Amanthis is the Master Mindset Diary. I couldn't live without it at uni. For more information, read my review of the Master Mindset Diary by Amanthis.
Robin and Thorn is a small lifestyle shop. They have all sorts of products including stationary. I use their list pads for my to-do lists and I find it really helpful.
Gifts for bloggers
Jordanne Lee Creative on Gumroad
Jordanne from Of a Glasgow Girl has some really helpful products on her Gumroad including Instagram highlight covers and blogging planners.
Use code LAUREN20 for 20% off your order.
Again, Jenny has some really helpful products on her Gumroad. Her products are particularly helpful for blogging beginners.
Stocking fillers
Carfume is a luxury car scent business. These would make great stocking fillers for drivers as we all love to have nice smelling cars.
Children's gifts
What are some of your favourite small businesses to shop from?
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
Related Read: Christmas Activities to do at Home
Wool of the King
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the introduction of a lot of travel restrictions, I have been much more appreciative of seeing different parts of the UK. In summer, I spent 48 hours in Lincoln and 48 hours in Hastings.
Before the second lockdown, I was able to get away to Suffolk and stay in a lovely house there with my friend Maddie. It was a really old, beautiful house in the middle of the countryside. The house was a short drive away from some pretty beaches and seaside towns so we were able to explore them.
Day 1
On the first day, we wandered round a town called Aldeburgh and walked along the beach. There were quite a few independent shops there and lots of really cute dogs! We had an ice cream there and then went back to the house. I did some uni work in the house too - the grind never stops in third year.
After going back to the house, we decided to go out for dinner. We went to this Italian / pub called The Angel which I thought was a little strange but the food was delicious. I tried scallops for the first time in my seafood linguine.
Day 2
Similar to day 1, we walked around another little town and beach in Southwold. Again, they had lots of little shops and really cute dogs! Not far from Southwold, we went to this hidden away fish and chip shop called Sole Bay Fish Company. I might even go as far as to say it was the best chippy I've been to. You could get alcoholic drinks there, and you could sit in too. They didn't just have your classic cod, chips and mushy peas. They also had muscles, lobster, crab, you name it. I had muscles and chips and they were amazing!
After that, we went back to the house and played some board games and had an amazing cheese board. I have to shout out to Maddie for this, she really put on an amazing spread!
Day 3
I think Day 3 was my favourite day. We took a trip up to the Norfolk Broads and went on a boat around the broads. I really love going on boat trips, we went on one in Amsterdam around the canals too and that was really fun. It's probably just a novelty for me because it's something I only do when I go away.
There were some amazing holiday homes on the Broads, it was just so relaxing and fun on the boat. It did get really cold really quickly though.
Where is your favourite place to visit in the UK?
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
Related Read: 5 Things to do in Wiltshire UK
Wool of the King
Since I have been studying in Bournemouth for the last couple of years, I've visited a lot of nice places in Dorset. We are lucky here to be surrounded by lots of beautiful places, and to be right by the sea. I've put together a list of all of my favourite places in Dorset that I have visited so far. There's still some places I haven't been to and things I haven't done, so I'm going to be making a bucket list for my final year of university. I may post it on my blog and tick it off as the year goes by so keep a look out for that.
Places you need to visit in Dorset after lockdown
Bournemouth Beach
Obviously, I have to put Bournemouth Beach as the first destination on the list as I live in Bournemouth. It's one of my favourite places to go in the country. It's such a lovely beach to visit all year round, that's why it's so popular. There's also lots of things to do nearby like the Oceanarium and the arcade.
Sandbanks
Only 3 miles from Bournemouth Beach, Sandbanks is one of the most expensive places to live in the UK. Sometimes, I like to go there just to drive past the huge houses there. It's half beach, half harbour at sandbanks and it's just an all round nice area.
Hengistbury Head
Still on the beach, Hengistbury head is a great place to go for a walk and you will usually see lots of cute dogs. It's basically just a big hill on the beach and once you get to the top, you can see amazing views of the sea and you can see all the way to Christchurch and Mudeford too.
Poole Harbour
I really love going to Poole harbour and pretending I'm rich and deciding what boat I'd have if I was. Maybe one day, I can dream! They usually run cool boat trips from Poole harbour too, with some going to Swanage and Brownsea Island. I would check that though because of Covid.
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle had been on my list of places to visit for a while and it's such a lovely village. The actual castle is really high up so has great views of the rest of the village.
Swanage
Swanage is just your typical seaside town which I love. There are lots of little independent shops there and it's just a really pretty place. The arcade there is really fun too!
Sculpture by the Lakes
Earlier this year I was lucky enough to visit Sculpture by the Lakes near Dorchester on a PR trip. It's such a tranquil place and a really great day out. Read all about my trip to Sculpture by the Lakes.
Tyneham Abandoned Village
Tyneham is a village that was abandoned during World War II and no one ever returned. It's an interesting visit but is a very little place so it doesn't take very long to look around. I believe it is only open to the public for visiting on Saturdays but it's really interesting to see.
Durdle Door
Durdle door is one of the most beautiful places in the whole of England in my opinion. I don't feel like I need to explain this one - the picture says it all.
Do you live near any nice places to visit? Until the lockdown is over, stay safe x
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
Related Read: 48 Hours in Hastings
Wool of the King
*This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through this link, I will receive a small commission that is no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclaimer.
I recently asked on my Instagram for questions that could form a Q&A blog post and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of questions I received.
I was asked all sorts of questions about blogging and just about life in general, so without further a do I will start answering them!
Get to know me!
1. How did you get into blogging?
I started my blog in 2016 while I was in college. Back then, it was just a way of me writing my thoughts and I didn't know how long I'd actually stick to writing. It wasn't until this year that I've started keeping up with regular posting and this year has been my best year stats and opportunities for things like reviews and press events.
2. What are your tips for coping mentally at uni?
This is a hard one because university can be really draining sometimes. My advice would just be to force yourself to stay motivated and on top of everything. A lot of the time I won't feel motivated, but as soon as I get the tiniest bit of motivation to do work, I will force myself to try and do as much work as possible, just to make the most out of feeling motivated.
It can be so hard to balance everything so I would recommend keeping a diary and staying really organised. If you feel like you have your life together, you will feel better about university. And if you don't, then it's a fake it til you make it kind of situation. Read my tips on how to stay organised at university for more information.
3. What is your favourite trip away that you have been on?
Definitely either my trip to Sorrento, my trip to Amsterdam, or the Christmas markets in Germany. I find it so hard to pick a favourite because then were all so different. I hope to go on many more trips away but then it would make it even harder to pick a favourite!
4. What's the best food you've had abroad?
I have had some really good food abroad but I'd have to say the pizza in Sorrento was the best. You just can't beat Italian pizza!
5. Who is your favourite blogger?
Again, so hard to pick a favourite but I can give you my top 5 in no particular order:
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
This is my first ever tag blog post so I was super excited to try it out! Thank you to Laureny Loves, Liz Loves and Nic's Adventures for the tag. You can see their posts here:
Laureny Loves - The Hallotober Tag
Liz Loves - The Hallotober Tag
Nic's Adventures - The Hallotober Tag
The Rules
- Thank the person who tagged you and link to their post
- Put the rules at the beginning or after introduction
- Answer the 13 questions
- Tag 13 people to do the tag
- Delete Question 13, add a new number one question of your own
- You are free to use the tag image somewhere in the post
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
Cheese is one of my favourite things ever and I would literally have a cheese night every night if I could. But as I want my jeans to still fit me, I will have a cheese night every so often as a treat. Because it's one of my favourite things to do, I will share with you my favourite cheeses to have on a cheese board. I will admit, I am not a huge wine connoisseur but I will work on it.
Disclaimer: I am not working with the companies mentioned, I just really love their products.
High end soft cheeses to include on your board
Brillat Savarin - I only discovered this cheese last year. We had it at Maul's cheese and wine bar in Salisbury and bought one from there as it was so amazing. It was pretty expensive, it was a wheel smaller than a camembert but I think it was around £8. However, if you love brie-like cheeses it is definitely worth it as a treat. It's similar to a brie, but instead of being made with milk it's made with full fat cream, so you will only need to eat a little bit at a time anyway. It tastes amazing with honey!
Tunworth - Tunworth is basically the British version of a camembert. We had it cold and it seemed to me creamier and a little softer than a camembert so I'm not sure how it would work if you wanted to melt it. However, I believe this is £8 again in Waitrose so I'd recommend using a camembert to melt as it's a lot cheaper and you don't want to ruin this cheese. Again, great for a treat if you want a high end cheese and tastes amazing if you like brie and camembert.
Lyburn Garlic and Nettle - A flavoured cheese is a must for a cheese board and this one tastes amazing. You can buy this one from Lyburn Farm in the New Forest, so it is pretty local for me. Definitely use your favourite flavoured cheese on your board, they have some in supermarkets, I've had the chive one from Tesco before which is nice.
Budget friendly soft cheeses to include
Brie - Obviously! My favourite is the round Castello brie that they have in Tesco for about £2 but I do love any brie, use your favourite.
Camembert - I feel like a melted camembert is a centrepiece and if you are having a cheese board with lots of other cheeses you might not need it. It's good to have as the main even though, with a couple other bits to go with.
Port Salut - This is good for anyone who doesn't really like strong cheeses, it kind of reminds me of a babybel. This is around £2 I believe, depending on which supermarket you go to.
Smoked Mozzarella - You should definitely choose a smoked cheese to go on your board and this is definitely a good one. It's quite mild so will be good for anyone who doesn't like their cheese too strong.
Boursin - amazing soft garlic cheese to put on bread or biscuits. Always a staple for me!
High end hard cheeses to include
Kirkham's Lancashire - This is a bit like a cheddar but obviously it's made in Lancashire. You can get this from The Fine Cheese Co for £5.80. It's a little more tangy and earthy than a cheddar so it's good if you like cheddar but want to try something with a more unique taste.
Stoney Cross - This is from Lyburn Farm again. It's a little softer than a cheddar and tastes a little more earthy and tangy. Definitely a good one to try if you want to support a local New Forest farm shop.
Budget friendly hard cheeses to include
Cheddar - Everyone's favourite, every cheese board needs a cheddar and you can get lots of different kinds so it's whatever suits you. I do like a classic cathedral city but a lot of local cheese companies will have some form of cheddar if you wanted to support a local supplier.
Red Leicester - I have to admit, I always forget about Red Leicester cheese, but it tastes amazing and is good if you like mild cheese again.
Stilton - You either love it or hate it but every cheese board needs a blue cheese. I haven't really found the right blue cheese for me yet and I don't really like stilton too much, but it's just the easiest option for a budget blue cheese. Replace this with your favourite blue cheese if it's another. I am still on the hunt to find a blue cheese that I like the taste of.
Manchego - I only tried this for the first time recently and really enjoyed it even though it is quite hard an crumbly and I'm more of a soft cheese girl. It's a bit like parmesan but not as strong and you can eat it on it's own easily. I find parmesan too much to eat by itself but I love it on top of pasta!
Pair your cheeses with your favourite wine and charcuterie. I mainly drink prosecco or rose wine but there are lots of reds that go really well with cheese. I like to put different breads, biscuits and meat with my cheese, so just pick your favourite. The best thing about doing your own cheese board is that you can make it personal to you with all of your favourite things on there.
What's your favourite cheese? Let me know in the comments.
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
Related Read: 5 Cocktails to Try at Home
Wool of the King
Since I have finished my internship in August, I have had some time to myself over the summer. In that time, I spent 48 hours in Lincoln, and I have also recently been to Hastings in East Sussex.
My boyfriend, Joe, is from Hastings when we aren't at uni together so I go there to visit him from time to time when he's at home and I really like it there.
It's right on the sea and Joe's house is walking distance to everything so I got a lot of steps in. When I drive into Hastings I get to drive along the sea front which is so pretty and it always seems to be nice weather when I go there.
When I arrived in Hastings, we did our usual walk around by the beach and through the town. We have a little tradition of going to this little local seafood shop by the beach and getting some food so we did that on the first day and sat on the beach for a little while.
I also love to get an ice cream when I'm near the sea so we did that too, after eating our seafood. Hastings has so many local seafood restaurants and fish and chip shops, you really can taste the difference in freshness with it being a seaside town.
In the evening, we went for a few drinks but didn't stay out too late.
The next day, we went to the seafront again and played some minigolf. Joe won, I am still yet to beat him but it's going to happen one day!
After spending the day out again, we went to a seafood restaurant in the old town called Whites. The old town in Hastings, is more individual restaurants, shops and pubs as opposed to the new town with things like Primark and Pizza Express. I really like that they have both options.
We had a huge seafood platter which is unlike me because I'm really fussy with food. I just wanted to try it because we were right by the sea and I thought I'd like most of it. All of it was so nice apart from oysters, I don't think I'll eat one of them again in a hurry.
After we ate so much food, we went for a few drinks on the pier. Hastings pier is quite big and since the social distancing rules have come into place, they put a DJ set on the pier with a bar and tables for drinks. I have never had drinks on a pier before so it was something new for me.
Just before leaving on my last day there, we went on a dog walk at a really pretty country park called Fairlight, it had such amazing views to the sea.
I quite like writing about places that I visit in the UK, so I will definitely be doing more 48 hour style blog posts whenever I go anywhere now.
Where's your favourite place to visit for a weekend away?
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
Related Read: 3 Days in Suffolk
Wool of the King
*AD - PR sample. I have received this product for review but all opinions are my own. For more information, see my disclaimer.
I recently received the Master Mindset Diary starter kit from Amanthis. Amanthis is a small stationary business that aims to create affordable stationary.
The diary runs from August 2020 until August 2021, so it's perfect for studying. When I first flicked through the diary, I noticed that each month has a calendar view of the month for you to write things in if you just wanted to see what you had on in the month. There are also weekly pages for planning your availability week by week.
Each page has a positive quote on the top, which I really love and before each month there is a quote to keep you going. My favourite thing about the Master Mindset Diary, is that it isn't just a space where you can plan your time, it also has positive affirmations, space to write goals, productivity levels, moods and achievements.
I'm going to be using my Master Mindset Diary for university, blogging and just life in general because it has already started helping me to plan for the new academic year.
In the starter kit, I also got some Goal Getter pencils, a couple of pens, a list pad and a finance tracker. I will definitely be using the finance tracker while at university this year.
I do really like a diary and most of the time, I prefer a January - January one but this mid year diary is going to help me so much in my final year of uni.
Do you like using diaries to keep organised?
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
Related Read: 5 Steps to Becoming More Organised at University
Wool of the King
Social Icons