Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:
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Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Monday, May 15, 2017
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Quick Life Update & Apology for Being Inconsistant!
Hey guys! I say this a lot both here and on Twitter, especially in the last couple of months, but I am really sorry that I've been so inconsistent with both blog posts and videos! I just wanted to pop up what I hope will be a quick blog post to explain a little bit about what's been going on in my life, and why I haven't been as around as usual.
My family (who I live with) found out at the end of February that we had to move out of our house as soon as possible. As you might imagine, packing stuff up—and moving things, as soon as we got a new house—became a priority over my blog and channel, since this is a hobby for me rather than a job, though I'd love for it to be both! So there's been that. I have, clearly, got several posts and videos up since then, but they have been fairly sporadic. I've been better about filming, but for the most part I have found it hard to find time to edit and upload, or to sit down and write...
As of last Sunday—April 30th—we're fully and completely moved into our new house, so I no longer have that as a reason to be a shitty blogger. However, in a bittersweet turn of events, I now have a job! It's great, because I've had a hard time finding one the last little while, and it'll be great to have financial independence back again. Also, because I'm actually working for a brand and company that I really love, and as of my first three shifts, I'm not hating the job. For those wondering, I was hired as a barista at Starbucks; maybe that isn't great or glamorous or anything, and maybe it is following the stereotype of English Majors getting jobs at cafes, but I'm liking it so far, so I'm not too bothered. The downside to a new job, of course, is that it means I have a lot less free time. It has completely thrown my filming/editing/uploading schedule into question, but as I'm part time at least to start, I'm going to do my best to find time to get back into my three-posts-a-week schedule: Two videos on Mondays and Fridays, and one blog post on Wednesdays.
I can't promise it will work out, but I'm gonna give it a couple of weeks, see how my work schedule goes, and then adjust if necessary. But yes! I just wanted to explain why I have been so sporadic with my "schedule" recently, and let you know I really hope to get back on track. I still love blogging and YouTube, but I'm all about having a routine that works and it feels like it's been a while since I had a comfortable routine that fit writing, filming, and editing. I'm working on it, and thanks so much for anyone who has stuck with me here and/or on my channel, twitter, or instagram. I hope to be better with my social media in the near future as well, but it's all about balance and not burning out!
Thanks for reading that blob of pure text, if you did! Don't forget to check back again tomorrow morning (or whenever you do stuff like that) for a brand new video. And let me know in the comments if there are any posts: blog or video, that you'd like to see in the near future!
Monday, April 3, 2017
27 Things I've Learned in 27 Years
Hey guys, long time no talk! Sorry about my absence here and on my blog the last couple of weeks. I've been working on moving, and my whole family just has so much stuff, so there's been a lot to go through and either toss, donate, or pack and move to the new house. We still aren't quite done, but this video was really supposed to go up on my birthday on the 27th and I didn't want it to be any later, so here it is!
I did borrow this idea from Hannah Hart and Charlie McDonnell, though my research shows me that this seems to be a video that loooots of people post, so I don't feel too bad borrowing. If you enjoy this, do let me know, and I can make a note to do another one next year with another 28 facts (for my 28th birthday!)
Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:
Thanks for watching!
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Non-Beauty Faves || My 6 Favourite Non-PC Games
Hey guys, got another fun, off-topic post for you today! A couple months ago, I did a post about my 5 Favourite PC Games, and while that really just about covers all my favourite games, there are a few games I love that are off PC, whether they be on Nintendo DS, Mobile, or card and board games, so I thought I would talk about some of those games in their own post today!
Nintendo 3DS
I'm not sure I can accurately or effectively describe what I love so much about this game to a non-gamer, but it is by far one of my favourite games of all time! It's a strategy game with anime/manga-esque character designs, a pretty good story, lots of character building, and you get to make a lot of your own choices as to which characters you use and develop. You can—and should, since it helps characters fight better—build relationships between the characters, many of which lead to you meeting different character's future children in later maps, and the characters you pair together affect what abilities those kid will have.
There's a good balance between complexity and simplicity in this game, with the complex relationship structure and choices you can make, but the base game is very simple, and is based around a triangle very similar to rock-paper-scissors... but instead it's lances-swords-axes, which, once you get used to it, helps you plan out which players will be better against different fighting styles of their own level. It's like anime chess, with a rock-paper-scissors component, and a small dosage of match-making. I love it, and I think you should try it. Or at least try out Fire Emblem Heroes, which I'll touch on in a second.
Mobile / Android
So I just rambled on for ages about Fire Emblem above, but if you love FE, or if you've never played it, this free mobile game is a great way to try it for the first time, or just always have FE in your pocket! I also talked about this game in my Winter '16-'17 video, if you're interested, but basically, it's a small, more basic, chibi (read: adorable) version of Fire Emblem featuring tons of heroes from all (or most?) of the Fire Emblem games put out in the past, including Awakening (my love). It's free, and though there is the option for real-money purchases, they are so unnecessary I've been playing since the game launched and never once had to consider paying anything, so don't worry about it, and give this one a go!
I think I've talked about this one in the past as well. I've tried a couple Lifeline games, and they're good, but the original is of course the best and more engaging. Basically, it's a text-based game that acts like someone out in space has somehow got a message through to your phone, and they're alone crash-landed on a planet and need your help. They describe situations and ask for your input, and you try to help them out. One of the coolest features, though, is the anticipation that builds up because it plays out in real time. For example if the character needs time to do something or think or sleep, you don't hear from them for a reasonable amount of time. It isn't a game that needs your constant attention, instead it's like answering texts when you get them, and I had a lot of fun, especially with the first one.It does cost a couple dollars, but I think it was worth it. Or you can wishlist it and get it when it goes on sale, which it seems to from time to time.
I don't think much explanation is needed for Pokemon Go. At this point you've probably either tried it out, or dismissed it as that stupid game people got super obsessed with and then mainly stopped playing. If you haven't tried it out, though, especially if you have any interest in Pokemon, you're missing out. And now that the tracker is back to working better, it's even more fun to go and hunt out pokemon you don't have yet and grow your collection. Oh, and Gen 2 is out now, which is from the era of Gold/Silver/HeartGold/SoulSilver, which is the only game I've ever played, so I'm pretty excited about the release.
On a nice day when you have time to burn, it's a lot of fun to bring this game (and a portable charger! It drains batteries like a bitch!) and go pokemon hunting, hatching your eggs by watching around, and hitting pokestops to collect items. It's really addictive, and really easy to spend longer than you intended, telling yourself things like "ok, just one more pokestop," or "but my egg only needs another 0.5 km" or "but I don't have a squirtle yet, and one just spawned! I have to go get it, and then I'll go home!" I can't wait to hopefully play more when good spring weather rolls around!
Card / Board Games
This is a Wild West themed card game for 4-7 players where everyone plays roles like Sheriff, Deputy, Renegade, and Outlaw, and tries to basically be the last man standing. The objective is a little different for each role: The Sheriff needs to kill everyone but the Deputy. The Deputy can win even if he dies, if the Sheriff wins. The Renegade has to kill EVERYONE else, and the Outlaws win by killing the Sheriff. You use cards to build up defences, tear down other people, and fight the other characters. Each person also gets a character, as well as a role, and each one has a special ability that plays a little differently than the others. Some pick up more cards, are harder to shoot at, or are more deadly. With my friends, we like to play with two characters each. It makes it even more interesting, since everyone has two abilities you have to keep in mind when dealing with them. Oh, and the only known character is the Sheriff. Everyone else stays hidden until you die, so you don't know who are your allies and enemies. The base game is $25, but if you love games and have the funds, I'd recommend rel="nofollow">the bullet, which has more optional cards and play styles, and is even more fun than the original.
Image from CardsAgainstHumanity.com
I feel like this game about being a horrible person is pretty big on the internet, so you've probably heard of it. But if you haven't it's a very simple card game (a bit like Apples to Apples, if you know that one) with black cards that have questions or sentences to complete, and white cards with random nouns that are sometimes completely innocent on their own, and some which are very "WTF?" and each round all but the person whose turn it is puts down white cards to be the best, funniest, or most horrible response to the black card. It's great to play with people you know, because it is way easier to know what their humour is, and which cards will win them over. The person whose turn it is picks the winner each round, and when someone gets to a certain amount of cards, they win. Or you can play indefinitely, which is really fun too. This is a game for people with dark, twisted, dirty, and/or fucked up humour, and it's a lot of fun. You can buy the regular game, some international versions, and tons of expansion packs online, as well as printing blank cards to fill yourself, or you can download the base game for free if you want to print it out.
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Be sure to let me know what you favourite games are in the comments, whether they are on or off PC!
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
10 Different Fun Valentine's Day Ideas For Anyone || Single, Friends, Couples, etc.
Hey guys! With Valentine's Day coming up in a couple of weeks, I thought it would be fun to make a post with a few ideas of what you can do to celebrate the day no matter your current relationship status! Valentine's Day is a holiday to celebrate love, but there are many different kinds of love that have nothing to do with romantic and sexual relationships, so anyone can celebrate Valentine's Day and have an awesome time with your favourite person or people!
I didn't want to do make separate lists of things for friends to do and things for couples to do, because I don't think there's any reasons to make such distinctions. Not in a romantic relationship? Still want to dress up fancy and go to a fancy restaurant for dinner? Make it a date with your best friend! So yeah, here are some of my ideas of how to have a fun Valentine's, no matter your relationship status, and no matter whether you want to do something fancy, fun, cute, low-key, romantic, or chill. I'm pretty sure I have at least one idea for you.
1. Date Night Out
I'm clearly starting with the obvious here, but as I started to say above, this is not just for couples! Sure, you can go out with your significant other, but you could also go out with your friends! Whether everyone wants to dress up, or go casual is obviously up to you, as well as how fancy the restaurant you choose. That said, I might caution you to either try to make reservations ahead of time (if possible), or else, maybe schedule your Valentine's date for near the day, instead of right on the 14th, since it's going to be crazy busy at all the restaurants on February 14th, and some of the fancier ones will also have a special set menu for the occasion, so you'll want to be aware of that as well. So do your research, or just celebrate a little earlier or later in the week.
2. Date Night In
Similar idea, but instead of going to a crowded restaurant, you can stay home or go to a friend's house and cook dinner with whoever you're celebrating with. This is more the plan that David and I will be doing this year, since it's less expensive and way easier to actually celebrate this way on Valentine's itself! You could do like we are planning to, and make a fancy steak dinner, or whatever your favourite food is. Fun drinks and dessert is another good addition, whether that's cocktails, wine, or a cutesy Valentine's themed drink is entirely up to you. I've pinned several cute and delicious looking dessert and drink ideas on my new Valentine's Day pinterest board, if you need inspiration.
3. A Pamper Night
This might seem like more of a girl's night type of idea, but depending on the type of pampering, I'm sure some guys would be into it too! This would also be a great Valentine's idea for you to do alone. Self-love and self-care is important too! Your pamper night might include facials, face masks, manicures, pedicures, hair treatments, massages, tea (or wine!), a good bath, or a good book. Pick and choose, or add your own ideas to make sense for who you'll be spending the day or night with!
4. Brunch!
Who doesn't love a good brunch? It kind of suggests that you slept in long enough that breakfast didn't make sense, so you're already starting the day off well-rested, and then celebrating with loved ones over your favourite breakfast foods? Yeah, sounds pretty good to me! Again, I have brunch and breakfast ideas on that Pin board I've mentioned, but you can also head out to your favourite breakfast place, or try a cute new place, if you don't want to make the food yourself! The easiest thing to make at home that I can think of, though, would be pancakes (you can use a mix if you aren't a good cook), and top with strawberries and whipped cream!
5. Valentine's Day party
Here's a good justification for all of that valentine's decor you either already have or want to buy, or to make some fun Valentine's DIYs. Invite over all your friends, eat fun valentine's treats, and just have a good time with all of your favourite people. Or skip the valentine's decor and treats, and just have a regular party with chips and pizza. Whatever is more your style!
6. Netflix and chill -- Literally.
I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. But seriously, if you and your significant other (or friends) just aren't the valentine's day type of people, but you still want to celebrate somehow, then you really could just be at one of your houses, order food for delivery, and watch a movie, binge a show, or play some games together. Celebrating your love and friendships doesn't have to be extravagant or cutesy. Enjoy each other's company.
7. Go to a movie/play/concert/museum/art gallery/etc.
Alright, concerts usually take more planning, but there's gotta be some kind of play or movie you're interested in going to see, so why not use the day as an excuse to go see one! Play's seem like a good choice if you have an interest and the funds, since they'll be seated, so it won't matter if it's busy because of the holiday. Movies could be good too, especially if you have a VIP cinema nearby that allows you to choose your seats ahead of time, instead of rushing to get seats together day-of. I thought I'd stick museum or gallery in this option as well, since plays are kinda artsy, and if you and your date(s) for the day are interested in those types of things, it could be really cool to take the day to go see whatever exhibits are on display!
8. Make silly/adorable Valentine's Day crafts
You could easily include this in one of the above nights, or make it a thing unto itself. I think it could be really fun, though, to get together and do some fun DIYs and crafts like you're in elementary school again, when holidays like Valentine's Day were always the most fun anyways. Why? Stupid crafts! Get some paper, glue, scissors, paints, crayons, whatever you want, and make stuff! I've pinned some cute ideas to my Valentine's Day board, if you need inspiration, or you could search yourselves or just use your imaginations!
9. Karaoke
This really doesn't have to have anything to do with Valentine's day, but it could! I just really like karaoke and singing in general. I mean, of course, the types of places that give your group a private room, so you aren't embarrassing yourself in front of strangers, but feel free to do whatever type of karaoke appeals to you most. If you don't like the idea of paying to sing stupid songs in a room for a couple hours at a business, you could always just sing and dance around to your favourite songs at home, even if you don't have a special karaoke app or machine. Just pop on songs you know—from CDs, radio, or your computer, wherever—and sing away! Again, no matter where or how you do this, it could easily be an activity for a whole group or for couples. And if you want to make it more valentine's-y, feel free to serenade your friends with your favourite ballads. =P
10. Coffee Date
Again, this is super basic, but I wanted to conclude with something else that's low-key and easy to do, even if you don't have a lot of time. This is a great way to get together with your SO, best friend, or a family member and have a chat over a tasty hot drink for as long as you want or have. And it doesn't have to be expensive, you could do this anywhere from a fancy hipster coffee shop to Starbucks, McDonalds, Tim Horton's, or your house. At home, you could just make a couple cups of coffee from your Keurig (or whatever you use at home), or you could make cheap mochas (what's more Valentine's Day than chocolate?!) with whatever coffee you have and some hot chocolate mix! I like to use the coffee in place of water in the mix's recipe, add cream and sometimes sugar to taste. I recommend the Carnation hot chocolate mix, personally.
***
I mentioned above, but in case you missed it, I also made a little Pinterest board of crafts, treats, and cute Valentine's-y things to take inspiration from for any of the above ideas, in case you're interested. I hated Pinterest for so long, but since I went in most recently and started fresh without any interests and just slowly introducing searches for things I care about (tattoos, food, Overwatch, makeup, and dogs, for the most part) it's been so much more enjoyable. I also only use the app interface, which is far less chaotic and ugly than the full desktop site, so I'm sure that has something to do with it!
None of us is above the idea of love, so I think it's silly to look down on Valentine's Day as a stupid holiday. I'm sure you love someone, whether that's a significant other, best friend, dad, aunt, sister... so spend the day with them, or at least send them a cute text or an adorable cat gif to mark the day!
I'd love to hear about your plans for Valentine's, or what you did (if you're reading this afterwards), so let me know in the comments! I'll also have two very different Valentine's Day makeup looks coming up in the very near future, so look out for those.
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
5 Ridiculously Expensive Luxury Products I Want Despite the Price
Hey guys! Today's post is just for fun, so I hope you enjoy it. Recently I was thinking about some of the crazy expensive things I want even though the price seems extreme. I'm not including anything that's less than $500, though there could be some things that are less than that seem overpriced for what they are. I'm going with things that are pretty out there for someone of my and my family's income level. I'd love to know some of the crazy expensive things you dream about buying in the comments, so be sure to share those with me in the comments!
I'm going to start with the cheapest product and amp it up from there, so that more expensive products don't diminish the price of slightly more inexpensive things. Soooo, let's just get into it.
1. Canon EOS Rebel T6i DSLR Camera - $1200 CAD
The most reasonable and possible thing on this list, the Rebel t6i is an awesome DSLR camera that takes gorgeous pictures and video, and would be a huge upgrade for my current Canon ELPH point-and-shoot that I currently take all my video and photos on. It's an upgrade from the older T5i, that most people I've heard talk about cameras seem to use for Youtube, so I think it would be a great choice. It's usually about a thousand dollars, but can be bought on sale for more like eight- or nine-hundred. It allows more control over how things are shot, which would be more helpful than the odd presets my camera has, and also has NFC and WIFI capabilities, which would be awesome for quickly sending photos to my phone to post to my instagram. It also has the option of using an external mic, and it has a flippy screen so I could see what's in the frame when filming and taking selfies without a series of mirrors. Overall, it would be a pretty logical, if extravagant purchase that could ultimately greatly improve my video and photo quality.
2. Alexander Wang Rocco bag in black - ~$1300 CAD
I'm actually pretty worried that this has been discontinued, because all the logical places to buy this bag seem to be sold out and not stocking it. The Rockie and Rockie mini are still around, which are both smaller versions of the Rocco, but I never loved them as much. I fell in love with this beautiful bag online, but even more deeply when I got to meet one in person at Nordstroms. The leather is soft, the studded feet are shiny and so OTT.
Yes, the feet make it a very heavy bag, but it's gorgeous and luxurious and so me. Plus the Rocco size is really big, so you can carry lots of stuff if you need to! I'm hoping it isn't gone for good. I always considered this something I would buy myself as a huge reward when I one day had the disposable income to do so. I'm not even too bothered about the hardware colour. I love(d) the silver, rose gold, gold, brass... pretty much everything but the all black.
3. Microsoft Surface Pro 4 with black type cover - $1,620 CAD
You can get this cheaper than I quoted above straight from Microsoft, but since this post is about extravagance, I thought I would go for one of the higher end models, because why settle for the cheapest one if you can get the best?
Also, I know I could easily get a cheaper, comparable laptop, but I love the versatility and uniqueness of the Surface. Basically, it's a tablet, and the typecover is sold separately, but then attached, it's a super thin laptop. It also comes with the Surface pen, which you can write and draw with on the screen, and which can be used to quickly launch applications. I like that becasue it's windows, it would run full windows programs and have access to the full internet experience, unlike an android tablet which would sometimes pop into mobile versions of sites. But you could still use this as a tablet! I dunno, maybe it's silly, maybe I don't need one but I want it!
4. Tesla Model 3 electric car (preferably in blue) - $35,000+ USD
Here we're jumping up the price points A LOT! To be honest, this isn't on any of my wishlists, because it is so far out of my price range, but I can dream. If I were in the market for a new car (which technically I should be; my car needs to be replaced!), ideally I'd love to buy electric. Yes, they're more expensive, but you never have to buy gas, and it's way better for the environment, especially here, where our electricity is generated so cleanly. And of course, Tesla's are the luxury cars of the electric car market. They're gorgeous, fancy, innovative, and fascinating! There are fancier ones, of course, since the Model 3 is meant to be the affordable addition to the Tesla line up, but to be completely honest, I think it's the best looking car they've put out yet!
I love cute, small cars, and this little guy is compact, but still sleek and pretty sexy. It kinda spans the gap between cute and sexy, in my opinion. The lack of front grill weirds me out a little, since it looks so wrong, but it just isn't necessary on an electric car, and it does look pretty fun and futuristic and just different, when you think about it. So yeah, this is one of my dream luxury products.
5. A long-ass trip to England
This is much harder to price out or picture for you, but I've wanted to go to England for as long as I can remember wanting to travel. I vaguely say "long ass trip" because I don't even know how long I'd want to go for! There are so many things I want to do and see in England, Scotland, and Wales, and so many places to go... I can barely start to conceive of how long I would need to do all the things, or how much money it would cost to get there and back, stay at hotels, eat food, and have money for castles, historical sites, museums, transportation, and shopping. I put this below the Tesla for that reason, but also because I imagine I could easily create an awesome trip if I had the luxury of forty thousand dollars to spend on a trip.
Of course, I'll be happy if I get to spend a week in England and do only a fraction of the things I want to do and see a fraction of the things I want to see, but ideally, I'd have pools of time and money to spend on the ultimate UK trip.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, January 9, 2017
TAG || Winter Wonderland Tag
Hey guys! New tag for you today... this was filmed a while ago, before Christmas, if you were wondering about where my fancy new hair went. If you weren't, move along! =P But anyway, it's still winter for another month and a bit, so this still seemed pretty fitting. Enjoy, and feel free to post this tag yourself if you have a channel or blog, and remember to let me know in the comments, so I can go see your answers!
Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:
Thanks for watching!
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Favourites || My 2016 Non-Beauty Favourites Round-Up
Hi guys! Today's post is going to be round up of some of my favourite things from the past year that have nothing to do with makeup and beauty! Last year I included this at the end of my 2015 favourites post, but this year I figured it deserved it's own post! I thought about doing this in video form, but the timing didn't work out fort hat this yea, so hopefully this works just as well for you!
So I have a few categories and I made no real attempt to limit myself to one thing per category, so you're gonna get a couple of mini-lists. =P So here are my favourite things of 2016 in Movies, TV, books, music, food, drinks, games, and apps! Let me know if you have any category suggestions for future years or future posts.
Favourite 2016 Movies:
- Moana — Recent, yes, but so so good! Exceeded my expectations both just with the story itself and with the great music! It's been so long since we had a really great, musical Disney Princess movie, and I definitely feel this was one.
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — There was never any doubt that I would love this movie, and I really did. Eddie Redmayne is brilliant as Newt Scamander, and I can't wait to get even more in depth into the history of magic in the movies to come. And I need a niffler.
- Suicide Squad — I was so excited for this movie as well, and I loved it! DC movies never quite hit the mark as hard as Marvel, for me, but this one did a much better job than other recent DC films, and I hope to see more of the Suicide Squad, especially Harley and Deadshot.
- Deadpool — This movie was hyped up hard on the internet, but it lived up to it! Ryan Reynolds was fucking fantastic, funny, interesting... this movie was so different, and I only hope the Deadpool film(s?) to follow will be as good as this one was.
Favourite Shows/Series I watched in 2016:
- Gotham — I mentioned this one in my recent post about all the great shows available on Netflix, but this really was one of the best things I watched this year!
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine — Also mentioned in the recent Netflix post, but again worth your time! Who knew I'd love a show featuring Andy Samberg so much? But I really do.
- Yuri!!!! On Ice — Wait, is that an anime? Yes, yes it is. While I do watch anime from time to time, none usually gets to me like this one has. The season isn't quite over as I'm writing this post, but I'm looking forward to it, and honestly hoping there will be another season to come! It's a beautifully animated show about figure skating, and it's clear the writers and artists are passionate about getting shit right! It's technical and realistic, the animation of the skating routines is smooth and convincing, and the characters are loveable. If you have any interest in figure skating or anime, I recommend this one.
- Game of Thrones — I cannot make a list of my favourite shows of the year without including Game of Thrones. Each season is fantastic, and the recent one was not different! And now that I'm done the books (that are out thus far), I can't wait to see where the show takes us all next!
- Gilmore Girls — and finally, Gilmore Girls, as well as the new Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. I watched both this year, and I fell in love with the show. As I mentioned in my Netflix post, I didn't get to follow this one when it was airing, but I always wanted to watch it, and it is such a heartfelt, beautiful show.
Favourite Books I read in 2016:
- A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin — I didn't get to read a lot this year, but I did start and finish this huge tome! Honestly, it's 1,125 pages! But it was fantastic! Once you get into the ASoIaF books, you will want to read them all.
- The Twilight Tetralogy (I refuse to call it the "Twilight Saga") by Stephanie Meyer:
- Twilight
- New Moon
- Eclipse
- Breaking Dawn
Favourite Music released in 2016:
- 13 Voices by Sum 41 — My favourite band since middle school, when I was probably too young to be listening to a somewhat political punk band... haha! This is their first album in YEARS and the first with Brownsound back in the band. I'm so glad, because he brings a sound I hadn't realised I'd seriously missed from Sum41's last couple albums! I also got to see them live for the second time this year, which was amazing!
- Death of a Bachelor by Panic! At The Disco — at this point, somehow, Panic! is mostly just Brendan Urie, but that's totally okay because he is clearly all that is needed! This album is on point and beautiful, and I really wish I could have made this concert when they were here in the summer! Maybe next time!
- Yellowcard by Yellowcard — bitter sweet, because this is a fantastic album from one of my favourite bands of all time... but it also supposed to be their last ever! There's a lot of pain in the songs on this one, but the music is beautiful and unique and classically Yellowcard, and there are lots of great lyrics. I'm even more sad that Yellowcard didn't even bring their farewell tour to Vancouver, because I've never seen them live, and now I guess I never will =(
- Taking One For the Team by Simple Plan — I love this band, and I love that this album tries to be angsty sometimes, but mostly you can feel how happy they are with their lives. I also love some of the weird sounds they tried this time... happy dance-y reggae...? Really Simple Plan? But it's fucking great, and their concert at the PNE this year was so good and so much nostalgia it was insane! These guys are another middle-school band for me <3
Favourite Foods:
- Butter chicken & rice — I feel like I fall in love with this stuff more every time I eat it. It's one of the most comforting foods I can think of, and I swear I could eat it every week.
- Avocado toast — The internet seemed obsessed with this, and eventually this year I broke down and tried it to see if all the fuss was worth anything. And oh my god, its so simple, but so good. It's creamy, tasty, spicy (if you shake on some chilli flakes and lots of pepper), and healthy. I mean, it's still kinda fatty, but with good fats and lots of nutrients!
Favourite Drinks:
- Iced Americano (with or without cream) — found this out kinda by accident this summer when I didn't want something milky. I love black iced americanos...
- Pumpkin Spice anything — anything, latte, frap, coffee, iced coffee... gimme plz.
- Caffe Misto — basically a latte but cheaper and maybe more coffee, less milk?
- Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice — like an americano, but its espresso, syrup, milk, shaken with ice.
- All the tea — I just really love tea.
Phone Apps (Android)
- Carrot Rewards — I think this only works in a couple of Canadian provinces, but you can get scene points for movies for doing health surveys and quizzes, and step challenges. They might also do other loyalty programs, but I use the scene points.
- Flickr — I use this mostly as an automatic uploader for my phone pictures. It has like 5 tb of space for free, so I have almost all my pictures auto-backed up on Flickr.
- Instagram — I just love instagram, but I feel like I've gotten better at it this year, with my 365-day challenge.
- Snapseed — I don't use it a ton, but this photo editor from Google is great, and has options that allow you to make really pretty, pro-looking edits I use for IG posts about my recent blog posts
- Words With Friends — a silly scrabble-like game you can play online with friends whenever you have a minute. It's fun, basic, and not time consuming, unless you are both sitting there answering your turns right away.
And I think that's all! Make sure to let me know in the comments some of your favourite things in these categories from this year in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Non-Beauty Favourites || My Top 5 TV Show Suggestions on (Canadian) Netflix + 10 Honourable Mentions
Hello again! I'm back with another round of non-beauty favourites, and today I'm talking about my favourite TV shows that you can watch on Netflix. There are some great ones I have to leave out of this post because they are not on Netflix, but maybe I'll get to those in another post. I do hope you're enjoying these random posts, because I'm enjoying putting them together!
Anyways, I was originally only going to pick 5, but I like a lot of stuff, so for my Top 5, I've picked shows I think are really excellent, really deserve your attention. The rest I've called honourable mentions, some of which I feel were very popular when they were airing on TV, and maybe don't need my praise... but I love them, and they are available on Netflix Canada (as a Canadian, that is the Netflix I have access to!), and if you haven't seen them, I really think you should try them out! Anyways, without furhter ado, let's get into some of my favourite shows on Netflix!
Top 5
1. Jessica Jones
This one was super popular on the internet, so I'm sure LOTS of people have already seen it, but if, like me, you hesitate to jump on a bandwagon, because if everyone is going on about something, it can't be that great... I need to tell you to get off your high horse and try Jessica Jones! It's truly fantastic. It's a little bit film noir, a little bit thriller-y and creepy, mysterious, alluring, and fascinating. I had the hardest time stopping. And it's only 13 episodes, so what do you have to lose? Seriously, give it a go. If you're hesitant because of Kristen Ritter, because you've only seen her play cute, ditsy, hipstery airheads, don't worry, Jessica Jones is nothing like that, and Ritter does an amazing job as a strong—if damaged—female lead. Also, it has David Tennant, so that's a reason to watch, right there. I almost want to go rewatch it, now that I'm thinking about it again!
Not convinced, maybe the trailer will help:
2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
I'm not usually a comedy fan, or a fan of Andy Samberg (though some Lonely Island songs are funny, but this is a really great, light-hearted, and funny show. If you like Parks & Recreation, this show has a very similar feel to it, but instead of a small government department in Indiana, you're in a police precinct in Brooklyn. It's so funny, and easy to watch a one or a couple, because while there is a story arc or two in each season, the episodes are also really easy to enjoy as one-offs. All the characters are very endearing, and one thing I actually like better than in Parks & Rec, you don't have to feel as sorry for the office punching bags as I always did about poor Jerry/Gary/Larry... maybe that shouldn't have made me so angry, but I hated how they picked on him =(
But anyways, off-topic, wrong show... Watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine, you'll love it, there are 3 seasons on Netflix and a 4th one airing, so there's more to come! Honestly it's so much better than this trailer makes it look, but here it is if you want it:
3. Gotham
This is probably one of the best DC comics related things I've personally seen, aside from the Dark Knight trilogy. It's a Batman prequel that acts like a crime drama, mostly focusing on a young Detective James Gordon (future Commissioner Gordon), but also features young Bruce Wayne, and some other future Batman characters as children or younger adults. It starts with the killing of Bruce's parents, and the investigation into that crime, but it's such a good show. It's dark sometimes, but that's Batman for you. Gotham is a scary place full of scary people, and it's so cool to see a take on the events that shaped the various beloved heroes and villians of the Batman franchise. Also, Benjamin Mackenzie... who proves he is a much better actor even than his portrayal of Ryan Atwood may have made you think!
4. Broadchurch
Another show with David Tennant... I won't try to hide the fact that I think he is a brilliant actor and have made every effort to search out as many things that he has done that I can. If you haven't seen Doctor Who, specifically from the reign of the Tenth Doctor, you may not understand my near obsession with this actor, but I promise you he is fantastic. Maybe he is not exactly attractive, but I don't give a shit because he is so talented. I've seen him portray a wide variety of characters and he nails each one. So I have to admit that was a large motivating factor in me watching this show.
That said, this show is excellent, whether or now you care about Tennant, or just want a great, dramatic, heart-wrenching, captivating show about a small town murder and the aftermath for those left behind, from the emotional trauma and fractured relationships of those involved, to the police work and twists in the trial. It's such a good show, and has so many twists and turns that it really keeps you guessing about how things really went down. All of the characters are interesting and complex with their own stories, and there is so much going on in this fantastic show. You just have to keep watching.
5. The Crown
I was so excited when Netflix announced that this show was coming out, because I'm love England, English history, and the royal family, especially Elizabeth. I also really enjoyed the movie The Queen, with Helen Mirren, which was about more recent history of Queen Elizabeth, so yes, I was excited for a show about Elizabeth as a new monarch, and about the beginning of her reign. And this show has not let me down in the least. It's quiet, in a British way, and may take some liberties with history, or what can even be known about the historical facts of private conversations, such as between the Queen and her sister, but all in all, it's a great show. It's dramatic and beautiful, and Claire Foy and Matt Smith were the perfect choices to play the young Queen and Prince Philip respectively. Besides, it's lovely to see Matt Smith in something new because he hasn't done a lot, and I just love him as a person!
So yes, if you love history, Britain, the royal family, Matt Smith, historical fiction, dramas, British tv, or all of the above, you should definitely give this show a shot! Apparently this show didn't get as many views as hoped, but they are making a Season 2, so hopefully more people will watch and we'll get more of this beautiful series!
Honourable Mentions / Obvious Suggestions
Here are a few shows also on Canadian Netflix which I loved, but which were either hugely popular when they were airing on TV, so I probably don't need to tell you how great they are. These you probably have seen, or know why you don't care to watch them, but in case you missed them, I thought I'd make a quick list. And then a few are just other great shows available on Netflix which weren't quite good enough to bump one of my top 5, but which I still seriously loved.
Besides, it wouldn't be a top 5 list from me if I didn't cheat and add some extras, because I can never bloody choose.
1. Glee
Musical, sometimes goofy, sometimes serious, big, lovely cast, fun recent (at the time) song covers... I just loved this show and really want to do a rewatch!
2. Friends
I don't know what there is to say about this. You probably already know all about it, you've probably seen clips, if not the whole damn series. But it is so great, I can rewatch it again and again. It's classic and on Netflix, so yeah, just throwing it out there.
3. Gilmore Girls
I watched the first season or 2 of this show, but my parents didn't like it, so at the time, their preferences over-rode mine. Instead, I finally watched the whole show this year on Netflix in anticipation of the new special episodes. And damn, it's a good show. I can definitely see wanting to rewatch in the future, because most of the characters are so lovely, and it's fun watching Rory grow up. And I love Luke.
4. Sherlock
This is a great British tv show and modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes stories. It's so well written, filmed, and acted, and you have to watch it. It's very short, there are only 3 seasons of 3 episodes each, and I think one special. So less than a full season of Game of Thrones. You won't regret taking the time!
5. Misfits
Another British drama-y type show. This one is about some delinquents who get super powers through a freak storm, and their lives after. The first 2 or 3 seasons are the best, but if you start, you may as well finish up. I really enjoyed it.
6. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
I started this one on a whim because I wanted to watch something fluffy but didnt want to finish Fresh Prince yet. But honestly, its really funny. It sweet and quirky and not stupid comedy in that loud obnoxious way. Its weird, its like its still kinda dumb, but sometimes it feels intelligent too? Yeah, give it a go. There are 3 seasons on Netflix and I think another is coming.
7. Fresh Prince of Bel-air
Another show I'm sure you've seen clips of, if not full episodes. But it's so damn good, and its so interesting how some of the racial commentary is still so relevant. Which makes it sound serious, and it can be, like any good comedy can, but it's also really fun and funny and Will Smith has always been fantastic. Also, some of the meta/self-awareness moments in this show are just gold.
8. Supergirl
And finally, I have to recommend Supergirl! The first season is now available on Netflix, and the second season is still currently airing. I really love the way they've approached it, and I'm glad that the tone and look haven't changed too much with the station switch to the CW. It doesn't have the same feel as the other CW DC Comics shows (Arrow, the Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow)... I'm not sure why, but I just love it so much more. Maybe because it seems to be more heavily focussed on a female protagonist. I'm not sure. There's a level of cheesiness to this show as well, it's very bubbly and happy as often as possible, and I just really recommend it.
And here are a couple I want to watch, but haven't yet, so I can't suggest them formally:
9. Medici: Masters of Florence
A few things are at play here: 1) this is a Netflix show, and they seem to be pretty damn good at stuff, 2) Richard Madden, 3) I love history, and this is about the Medicis... the Renaissance... one of my favourite periods to learn about! I love me some good historical fiction, as well, so really this just looks great. Plus Jodi (blogger @ uptherollercoaster.com) was tweeting about how good it was recently, which helps.
10. The Vampire Diaries
Honestly, I just love vampires, but I never got around to this show. It seems to have been popular though, let me know your thoughts if you ever watched it. It intrigues me.
***
Let me know any great shows available on Netflix that you think I should have included or need to watch in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
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