300 posts!

Happy new year! I've somehow timed my latest blogging milestone to coincide with the new year... what a convenient coincidence.

I thought I'd continue with my milestone tradition by discovering which posts have been most popular since I started my blog. I changed my blog name and URL in the first half of 2014 which had a detrimental effect on my blog views, so a lot of the posts below also featured in my '200 posts' entry. However, there are a few newbies in there (specifically the restaurant reviews!) and I'm hoping there'll be a few more new posts in my '400 posts' entry, whenever that milestone comes around.

So without further waffle (I do love a good waffle), here are my ten most popular posts...

1. Hollister Addison... best perfume ever?
2. Film review: The Great Gatsby
3. Frantic about Florida #2
4. Duffy the Disney Bear
5. Costa, Nero or Starbucks?
6. Cineworld Unlimited card
7. There's no surprise quite like a McFly surprise 
8. New York #4 - Rockefeller Center
9. Restaurant review: Harvester
10. Restaurant review: Cedar Tree Farm 

The ten posts above are clearly a very eclectic mix... from beauty to film reviews to Disney to holidays to restaurant reviews! This proves that all kinds of unique people with different interests read my blog, and also that people seem to enjoy reading a wide variety of posts from contrasing categories on a lifestyle blog. I've never liked to pigeonhole myself into a particular category in any aspect of my life, and this philosophy applies to my blog too.

Have you read any of the posts featured above? What posts would you like to see more of in 2015? Let me know!

Monthly cinema round up: July

I know I've said this about nearly every month this year, but where did July go? I only went to see two films last month which is a shockingly low tally for me and is an indication of how busy I am at the moment. I'm actually speed-writing this post in between paying wedding bills and composing wedding emails... it's fair to say that the wedding has taken over my life.

So what films did I manage to fit in last month?


How to Train your Dragon 2
Such a lovely film! I only vaguely remember the first film as I fell asleep for a large proportion of it while watching the DVD. I should add that this was due to extreme tiredness, so no reflection on the film itself. This film is a great stand alone film in its own right so you won't feel as if you've missed out if you haven't seen the first instalment. Lots of funny moments and a few tear jerking moments... you will definitely have a lump in your throat at some point during the film. You will also secretly want a pet dragon.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 
AMAZING. Fantastic visual effects, spectacular characterisation (for both the people and the apes) and a captivating plot. Although I love Caesar (the head ape) and his little family, Maurice (the orangutan) is by far my favourite character in this film. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and was genuinely afraid during some scenes as the heightened emotions and grave sense of danger are portrayed so effectively. The tension between human and ape is obviously very apparent as it was in the first film, but I didn't expect the violent injection of tension between the apes themselves. I think I like this sequel even more than the first film, and that's really saying something!


And my favourite film in July was... Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

Hopefully I'll be able to fit in a few more films this month in between wedding planning/stressing. Check back next month to find out!

Monthly cinema round up: June

How did June fly by so quickly? Seriously? Although the month disappeared in a whirl of work excursions, birthday celebrations, wedding planning and house decorating, I somehow still managed to go to the cinema eight times. I'm amazed!

Here's what I saw in June...


Maleficent (twice)
Yes, I saw it twice because it was so good. It was visually stunning and Angelina Jolie was brilliant as Maleficent. I liked the twist on the original Disney tale and enjoyed hearing the story of Sleeping Beauty from a completely different angle. My only complaint? Princess Aurora was extremely irritating!

Blended
I haven't been impressed by a lot of Adam Sandler's more recent films but I really enjoyed this one. Drew Barrymore is great (as usual) and the plot is funny and interesting enough to keep you absorbed until the very end. Also visually impressive... it's mostly set in Africa!

22 Jump Street
Hilarious. I loved 21 Jump Street and I definitely wasn't disappointed by this sequel. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are a brilliant comedy duo and some scenes had me doubled over with laughter. 'IT'S IN MY MOUTH!' I urge you to see this film.

Edge of Tomorrow
This was ok... just ok. It probably just wasn't my type of film, but I couldn't quite get my head around the plot as I could see numerous plot holes. You're probably supposed to be concentrating on the epic action scenes instead of trying to get too involved with the plot! Not one for the DVD collection (unless Neil buys it...).

Godzilla
I didn't think I'd like this film but I was pleasantly surprised. Good plot, lots of suspense, and plenty of scary monsters. Again, it's not really my type of film but I did genuinely enjoy it.

Three Days to Kill
I wasn't sure what to expect from this film as I hadn't seen any trailers, so I was a little apprehensive. Luckily I thought it was great and got sucked in to the plot from the outset. The characterisation was strong throughout and the concept was very clever. Again, one to add to your list!

Chef
Ahhh, this film could have been so much better. Although the constant shots of food were mouth watering and made the film worth watching, I felt as if it was a missed opportunity. The ending was rushed and too predictable, even for me. Some of the earlier scenes seemed very laboured... it's such a shame that more time wasn't devoted to building on the storyline in the second half of the film. The token appearances from Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr just seemed pointless and out of place. Not one I'll be watching again, especially not when I'm hungry!


And my favourite film in June was... 22 Jump Street!

Monthly cinema round up: May

It's hard to believe that this is my fifth cinema round up of the year... this year is flying by in a haze of wedding planning and general tasks which mostly involve me running around like a headless chicken. In spite of the hectic nature of the last few weeks, I still managed to fit in five trips to the cinema with my Cineworld Unlimited card.

Here's what I saw in May:


The Other Woman
The trailers for this film looked hilarious so I was a bit worried about seeing it in case they'd put all the funny bits in the trailer in order to mask a generally awful film (like they did with Bad Teacher). However, after a slightly slow and cringeworthy start, this is a genuinely funny film with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. It won't win any Oscars but it wasn't a bad way to spend two hours. Cameron Diaz is still beautiful, in case you were wondering.

Bad Neighbours (twice)
Bad Neighbours is the first film I've seen twice in the cinema this year... probably because it's the funniest film I've seen all year. Seth Rogen and Zac Efron are both excellent and this is definitely one I'll be buying on DVD. Although the topic of the film (bad neighbours!) is actually my worst nightmare, it was very funny to objectively watch other (fictional) people suffering from the mishaps caused by partying student neighbours. Zac Efron even does a bit of dancing which reminded me of his High School Musical days. Oh, and there's a cute baby in it. Everyone loves a cute baby.

Frank
Probably the weirdest film I've ever seen. Yes, I know it's supposed to be a weird film, but it wasn't my thing at all. Just plain weird. However, I did appreciate the frequent references to social media marketing as I actually understood those. I liked the general message the film was trying to portray, but it was just a bit too odd for me I'm afraid.

X-Men: Days of Future Past 
Loved this film. Star studded cast, brilliant acting and some amazing visual effects. I haven't seen the original X-Men trilogy but I didn't feel lost or confused during the film at all. This is a great stand alone film, in my humble opinion. It has made me want to watch all the X-Men films now though... that was probably their intention all along. Marvel excels again!


And in May, my favourite film was... Bad Neighbours! Why else would I have gone to see it twice?

Check back in a few weeks to find out what films I watched in June. I've already seen two films this month so I suspect it'll be a longer update!

Monthly cinema round up: April

I didn't go to the cinema much in April unfortunately,  it was a crazy busy month with lots of wedding planning and house activities! However, I did manage to squeeze in four films... two more than I need to see every month to break even on my Cineworld Unlimited card.

So here are the films I did have time to see last month:

Noah 
I wasn't too bothered about seeing Noah and I probably won't buy the DVD, but it's definitely worth seeing if you have a few hours to spare. An amazing visual spectacle and great acting... just don't expect it to be based on the biblical story or you'll be very confused after the halfway point!

Calvary
There isn't an ounce of happiness in this film, but I did enjoy it in a morbid kind of way. It was very cleverly written and the characterisation of every single character was extremely detailed and very plausible. So not a film to watch if you're already feeling low, but not one to be ruled out altogether.

Transcendence
An excellent and very thought provoking film. It was fascinating in parts and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the film. This film will really make you wonder what scientific feats we might be able to achieve in the not too distant future, and will make you question whether this scientific advancement is a positive or a negative thing for humanity. I was slightly confused by the ending, but I think I might just have been tired!

The Amazing Spiderman 2
This film is... amazing! It's probably my favourite of all the Spiderman films I've seen to date (including the Toby Maguire trilogy). I loved the characters and the storyline, and the soundtrack was a bit epic. Although some people thought the film was too long and that the writers had tried to pack too much in, I thought it was very well made. I definitely can't wait for the next instalment. Oh, and I want to be Emma Stone. Please?


And my favourite film last month was... The Amazing Spiderman 2! Check back early next month for May's round up...

Monthly cinema round up: March

Although I had a very busy March, I still managed to fit in six trips to the cinema with my Cineworld Unlimited Card. Not bad!

Without further ado, here's what I saw in March:

Non-Stop 
I wasn't expecting too much from this film if I'm honest, but I actually really enjoyed it. The plot was engaging and the level of suspense was great, even if the ending was a little predictable. Liam Neeson is very good as always!

The Book Thief

Possibly the saddest film I've ever seen. A heartbreaking representation of life in Nazi Germany, told from the perspective of a little girl and occasionally narrated by Death. Apparently the book it's based on is entirely narrated by Death, but I'm guessing it would have been too difficult to sustain that narrative technique throughout the film. I cried (silently)  for the last hour or so of the film... I couldn't watch it again, but I definitely want to read the book!

Muppets Most Wanted
Hilariously random. Who doesn't love the Muppets? However, I did prefer the previous film, purely because I can't stand Ricky Gervais. Constantine does make a brilliant villain though!

A Long Way Down
A moving dark comedy which focuses on four very different individuals who are dissatisfied with their lives for various reasons and are at breaking point. I was excited about seeing this film after watching the trailer, and it definitely didn't disappoint. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel awkward, you'll feel fortunate... it's brilliant! 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America is actually one of my least favourite Avengers, but this was a great film. There were a few surprising twists... possibly they wouldn't be surprising for bigger Marvel fans, but they were surprising for me. Definitely worth seeing!

Labor Day
This was an extremely intense film which actually makes the viewer feel quite uncomfortable at times, and this is precisely what was intended due to the nature of the plot.  A very well made film which was tense, emotional, sad and heart warming in equal measures.


And my favourite film in March was... A Long Way Down, closely followed by The Book Thief (even if it did traumatise me).


I've got lots of great films lined up for April already... look out for April's round up in a few weeks! 

Monthly cinema round up: February

This is the second post in my 'Monthly cinema round up' series. Unfortunately I didn't see as many films in February as I saw in January... I blame the new house and the fact that February went insanely quickly.

So what films did I see in February?

Dallas Buyers Club
Amazing film. It tackles so many prejudices and misconceptions about the HIV virus which are sadly still prevalent in communities across the world, and the acting is spectacular. Matthew McConaughey is phenomenal and just keeps getting better with every film!

That Awkward Moment
I've heard lots of bad reviews about this film, but I thought it was great. It was good to watch a film told from the male perspective for once, and it made me laugh a lot which is generally what I want from this kind of film. Zac Efron also plays a starring role... I have a bit of a soft spot of Zac Efron.

The Lego Movie
Loved it! Every seat was filled when Neil and I went to see this, and there was only one child in sight. Adults will definitely enjoy this film a lot more than children will due to the often very subtle humour and use of irony and satire. 'Everything is awesome!'

Cuban Fury
Another great film. How can Chris O'Dowd be so endearing in the IT Crowd and so hateful in this film...? Nick Frost's dancing was a definite highlight! Entertaining, easy to follow and just generally a feel-good film.


My favourite film last month was... Dallas Buyers Club. A difficult choice this month, but this film really left a lasting impression on me.

Look out for March's update in a few weeks!

Monthly cinema round up: January

I've decided to start a new monthly series... a cinema round up! Since investing in my Cineworld Unlimited card, I've seen a LOT of films. I thought my blog would be a great place to keep track of how many films I've seen each month and to (briefly) document what I thought of them. I'll also post my favourite film every month... I suspect that a lot of people will disagree with this month's choice! But hey ho, variety is the spice of life, as they say. I'm not sure who actually uses that phrase, but it is quite applicable here.

So here's what I saw in January:


Frozen
I love love love this film more than words can express. I'd already seen it once in December but absolutely had to see it again this month. I love the characters (especially Olaf), the plot, the soundtrack, the costumes, the Disneyfication... huge thumbs up!

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Lovely heart warming film. I'm not always a big fan of Ben Stiller but this is definitely one of his better films. Some people would probably think parts of the film were just too random, but I thought it all worked together really well.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Amazing film. Idris Elba is fantastic as Mandela, and the film is hugely inspirational, harrowing and awe inspiring throughout. It's made me want to read up on South African history and to learn more about the horrors of apartheid, and I assume that the film is a very accurate representation.

Delivery Man
Although this film is a comedy, it has some very sad undertones. I thought it tackled the complex issues really well and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. It's just a shame that there were little children in the screening who messed around for the whole film! I strongly dislike the fact that children younger than 12 can watch 12A films in the cinema, especially films of this nature.

The Wolf of Wall Street
I'm afraid I'm not going to rave about this film like everyone else seems to be doing. Brilliant acting, great story, and it's easy to forget that the film is three hours long as it does really draw you in. However, the film is full of swearing and drug use and I really despise both those things. One major observation about this film... Donna from Neighbours has gone up in the world!

12 Years a Slave
One of the most harrowing films I've ever seen. Again, the acting was amazing with a spectacular cast but I don't think I'd have the stamina to watch this film again! It contains some extremely graphic scenes which won't even begin to scratch the surface of what people suffered during that period.

American Hustle
Not the best film I saw in January, but it was very humorous and had a good plot. Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale are brilliant!

Last Vegas
I LOVED this film. I thought it might be one of those films that tries too hard to be funny, but it was genuinely hilarious. Morgan Freeman was definitely my highlight in this film. 'You had fifty people in here?!' You probably won't find that quote funny unless you've seen the film. Let it be known that I laughed until I cried at that sentence for about ten minutes.


And my favourite film last month was... Frozen! No contest.

Check back at the beginning of next month for February's update :)

200 posts!

Newsflash... I've reached the very exciting (for me) 200 post landmark! I'm very pleased with this achievement as I've only been blogging properly for just over a year, and last year was an extremely busy one where I sometimes struggled to fit everything in.

When I first decided to start blogging regularly, I was worried that I'd constantly struggle to fit it in with my hectic schedule. However, I've found that writing is a good way to relax and to make sure I put aside some time in the evenings to do something I'm interested in, even if it's only for fifteen minutes.

When I reached my 100th post a few months ago, I wrote a blog post about my ten most read posts up to that point. I've decided to do the same for my 200th post... not very imaginative, I know.

So here are my top ten most read posts so far...

Film review: The Great Gatsby
Frantic about Florida #2
Cineworld Unlimited Card
There's no surprise quite like a McFly surprise
Duffy the Disney Bear
Hollister Addison... best perfume ever?
Costa, Nero or Starbucks?
New York #4: Rockefeller Center
Barry M's Gelly Range
Marks & Spencer's £10 Dine in for two

Apparently the people who stumble upon my blog are interested in films and the cinema, Florida, McFly, Duffy the Disney Bear, perfume, hot chocolate, New York, nail varnish and food! I am genuinely curious about the reading trends on my blog so it's good to have a rough idea about what posts people are most interested in.

Have you read the posts above? Which posts would you like to see more of in 2014?

Monsters University

Disney films rock my socks. This is no secret, and you can read posts about my enthusiasm for Disney films here and here. Disney have released some excellent films during the last year (Frankenweenie, Brave and Wreck-it Ralph), so I was super excited about seeing Monsters University. I absolutely love Monsters Inc and thought it was a great idea to release a film about how Sulley and Mike Wazowski actually met and became friends, rather than making a sequel which might have had a samey plot to Monsters Inc.

I love Sulley, so my boyfriend bought me a Sulley teddy for Christmas last year. Imagine my excitement when I heard that Disney were releasing a Sulley costume for Duffy the Disney Bear! You're right, I was pretty excited. You probably can't imagine the true extent of my excitement though... When I saw the costume in the Disney store a few weeks ago, I absolutely had to buy it.

Sulley and Duffy!

I was originally going to take Sulley to the Monsters University screening (yes, I'm that sad), but after buying the Sulley costume I decided to take Duffy instead. Consequently, I rocked up at the cinema on Saturday afternoon with my Duffy teddy and had my photo taken in front of the Monsters University billboard. A little boy was having his photograph taken with his Sulley teddy before I went to pose for mine so I actually had to queue, but this didn't deter my enthusiasm. As you can tell, it was very sunny outside which impeded the quality of the photo somewhat. How inconvenient.

I'm not going to write an actual film review as I'm not very good at those and I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I absolutely loved Monsters University. The characterisation was great and the animation was amazing, as you'd expect from a Disney Pixar film. There were a few twists which I didn't see coming at all, which again disproves the argument that Disney films are horribly predictable! The young Mike Wazowski was adorable, and there were some clever links between Monsters University and Monsters Inc. Squishy was probably my favourite character apart from the main two protagonists... I wanted to pick him up and give him a squishy squeeze. His mum is also a brilliantly humorous character, and the film is worth watching just for her!

Duffy at the cinema

I'm already excited about the next two Disney films coming out in the next two months... The Lone Ranger and Planes. Keep them coming, Disney! Has anyone else seen Monsters University? What did you think?

100th post!

I'm pretty excited that this is my 100th post. One of my resolutions for this year was to post regularly on my blog, so I'm really pleased that I've achieved this aim especially as I've been so busy this year.

I thought I'd celebrate my 100th post by finding out which ten posts have been most popular with readers and linking back to those posts so that new readers can get a flavour of my blog. As you can see, there's a wide variety of posts in this list which shows that different people are attracted to all kinds of a different posts.

1. There's no surprise quite like a McFly surprise
2. Frantic about Florida #2
3. New shoes!
4. The Body Shop's satsuma shower gel
5. New York #6: Times Square
6. Frantic about Florida #1
7. Date day :)
8. Tim and Jen's wedding
9. Cineworld unlimited card
10. Packing for New York!

I'm not surprised to see that New York and Florida feature heavily in the top ten, and everyone loves reading about the Body Shop, shoes and weddings. I'm quite surprised that the Cineworld post is so popular... I wonder if Cineworld have seen a surge in their unlimited card holders recently? If only my blog was that influential.

Have you read all the posts above? Please feel free to leave some feedback on what you think of the blog, I love reading people's comments.

Now on to the next hundred posts...

Cineworld Unlimited Card

I am a massive advocate of Cineworld's Unlimited card. It costs £14.99 per month, and enables you to go to Cineworld as many times as you want to... as the name suggests. Once you've been an Unlimited member for a year, you get upgraded to Unlimited Premium for no extra cost. Being a Premium member means you get 25% off food and drink, and don't have to pay any extra to see films in 3D. Seeing as the cinema costs roughly £8.50 these days for one film, you only need to go twice to make your money back. I probably go to the cinema an average of five times every month, so I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of the card. Cineworld is my favourite cinema in Cardiff too, which is an extra bonus.

After I'd been a member for a year, Cineworld wrote to me and confirmed how much money I'd saved by using the Unlimited card... £168!! That's a lot of films. I know the direct debit comes out of my account every month, but I really feel as if my cinema visits are all totally free of charge. I especially appreciate the card on the last weekend before pay day, as it enables me to do something fun which doesn't cost me any money at the time!

I hardly ever buy food or drink at the cinema as it's super expensive even with the 25% discount, and there's a Tesco Express around the corner. However, the discount is handy if you're really desperate and haven't had time to take an emergency trip to Tesco.

My record for the number of films seen in a single month was last July, when I saw 8 films. Bargain! I've actually been to see a lot of films twice (Wreck-it Ralph, Ted, The Amazing Spiderman and Men in Black 3 are just a few examples). If I had to pay each time, it's unlikely that I'd go to see a film twice unless I really, really loved it. However, having the card means I'm perfectly happy to see a film two, three or even four times if I'm so inclined.

A few films I've seen recently

Does anyone else have a Cineworld Unlimited card? What's your record of most films seen in a month?