Blogmas - Advent Day 12

It's been a modern Christmas with sock and beauty filled advent calendars to open each day, so here's a little step back in time to my little stack of Christmas DVDs.  I do have a couple more ... Last Christmas, The Holiday and Love Actually are just three I can think of off the top of my head but they are minus their covers and stored safely in one of my DVD folders.  I try and watch each film over the holiday period at some point, but any that miss a year get watched first the following one.  I was going to give Love Actually a miss this year, but for some reason I have a sudden urge to see it again ... that final montage of greetings, hugs and kisses just lifts the heart.

It's amazing isn't it that DVDs are even starting to feel like a step into the past.  I remember holding on to my VHS tapes for far too long and resisting the urge to buy new films on DVD because it seemed so strange.  Now most films can be watched on streaming services like Sky, Netflix or BritBox, and all our terrestrial television can be found on various catch up services, and suddenly having a DVD collection seems slightly dated.  But they come in useful when the internet goes off and you just want to sink into a much watched and much loved film or boxset, whether it be at Christmas or any other time.

Day Twelve of the sock calendar and my final pair of new socks ... sporting loved up hedgehogs and little hearts ... along with a little tube of Pineapple Micro-Dermabrasion Scrub. 

Now my sock collection is complete as this was a 12 day calendar, so I have decided for the next twelve days I will be wearing a pair of my lovely new socks each day.  Alans suggestion of hanging them all on the washing line garland fashion to decorate the back garden is being forcefully ignored.  With all the rain we have been having they would be hanging limply and soggily for the next twelve days.  

Far better for them to be on my feet.  🧦

Sue xx  🎄

Blogmas - Advent Day 5

Christmas arrived in a box yesterday.

I thought I would treat myself to a small Christmas tree for my new smaller life and home, and it's the first fake one I've had for many, many years.  It should see me out for sure, so hopefully I'll get my moneys worth.  She's sat in position on my little green chair to raise her 3ft height a little bit but at the moment she's naked except for one tiny Welsh love spoon at the moment as I don't have any fairy lights to put on her, so you'll have to wait for the big reveal.

Also yesterday ... while the wind blew a hoolie and the rain lashed down ... I got my other decorations out and celebrated our anniversary by creating a 'mantlepiece' on my radiator cover.  Then we had a glass of wine and a tray of nibbles and watched Last Christmas instead of venturing out for the coffee and cake we had originally planned.

It made for a lovely afternoon.

Day five of the Advent calendars and the socks are snazzy, I think they would be even nicer if the pink heel was the same colour as the toe and the top trim ... but hey ho that's just me 😄

The Aldi Beauty calendar treat is a little jar of Avocado Overnight Eye Cream, I've got a little test patch going on on the inside of my wrist to make sure it's okay for me to use ... I'm allergic to avocados.  But hopefully as I'll not be eating this cream I should be okay.

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To go back for Weekend Watching click HERE ... or press on Older Post, which is under any comments on this post at the right-hand side.  As I'm trying to take part in Blogmas it means you should post a new blog post every day up to and including the 24th, we'll see if I manage it. 😉

Sue xx 🎄

Weekend Watching - 4

 

I've been a real home-bird this week.  

My back is very sore and although I am trying to keep as active as possible sometimes you just have to give in and vegetate in front of the television.  I've been watching quite a random selection of things, so I thought I'd do another little taster selection for you.  Do let me know if you are finding this boring, but it's nice for me to have a reminder of what I've been watching too.

Stay Warm on A Cozy Day 🍁 | Pumpkin Soup /Cheese Corn Toast/ Tomato Egg Soup | Relaxing Vlog ♡ - YouTube

Sunny's videos are a really calming way to spend five or so minutes, and I love the unusual foods she sometimes prepares ... and Mavis LOVES her rabbit and watches fascinated as it munches it's way through a bowl of lettuce leaves.

Flying to Africa to Rescue our Abandoned Van - YouTube

Eamon and Bec make for happy viewing with their positive outlook on life and all the adventures they get up to, there are no nice pets for Mavis to drool over but lots of happy times and good vegan food thrown together effortlessly by Eamon for me to watch.  

I've watched all their videos right back to them kitting out Trinity and travelling for the first time.  The cabin in Canada renovations were outstanding and they really do seem to work so hard to get themselves to where they want to be.  No wonder they are now heading towards a million subscribers.

Unexpected Guest | John Lewis & Partners | Christmas Ad 2021 - YouTube

This years John Lewis advert, I hadn't seen this on the television so I had to look for it on YouTube.  I don't think it's as good as previous years but it's nice in it's own way.  However ... I much prefer this one  ↓

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2021 ALTERNATIVE - I Wanna Grow Old With You - YouTube

Which is also raising money for charity.

And finally let's get back to some food ...

CREAMIEST VEGAN BUTTER CURRY | OMG! - YouTube

The Happy Pear's Vegan Butter Curry, now I really have to try this one, it looks and sounds delicious ... well apart from the mushrooms but I can substitute something else for them ... it was the idea of the sauce that grabbed me.

I hope you have a lovely weekend and manage to stay warm in the forecasted colder snap we are heading into here in the UK.  Me ... I'm staying cuddled up to a certain little Pug with some good television, copious cups of coffee and maybe a few little treats.  

Sue xx

Time for Some Calm

 

I feel it's time for some calm, so I am taking a weekend off from my computer and most of social media.  There will be dog walks ... no matter what the weather ... and much watching of calming films and series on Netflix, and reading, there will be lots of reading.

In my absence I leave you with some of my favourite YouTubers and their latest videos.  SO pull up a chair, grab yourself a nice hot drink and relax into the films.

The Cottage Fairy

So much glorious snow.  This is just the video to watch with a steaming mug of coffee in your hands.

 Apronful of Stones

Including the village of Eyam and it's story.

Fairyland Cottage

Because watching someone else clean always inspires me to do my own 😀

My Vintage Lifestyle

To keep me on track with my ration recipe cooking.

I hope you enjoyed watching these videos from just four of my favourite YouTubers.  Do you have some that you watch that are along these lines, I would love to find a few more.

Sue xx

Totally Random Viewing

The television is a friend at the moment, there's only so many doggy walks I can go on before Suky's little legs give up the ghost and I would need a skateboard for her to sit on to go any further or any more often.

The other day I had a very random days TV watching.  I started off with a couple of episodes of  Coal House, this was actually from my DVD collection but was a television programme from way back in 2007.  It's good watching and the sort of programme that will always hold my attention.

Halfway through the first Coal House disc I decided to make my lunch and had a change of viewing, a shmaltzy American Christmas film that I had recorded the day before,  At first I thought I had seen it before as I recognised one of the buildings but as the star stepped through the front door it was completely different inside ... obviously a frequently used Christmas film set!!

You just know the outcome of these movies but on a dreary day a bit of escapism outweighs the fact that you have just given up ninety minutes of time that you will never see again, just for the moment at the end when you go 'awww', and the credits rolls with the main stars happy in each others arms and the whole town singing of Christmas wonder.

Then after a whizz around with the hoover I settled down to watch the second Nanny McPhee film, not quite as good as the first in my opinion, but for a dull day more escapism and brilliant interior farmhouse sets.

Later in the day I went back to Coal House and finished the first disc of the two disc set.  When I've finished this series I might just start on the second which sees, as far as I remember, three different families living in the same miners cottages but during the war years.

Yep, they definintely all look different!!

So the one thing that is getting a lot of use at the moment in my new little flat is my second hand bargain sofa  😄

What have you been watching recently and which medium do you watch on?  

Here at the flat I have Freeview television for normal television viewing via an aerial, an Amazon Firestick so I can watch all the catch-up channels and favourite YouTubers on the big screen (not that mine is actually that big) and Netflix ... and of course my huge DVD collection.  Which all adds up to more than enough to keep me entertained through these lockdown days and beyond.

My name is Sue ... and I am not ashamed to say I do love television!!

Sue xx