March: A Month In Culture

First and foremost, my apologies for not getting this March guide done....before March.  I hope you'll find some things to pique your interest this month. Let's go!

Films

As I'm posting this a few days into the new month, the releases on the 4th have already come and gone.  These included Hail, Caesar, Time Out of Mind, Truth and London Has Fallen.  

This week sees the release of Allegiant, the third of the Divergent trilogy, on Thursday; then Anomolisa, Charlie Kaufman's stop motion labour of love & animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 3 on Friday. Friday 18th sees the dark sci-fi High-Rise, featuring the always popular Tom Hiddleston. Also released are Risen, a biblical tale telling the Easter story from the point of view of a Roman soldier, and the comedy Rock the Kasbah.  Some of the reviews of the latter have been so brutal I may have to see it just to form my own opinion!

The end of the month sees two very different, but equally exciting releases (to two very different sectors of the market).  Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice is sure to see multiplexes sell out but I think I'm equally excited to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2! Nia Vardalos is a treasure, I'm so excited for that movie!

Books

Please note in the books section links are amazon affiliate links.  Other links, and other book suppliers, are available. I like to be transparent on these things!

Maestra releases on March 10th and is being touted as the thriller of the year, the next Gone Girl or Girl on the Train. I wonder if it will live up to the hype?  I've heard good things about the book Sprint, and will be looking forward to checking it out in paperback.  Love reading books on problem solving and idea generating. A Little Life is out in paperback this month too (also 10th), and I'm looking forward to reading it.

I saw Caitlin Moran speak last autumn about her Moranifesto and now it's finally here (again, on the 10th.  What a bevy of books we have ahead!) - I think most of twitter will be offline as we read it later this week! On the 24th Hot Milk, by the fabulous Deborah Levy, will be released - a sultry tale of relationships and intrigue.  And last but not least, if like me you enjoy a good non-fiction read, 15 Million Degrees by Lucie Green looks fascinating.  Can't wait to learn more about the sun.

Theatre

Tomorrow sees the full opening of Motown (Shaftesbury), after almost a month of previews.  The Young Vic has some interesting shows starting mid-month, including If You Kiss Me, Kiss Me and Living With The Lights On.  On March 19th another production of Guys and Dolls opens at the Pheonix theatre.  Having just seen the lovely Savoy effort I'm not sure I'll be rushing to see this show again so soon, but never say never, right?  With tunes as evergreen as those in Guys and Dolls I may find myself heading over!  The thirtieth sees the official opening of the National's Les Blancs (previews from the 22nd), a tale of an African nation teetering on the brink of civil war.  Ayckbourn's comedy How The Other Half Loves opens at the Haymarket Theatre Royal on the 31st (previews from 23rd).

Music / Events

There's only one musical event I'm super psyched for this month.....COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY!  This coming weekend there will be three days of  awesome country music at London's o2 - with headliners including Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Eric Church, Maddie and Tae, Dwight Yoakam, Sam Hunt, Kacey Musgraves and a whole host of smaller acts too!  As well as the (awesome) main events there are pop up stages, shops selling country inspired gear, and specialist food stands too.  It's such an amazing, friendly music festival (and you even get to go home each night and sleep in your own bed).  So excited!

So that's some of what I'm looking forward to this month.  How about you?

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February Goals (or F is for Failing...)

Oh dear.

Oh dear.

Oh dearie me.

Once again the curse of the Februarys has struck.

My January goals went well, and  I started February full of beans and ready to build on my previous successes. And then, all too familiarly, I fell off several wagons and made some pretty big errors.  Part of this is surely down to the sheer shift from writing and homemaking to interning full-time for most of the month, plus the excitement and effort of #theLBDI, but I also think a big part of it was just February, man.

This would traditionally be the point where I'd give up....but I'm getting back into it and tomorrow will outline my March goals.  Probably using gifs, because I do love me a gif.  For now, here's February's round up.

1. Read 5 books in February.  Bookworm for life, man!

I read 3.  Spectacles, A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled, and a book I can't yet review because it's embargoed.  Luckily this takes me to ten for the first two months of the year and still has me on target for the sixty I want to read this year. 

2. Lose five more pounds.

Whomp whomp whomp.  No pounds lost this month...

3. Do seven sessions on either the cross-trainer or the rowing machine at home.

Big epic fail here.

4. Research our upcoming visits to Aberdeen and Luxembourg. So excited for a little travel!

Didn't do this.  Oops.

5. Tidy my study enough to post a picture of it (believe me, that's a pretty tall order as I write!).

Another miss!

6. Throw out / recycle / donate a further ten carrier bags worth of items.

YES!  I actually managed this one!

7.  Attend at least five cultural events - films, theatre, lectures etc.

Another win - two movies, one theatre trip, a lecture and an author event.  Phew, thank heavens for the last two goals saving the day a little!

So as you can see, I have ground to make up this month.  I do think the monthly goals are still working better for me, and allowing for room for manouvre.  I guess this month will see if I'm correct!  I've also managed to keep my one year-long resolution (to walk for at least 30 minutes a day) - as I mentioned last month this is a very easy one to keep most days, but it's a pain in the rear on the rare day I want to have a PJ day!  My 30-mins-plus-a-day streak on Human is 60 days and counting - I'd love to make the full 366!

I'll be back tomorrow with my March goals - I hope your month has started well!

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January goals....so how did that go?

One month down, eleven to go - 2016 is whizzing by at a heck of a clip!  I'll get into my goals for the month to come later in this post, but first, let's see how January went, shall we?

1. I would like to read 5 books this month - I have a huge stack of great reads to get through so I want to make sure I make the effort to read them!  My inner Hermione needs to be unleashed.

Books read in January?  SEVEN.  Oh yes, A-plus, go self!

2. I would like to visit and explore two areas of London I haven't explored fully before.  In the city it's very tempting to stick to the same stomping grounds, I'd really like to get out there and see some new places. 

I have done some exploring in the Shepherd's Bush/White City area, and around the Strand ahead of next month's adventures.  Done!

3. I would like to track my food and exercise on either MyFitnessPal or Sparkpeople...I'm always better at making good choices when I'm recording.

I managed to track on MFP 26/31 days.  Not perfect, but a big improvement.

4. I am so overdue on medical appointments - I need to make appointments with my dentist (and hygienist), doctor and optician (and if possible get them done this year).  I need to make sure I'm keeping on top of things.

I made it to the doctor's, the dentist, and the hygienist.  Only the optician's appointment eluded me - I'll hope get this sorted in March!

5. I want to finish researching cameras and finally purchase one (the Olympus PEN is the strong front runner at the moment!).  I'm excited to improve my photography and start work on vlogging this year.

Research completed, money saved - I'm ready to go, but will wait till the end of my very busy February to purchase, when March should afford me lots of time to enjoy the getting-to-know-you season with a new camera!

6. I would like to lose 5 pounds.  I could stand to lose lots of pounds, but I figure every big number is made up of small ones!

January weightloss?  Five pounds.  Right on target!

7. I would like to visit the gym at least five times.  I'm aware this is a small goal, but that's the 'attainable' at work. I've also been soooooo lazy in the last month when it comes to going there, five will be an achievement.  I'm also aware that this involves going to the gym in January....good heavens, please wish me luck.

I approached this a little differently and....quit the gym.  I didn't like going, I do like using the cross-trainer. walking and dancing.  In the spring I'll add some swimming to the mix, but I feel so good about giving up a membership I simple wasn't using enough and which for me was a bit of a crutch.  I think sometimes I made poor choices because I thought I'd go to the gym...and then I didn't.  So an epic fail on this goal, but a happier position.

8. I would like to watch four movies at the cinema - between my Unlimited card at Cineworld and the many delights of the PCC and the BFI, there's no excuse for this to not happen.

The Danish Girl.  Our Brand Is Crisis. Room.  If we make it to see The Big Short later, I've nailed this one!

9. I would like to devise three new recipes and post them here on the blog.

Two out of three ain't bad, right?

10. I would like to throw out / recycle / donate at least twenty carrier bags worth of items currently residing in the house.  The place is so cluttered, it's beyond time for a clearout.

I managed fifteen.  Not twenty, but still a lot!

11. In March Shona and I are going to the awesome Country 2 Country festival (again!).  This month I'm going to try and make a spotify mix of all the acts performing, so we can spend February getting up to speed on all things country.  Every year I saw I wish I'd done this when the festival arrives...this year I'm going to get it done.

Done, and here.

So all told, I'm pretty chuffed with January.  In addition to the eleven goals above, I've also kept to my new year's resolution of walking at least half an hour a day (including some days where its been well over two or three hours of walking!).  On the whole, I think setting monthly rather than yearly goals works better for me personally.  So tomorrow I'll share my goals for February - it's a busier month as I'm doing an internship for four weeks, but I'm hoping to still hit the goals on my list.

How's your 2016 going so far?

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February: A Month In Culture

Last month I wrote my first 'month in culture' post, and I must admit it was handy having notes to work from whilst planning my book-buying, cinema-going, etc! There are so many cultural elements to look forward to in a given month, and as someone who loves books, movies, theatre and film, I thought it would make sense for me to write about these things more often here on the blog.  Here's what February has in store.

Films

After the saturation of top class films we found in January (ah, awards season), the coming month sees much more of a mixed bag.  I should point out here that I share the films I'm hoping to see, so there are several I won't touch on, mainly horror films such as The Forest and The Green Inferno (I'm a scaredy cat!), or movies that have been critically mauled and which look awful (Jem and the Holograms, Zoolander 2).  That being said, there's still plenty to entertain at the movies this month!

Friday 5th sees the release of two very different films.  On one hand we have the beautifulkly crafted, critically acclaimed Trumbo.  Twentieth century American history is one of my favoruite eras to study, so I'm fascinated to delve into this film. On the other hand?  Dad's Army! Having grown up watch the series I'll certainly check it out; I'm also a sucker for anything starring Bill Nighy.

There are two midweek releases in the following time, with both Deadpool (released February 10th) and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (releasing February 12th) shunning a traditional Friday debut.  On Friday 12th the festival circuit darling A Bigger Splash releases, alongside Will Smith's NFL drama Concussion and the children's film Oddball and the Penguins.  As an utter penguin fan, I'll be seeking this one out!

On Friday 19th The Finest Hours, Freeheld,  and the comedy How To Be Single all have their releases, and on Wednesday 24th Sacha Baron-Cohen's Grimsby is released (Rebel Wilson has been busy!).

Books

Please note in the books section links are amazon affiliate links.  Other links, and other book suppliers, are available. I like to be transparent on these things!

When Breath Becomes Air releases on the 4th, and looks heartbreaking, wise, challenging and wonderful.  I predict a need for tissues aplenty.  I'm also looking forward to reading West of Eden (also published on the 4th) - books about the golden age of Hollywood are always a favourite.  On the 11th I'll be embracing my love of sweet, nourishing chicklit, with the publication of A Summer at Sea and The Little Shop of Happy-Ever-After, as well as Marian Keyes' memoir, Making It Up As I Go Along.

Also published on the 11th is the beautiful Raptor: A Journey Through Birds, which looks awesome - I love learning about our special and diverse wildlife, so I'll be seeking this book out.  All of that should keep me busy until later in the month, when on the 25th Hemsley and Hemsley's new cookbook, Good + Simple, releases, as well as the latest James Patterson, 15th Affair.

Theatre

It's quite a big month for theatre!  On the 1st Red Velvet opens officially at the Garrick, after a week or so of previews. I'm looking forward to going to the opening night of The End of Longing at the Playhouse on the 2nd.  I'm excited to see a Matthew Perry penned play.

On the 12th both Uncle Vanya (Almeida) and Nell Gwynn (Apollo) have their full openings, and on the 15th Hand to God (Vaudeville) and Showstopper! The Improvised Musical (Lyric) debut.  I adore Showstopper! and have seen then several times - I'll be hoping to catch them during this West End run.

On the 16th Mrs Henderson Presents opens at the Noel Coward (after previews from the 9th), and from the 17th the Dominion hosts the epic War of the Worlds (previews from February 8th).  Phew!

Music / Events

Amaluna continues its residency at the Royal Albert Hall throughout February and is sure to be a big half-term hit with families.  On February 5th Jason Derulo will be bringing his poppy-R'n'B stylings to the o2 which should be a fun night out!  Later in the month the o2 will play host to the Brit awards on the 24th.

Over on the Southbank they have some great classical offerings.  I'm intrigued by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment's Marin, Madness and Music programme on the 6th, part of the Changing Minds 2016 season.  On the 13th the Royal Festival Hall plays host to a Mozart Masterpieces evening, which looks great fun!  As much as I adore dsicovering new music, sometimes a good 'greatest hits' evening is just what's required.  On the 29th I'll be aiming to be at the RFH again for a concert featuring the Purcell School Symphony Orchestra, and one of my favourite Romantic-era pieces, Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto.

AOB

Yet more awards!  The Baftas are on Sunday 8th (and always a delight).  The WGA awards happen on Saturday 13th, and the Brits music awards, as mentioned above, take place on Wednesday 24th.  At the tailend of the month we have the Oscars - February 28th.  As well as watching to see who takes home the prizes, I'll also be fascinated to see how host Chris Rock handles the furore surrounding this year's awards.  He's such an incisive and intelligent comedian, I think his take could be brilliant. 

So that's much of what I'm looking forward to.  How about you?

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My Top Ten Christmas Movies (and a Giveaway!)

I know it's still November, but for me this month is all about preparation and getting things in order - there's so much to enjoy at this time of year and so much fun to look forward to in the weeks ahead!  I'm continuing with my 8 week plan pretty faithfully and am making decent headway on all tasks.  Life takes me to Newcastle today but I'm making decent progress on gift-buying, get-together planning, food prep, crafting and general silliness.  Prepping this early isn't for everyone but I love it - it affords me so much time next month to relax and soak up the season.  And celebrate my birthday, too!

The other day I was talking to some friends about our favourite Christmas movies.  As an ex-film & English student (good times, my friends) and a music fiend I never need to convinced to compile a list of films, music or books I adore!  Rather like Barry in High Fidelity, I have opinions to spare when it comes to those cultural elements.

I enjoyed chatting about festive films so much that I decided to share my list here - some entries you may agree with, some you may think are fine but wouldn't make the cut for your collection, some may actively enrage you!  Bring it - I love a good (friendly) debate about pop culture.  I can certainly think of at least one movie (The Nightmare Before Christmas) which simply slipped off my radar when I was chatting about this list!

I've enjoyed this so much that I've decided to make it a giveaway - at the bottom of the post you can read how to win my top ten Christmas films on DVD, just in time for Christmas!

I present these as a top ten, with no other ranking - my top three within these always changes!

Die Hard

John McClane.  Hans Gruber (RICKMAN ALERT).  Yippe-kay-yay!  Such a fun action film, and as it's set at Christmas I decided it could definitely make the cut.

Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)

I'm a child of the eighties....I think it was mandated I had to watch this every year while we were growing up.

It's A Wonderful Life

I love Capra's films anyway, but this is such a special, moving film.  For me it really sums up the season of goodwill.

The Holiday

Such a cheesey chickflick.  If you hate chickflicks it's not going to convert you, but if you like them?  Bring it on!  Feelgood, sweet, and Jack Black as a romantic lead - an unexpected treat.

Second time I've mentioned Jack Black in this post.  Unexpected.

Elf

Good, silly fun, and a sweet message too!  Make yourself a hot chocolate and curl up with this treat.

Love Actually

I love to watch this every year, and have done since its release in 2003.  I had no idea when I started that tradition that I'd eventually be celebrating London Christmasses of my own.

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

A really beautiful movie, again with a heartwarming message.

Sleepless in Seattle

Perhaps not strictly a Christmas movie, but I watch it every year around this time.  There's something about Meg Ryan singing 'Horses, horses, horses, horses' while driving along that makes me feel Christmassy.

Home Alone

Such a sweet family film!  Lots of comedy but a great little story too.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

I think I could sing this film from memory.  A true classic.

This giveaway is live until midnight here in London on 30th November (so the wee small hours), and I'll announce on Wednesdsay 2nd December and mail it out as soon as I can to the winner after that!  I think it's a fun prize and hope you'll consider entering.  There are three ways to enter - leaving a comment, tweeting about the giveaway, or following me on twitter if you're yet to join the fun over there (so many gifs!).  As the DVDs are Region 2 (Europe, Japan, ME, SA and Egypt) you will need a DVD player or computer which plays those happily.

If you do leave a comment, I'd love to know - what's your favourite Christmas movie, and why?  I can think of at least two or three more that could easily make the cut!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Monday Funday, September 7th

It's time for Monday Funday....the weekly collection of the things which have been distracting, delighting, or diverting me online.  Videos, articles, gifs, blogs, op-eds....you name it, I'll list it here.  If you'd like to link up, please add your link below for a little Monday laughter, learning, or fun.

* I've enjoyed Cole and Marmalade's Youtube vids for a while, so I was pleased to find them on instagram too!

* Gosh I loved Tina and Amy as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton.  I wonder if SNL will have Amy back to reprise her role in 2016?  OMG, who are they going to have as TRUMP???



* Love this piece from Sali Hughes, on why all the best people have worked in the service industry.

* As a huge Gilmore Girls fan, this piece on where the cast think their characters would be now was a great read.

* I had this song utterly stuck in my head all day on Friday.  Heath Ledger, man.  What a treasure:




* Are you more Easy A or Mean Girls?  If like me you watch way too many teen flicks, you'll want to know!

* Autumn always makes me want to hibernate a little and spruce up the old homestead.  Love this collection of pretty, pretty bedrooms.

* Found this while watching cat videos yesterday.  Kitty soap opera, anyone?




* I've now watched the first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt at least four times.  There's no judgement in Netflix, right?  I liked this piece on Season 2 - can't wait!

* I love When Harry Met Sally, I also enjoy The Atlantic, so this think piece on the former in the latter was a must read.  An interesting look at inequality.

* I did not know there was a The Office wiki.  *loses hours*

* As an avowed evening shower-er (thick curly hair, you guys!), this piece made me chuckle!

* More beautiful bedrooms!  I'm on the hunt for something for the foot of our bed.

* We've just started watching Brooklyn 99 on Netflix (very funny!), which lead me down a Lonely Island spiral the other day.  This is a fave (warning, occasional rudes):



* A little clickbaity, but I liked this rundown of celeb prom pictures.  Ellen's is priceless!

* My home office is currently 'in transition' (read: a bit of a mess!) - love the ones showcased here!

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Monday Funday, August 10th

I have so much to tell you guys!  Our honeymoon was just the most fun and over the next few weeks I'll be writing plenty of posts about Las Vegas and Hawaii - M truly outdid himself and arranged the most magical trip!  But for now it's all about getting back into the groove of posting, and that means it's time for Monday Funday....the weekly collection of the things which have been distracting, delighting, or diverting me online.  Videos, articles, gifs, blogs, op-eds....you name it, I'll list it here.  Allons-y!

Some of these logos (like the amazon A to Z) I'd seen the hidden messages in before, but some of these were surprising!

After three weeks away (and a very busy end-of-school-year month before that) our house is a bit of a state.  So at the moment if I'm not working, cleaning, or tidying, I'm googling cleaning tips online like it's my job!

Our next big trip is likely to be to New York, and I've been loving browsing the website On The Set of New York....I can't wait to seek out some of the filming spots from movies like When Harry Met Sally!

Jet lag has hit me hard  over the past few days, so Netflix has been a godsend.  I've rewatched the whole of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; such a funny show.

Speaking of, this instagram from Tituss Burgess had me fangirling - super excited for season two from these megastars!

I love @beyonce #nofilter #jetlife #unbreakle #netflix #janegetontwitter #tinaiknowyouwon't #peenonoir

A video posted by Tituss Burgess (@titusssawthis) on Jul 28, 2015 at 5:14pm PDT

Last night I rewatched 10 Things I Hate About You, which has long been a favourite.  This compilation of best bits is awesome.  Are there sheep?



With my change in work I'm all about stretching those pennies, whether it's for date night or just a get-together with friends.  Love these budget friendly ideas!

Gilmore Girls for life.  I so want to start a club where we just watch the whole seven seasons.  Imagine the snacks, the snark, the silliness!

I adore this.  A company that turns children's artwork....into a stuffed toy.  Magical.

This is the next movie I must rewatch.  Emma Stone on top, top form.  Such a fun film.  I remember when it was released about two cinemas in the whole of London were showing it, so Eileen and I went on a quest to get our teen movie fix!




As unartistic as I can be (stick men, anyone?), I do love excellent design.  Some of these examples are brilliantly clever!

So much to see online as ever.  Have a wonderful week, all!

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Lazy Sunday?

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