Hello everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas break. I have some time to write some blog posts so that's what I'm doing! I've enjoyed a few things this month that I would love to share with you. If you are interested in finding out what they are, then keep reading!

Movie:

I watched Eat Pray Love this month since I am now on Christmas Break and it's my Aunt Gi's favourite movie. She always talks about it like it's the best thing ever so I decided to give it a try. I think it's now one of my favourite movies! It's so beautiful, simple, and uplifting. I loved that through Elizabeth's travels she was able to discover herself and enjoy life to the fullest. It was so nice seeing the culture of Italy, India, and Indonesia. I loved this movie so much and it's a great one if you are interested in self-discovery, travelling, and love.

Book:

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Read: December 19, 2017- December 20, 2017

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 (4.5 stars)

Summary:

Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came. 

Now Rachel has returned to the city—and to the bookshop—to work alongside the boy she’d rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction, and the escape. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can’t feel anything anymore. She can’t see her future.

Henry’s future isn’t looking too promising, either. His girlfriend dumped him. The bookstore is slipping away. And his family is breaking apart.

As Henry and Rachel work side by side—surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages—they find hope in each other. Because life may be uncontrollable, even unbearable sometimes. But it’s possible that words, and love, and second chances are enough.

Review:

I loved this book even more than I thought I would! I went into further details on my other blog which I created purely for posting book reviews. If you want to know my thoughts on this book, click here.

Music:

I've been listening to Carly Rae Jepsen for a while now and I loved her last album Emotion. I've been listening to Emotion Side B this month and I love it! My favourite songs are First Time, Higher, The One, Cry, and Roses.

I love Anne-Marie's song Alarm and when I went on iTunes I saw that she released a new song. I am obsessed with Then by Anne-Marie and I have it on repeat. She has such a unique voice and I hope she keeps making music like this.

I have been a fan of Bad Suns songs since their first album, Language & Perspective. I have been listening to Daft Pretty Boys also on repeat. It's so catchy and I just love alternative/indie rock music. 

Candle:

Last year when Bath and Body Works released Hot Cocoa & Cream it was my new favourite candle. It still holds up. I bought another one this year as well as a wallflower. The new labels are so cute with the little squirrel on them. I just love the smell of hot chocolate and it just makes my room feels so warm and cozy. Definitely a must for this season. 

Fragrance:

I was running out of perfume and I really love the smell of vanilla. I went to Shoppers to see if I could find a cheap body spray. I came across Body Fantasies which I've heard good things about. I am obsessed with this Vanilla Body Spray and wear it every day. I get a lot of compliments on how I smell and recently my Aunt has been sneaking in my bathroom to spray it on. I recommend Body Fantasies if you need a body spray and don't have a lot of money to splurge on an expensive perfume. 

Body Care:

It's winter time and my skin is dry all year round but especially when it is cold. I've been loving Bath and Body Works' new formula of their body lotions. I love the scent of vanilla so I bought Warm Vanilla Sugar. It's so moisturzing and my skin feels soft and smells great.

I hope you enjoyed this month's blog post. I have two more on the way so stay tuned for those. Have a wonderful day and week ahead!

love xena

Hello everyone! November is over so it's time for my November Favourites. A lot of new things came out this month and I also discovered some things that I can't wait to share with you. If you are interested to learn what they are then keep reading!

Music:

reputation by Taylor Swift has been my most listened to album this month. After three years of no music, she has finally released her fourth album. It is amazing and did not disappoint. I love Taylor Swift songs and I really like the songs on this album because they are all so different. She experimented with different styles and I really appreciate how different the tracks are but go together so well. My favourite songs on the album in order are: Delicate, Dancing With Our Hands Tied, Dress, End Game (feat. Ed Sheeran & Future), Getaway Car, New Year's Day, Don't Blame Me, King of My Heart, Call It What You Want, So It Goes..., and Gorgeous. 

I discovered Naked by James Arthur when I was looking through new singles on iTunes. I was immediately obsessed with this song and his voice. I like this style of music and his voice suits it very well.  

Flume by Alice Kristiansen was recommended to me when I was listening to a playlist I made on Spotify. This is such a beautiful song and she has such a gorgeous voice. She also makes covers on YouTube if you want to hear more of her. 

Beauty/Skincare:

I have been using Thursday Plantation tea tree oil since elementary school to get rid of my pimples. I noticed at a heath store that they also have a Tea Tree Thursday Plantation Face Wash for Acne and Medicated Gel for Acne. I love it! My face feels so clean and I have been noticing fewer pimples and if I do get a pimple they go away faster. I recommend this if you have oily, acne-prone skin.

Movies:

I've been watching W Network on weekends for the romantic Hallmark Christmas movies. I've watched a few in the past couple weeks and Christmas in Homestead and the next movie I mention below are my favourites. This movie is about when one of the most famous actresses in the world heads to the Christmas-obsessed town of Homestead, Iowa, to shoot a holiday-themed movie. She is thrown for a loop when a romance brews between her and local inn keeper and single dad, Matt. As she gets a taste of small-town life, she discovers the true meaning of Christmas. 
It was adorable as to be expected and funny in some parts as well. Super cute Christmas movie for you romance lovers!

A Christmas to Remember is also another Hallmark movie that I really enjoyed. This movie is about Jennifer Wade, an emerging celebrity chef in NYC, who is having a meltdown on the set of her Christmas Homestyle show. Desperate for a break from the "stress of her success" she takes a spur of the moment vacation in a remote Colorado town. On the way to her friend's chalet she crashes and suffers amnesia. A widower with young children, still grieving for his dead wife, takes a dazed Jennifer to his home and they wind up having magical and healing holiday experiences that both transform and heals them all. 

This sounds sort of cliche but it was really fun and cute. I loved the scenery in this movie as it was filmed in British Columbia. I recommend this if you want a cutesy, cozy, and lighthearted movie to watch. 

TV Shows:

I loved Stranger Things last year and since then it has become one of the most talked about shows. Stranger Things season 2 came out around Halloween time and I watched it and loved it. I was really hoping it would be just as good as the first season and it totally lived up to my expectations. This is one of the best TV shows ever made in my opinion. So well-thought out with a great cast and plot. If you haven't watched it already, go and watch it right now!

If you saw my other posts I love Jane the Virgin. I've been watching and loving season 4. As usual, it is hilarious and unpredictable. This also has such a great cast and plot line. Watch this if you love romance, drama, and comedy!

Every Sunday, my mom and I have been watching reruns of Home Town and we are obsessed. We both love HGTV and saw ads for this show. It is about a couple, Erin and Ben Napier, who live in Laurel, Mississippi and are trying to fix up their town one house at a time. This couple is so sweet and hard-working and I love watching their ideas unfold into beautiful masterpieces at the end. Ben is a craftsman and Erin is the interior designer and they make a great team. If you love home renovation shows, check out this one!  

Books:

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell 

Read: November 19, 2017

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5 stars)

Summary:

"Midnights," takes place over five New Year's Eve parties, as two characters -- Noel and Mags -- meet, become friends, then become best friends, and then try to figure out whether they're supposed to be something more.

My Review:

Rainbow Rowell is a brilliant writer. This short story was incredibly sweet and even though it is only 22 pages, I felt so connected to the characters in such a short amount of time. Rainbow is so talented and I hope she writes more short stories in the future. As a matter of fact, this story and her other short story, Kindred Spirits, are a part of their own short story collection called Almost Midnight. It also has illustrations done by Simini Blocker who does a lot of art for Rainbow Rowell. I hope to get my hands on it soon so I can read Kindred Spirits. 

Food:

Every Sunday morning, either my mom or I will make pancakes and eggs for breakfast. My favourite pancake mix is Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix and I have it with Mrs. Butterworth's Original Syrup. It's a delicious way to start the morning and a nice change from having cereal Monday-Friday. 

Carnation Rich and Creamy Hot Chocolate is an annual winter favourite. This is the best hot chocolate and perfect drink for staying warm in the colder months. I have it almost every night with Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (I put 3 spoons in the milk because I like it super creamy and chocolate-y). Also, they claim that this specific bag of hot chocolate is more concentrated which is incredible because it is already a super concentrated mix. Love it!

My aunt Sue over at www.suzetteroberts.com made this amazing original chocolate ice cream. It is incredible. It's so rich and creamy, like the hot chocolate above! I couldn't get enough. Good thing she's making more!

Thanks you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post. I hope you have a wonderful day and weekend. I'll see you soon with a new post. 

love xena