My 2016: I Got Old, Made some Bizarre Life Choices and Drank Tequila.

Congratulations world! We made it through the madness that was 2016! We survived a year in which Britain left the EU, Harambe the gorilla was killed in cold blood, and Donald Trump was voted president of the United States. It all kind of feels like a bad (and totally ridiculous) dream, doesn't it?

While 2016 might not have been the best year for the world as a whole, on a personal level I had a pretty good year. So, as is traditional, I'm going to sum up my entire year in a nice bite-sized blog post for you!

Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide

With just one week left until the big day, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's gone and left their Christmas shopping until the last minute...again.

But have no fear because my last minute Christmas gift guide will save you the hassle of scouring the High Street for the perfect gift. Don't bother battling the crowds or collapsing into a hysterical heap in the middle of Marks & Spencer (I've been there). Instead, let me do the searching for you while you put your feet up with a nice mug of hot chocolate...with extra marshmallows...because obviously.

Gifts for Her

Christmas as the Grape & Olive | Blogger Event

As November comes to a close and we continue to hurtle towards Christmas, I wanted to write a little something about the blogger Christmas event at the Grape & Olive in Swansea. Yes, it took place over two weeks ago, but, between the never-ending madness of my PGCE and an unexpected bout of lurgy, it's taken until now to find five minutes to sit down and write something up.

As someone who lives within easy driving distance of Swansea, I'm a little ashamed to say I'd never been to the Grape & Olive before. I'm even more ashamed to admit that, even though it's located at the top of the tallest building in Wales and therefore in the most visible building in Swansea, I ended up spending twenty minutes wandering through the marina in the dark, heading in the complete opposite direction. Such is the story of my life.

The Lust List: November 2016

We're well and truly into November. I can tell because I have to wear four layers of clothing to bed every night. So...it's time to start talking about Christmas now, right? I mean, I usually like to keep Christmas strictly confined to December, but this year I can't help feeling the first tingles of the Christmas spirit already (I blame John Lewis and their festive-packed winter wonderland). That said, my lust list has a bit of a Christmas theme...you know, just a bit!

Magic Wand Bubble Bar - Lush £5.95

My passion for Lush bubble bars is well documented. The are my favourite bath-time treat! But the Magic Wand bubble bar? That's an entirely new level of fabulousness my friends! It's pink, it's sparkly, it smells divine, and how often do you get to add some Bibbiti Bobbiti Boo to your bath-time?

It's part of the limited edition Lush Christmas collection and I for one have already added it to my Christmas list.

Monthly Musings: October 2016

October is my favourite month and I always get a little sad when it comes to an end, but this October has been particularly wonderful. For a start, the weather has been beautiful! Usually here in South Wales it starts raining at the beginning of September and doesn't stop until June, but the last few weeks have been dry, still and unseasonably warm. It's such a lovely change to hear the crisp crunch of autumn leaves underfoot as opposed to having to wade through a slimy, wet mulch. Eww.

And this year we had a Halloween party! Halloween is favourite time of year (I may have mentioned that before, just once or twice) and this month was cram-packed with all things Halloween. Making new decorations, baking Halloween cupcakes, putting together a costume, and, of course, watching Hocus Pocus.

I'm really sad to see the back of such a fun month.

Magical Moment

It goes without saying that the magical moment of this month was our Halloween party. It was fantastic! We had a creepy scarecrow and a graveyard and our bathroom was so terrifying that people were too afraid to go upstairs alone (I include myself in that). It was the best night I've had in a long time!

The John Lewis Christmas Collection 2016

Who's ready for Christmas? No, me neither, but John Lewis certainly is and I was lucky enough to get an invite to their Christmas press launch in Saint David's Shopping Centre in Cardiff a few weeks back. It was a bit disorientating for my poor little brain, firmly planted in Halloween mode as it is right now, to suddenly be flung into a full-blown Christmas extravaganza, but it was so beautiful and magical that, by the end of the evening, I was well and truly in the Christmas spirit.

 Their decorations are split into different collections and you can wander through a series of little showrooms to see how everything ties together and just how beautiful everything looks in a real-life setting. From traditional reds and whites to tropical splendour, there really is something to suit everyone. I had a hard time choosing my favourite!

The Chamonix collection really appealed to the traditionalist in me. I could just picture myself curling up next to that (admittedly artificial) fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate on a snowy winter's day.

Monthly Musings: September

What a month! I climbed a mountain in torrential rain, started university and reached the ripe old age of 25. I bought my first ever pair of 'sensible shoes' and even set myself a budget. I know, I know, who am I and what have I done with the real Aimee?

And now summer (or the weird rainy haze we in the UK are forced to refer to as summer) is suddenly over and we're into Autumn. That happened really fast, right? But here's a recap of my September and all the weird and wonderful things I got up to.

Magical Moment

This month I turned (gasp!) 25! How terrifying is that? I'm officially closer to 30 than I am to 20 now. Eww.
In the weeks leading up to my birthday my quarter life crisis went into overdrive. I was plagued by Facebook photos from people I went to school with, smiling into the camera with their babies/engagement rings/houses. They all seemed to have "I have a pension plan" written all over their faces. When did everyone become so grown up?
But, loathed as I was to face up to being another year older, I really enjoyed my birthday. For the first time in my life I didn't have a party. Instead my niece and nephew descended and we stuffed our faces with pizza and Disney princess birthday cake (because I'll never be a real grown up) and watched Top Gear (because even on my birthday, I still don't get control of the TV). It was low-key and chilled, but it was lovely.

#FAIL of the Month

Either my house is haunted and some kind of mischievous spirit is taunting with me or I'm losing my mind. Either way, I'd call it a fail.