Presents & Cards || Blogmas Day 7

I LOVE giving presents and writing cards at Christmas. Not just the choosing of the gifts, which is quite fun, but the wrapping up (as neatly as I can manage!) and getting out my fountain pen to handwrite one of the few letters I actually get to write!

I did a more detailed post about writing cards and Christmas shopping last year. This year, however, I won't be home until the 20th of December and a couple of weeks ago it suddenly hit me that I would either have to get myself organised, or face the mad last minute present rush on the few days leading up to Christmas! So, I did most of my Christmas shopping online and had it sent to home, as well as picking out my choice of wrapping paper, so it will all be ready for when I get home.

However, I have done a wee bit of wrapping and card writing recently, as I have a few gifts to give to people here at uni and friends I'll see before heading home.

I am so so happy with my choice of paper/present wrapping colour scheme this year! Every year, I try and coordinate it to make my presents look as nice as possible, and for the last few years it's been a silvery, modern, chic colour scheme. But this year I saw this 'luxury' paper half price in WH Smith and fell in love. It's a deep blue colour with glittery stars, and I'm teaming it up with gold ribbon and bows and gift bags. Aaaah I just think it looks so pretty and can't wait to wrap the rest of my gifts and give them to my friends!

The picture really doesn't do it justice and I love when I find a paper I adore because it hides my below-average wrapping skills! Maybe when I have done all my wrapping I will post another picture, perhaps on my instagram (@catrionaitken) or snapchat (@catrionaa15). What a way to slip my social media handels in there, eh?!

Anyway, I really do get a lot of joy from creating the perfect card or pretty present to give at Christmas, and it's a nice revision break to crack on those festive tunes and allow glitter to go everywhere (total nightmare, took ages to hoover up!). Spreading it out has actually worked well, as the magic lasts longer!

I notice as I continue to write these daily Blogmas posts late in the evening, that the language becomes much simpler and my eyes just want to drop closed as I stare at the screen. That'll teach me for not being organised enough to have them up ahead of time, but I suppose it gives you a little of an idea of what my December is really like at the minute!

Do you enjoy present wrapping, or is it more of a chore? Have you spotted any particularly nice wrapping paper designs this year?

Catriona x

Film Review: 'Bad Moms' and 'A Bad Moms Christmas' || Blogmas Day 6

So, some time in October I saw that 'Bad Moms' was on Prime Video. This was a film I had wanted to see when it was in the cinema but never got round to it. And I really like Mila Kunis so it was a must-see.

Honestly, my memory of the exact plot is a bit vague but I know that it was really funny!

Then, about a month ago, I had a friend to stay and we had a really nice weekend, including a trip to the cinema to see the sequel 'A Bad Moms Christmas'... more laughs, more rude jokes, more inappropriate parenting,
with a festive feel... what more could you ask for?!

What I particularly loved about these films was the breakdown of perceived perfection (if a little exaggerated) and the importance placed on quality family time. No parent is perfect, no child is perfect, but bonding time between loved ones is so special.

It also reminds us that, while we all grow up, we can still feel/act like kids and sometimes adultas get things wrong! Even Mums (sorry Mum for being so hard on you!!).

I still love Mila Kunis, although I didn't think she was any funnier than the others. My favourite was probably Katherine Hahn... and I also loved Christine Baranski's character in the sequel- she is just fab.

All in all, this was slapstick funny, but also heart warming and spirit-lifting, and just what I needed on a cold Sunday November evening with one of my besties!

This isn't really much of a review to be honest, but it's quarter past 10, I'm tired, and I basically just want to say that, while not my favourite Christmas movie of all time (yet!), I definitely recommend that everyone get themselves to the cinema to see 'A Bad Moms Christmas' with friends over the next couple of weeks! A perfect fun, festive girls night!

Catriona x

The Bublé Buzz || Blogmas Day 5

So, this is admittedly going up a bit late, but we're gonna fiddle around with the scheduled time and make it all look legit so shhhh!

It's Tuesday, and I really haven't been feeling very well today. I wasn't originally going to talk about this in my post, because it's actually not a very big deal, but I've decided I am going to mention it and I'll tell you why in a second... Last winter I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and, although I am lucky that I don't have it to an extreme severity, and I am now able to manage it with peppermint oil capsules, occasionally, particularly when I'm stressed or have eaten something 'wrong', I get 'flare ups'. Without going into the details, these episodes can be really uncomfortable and include severe stomach cramping, anxiety and exhaustion. It occurred to me this evening that, despite the fact that it's very common particularly among young girls my age, people tend to avoid talking about IBS because there's a stigma around it, that it's disgusting or gross. And that really doesn't help when you're suffering. I know that I will probably feel much better in the morning, but yeah, just in general I think there should be less stigma around IBS and similar conditions.

Anyway, moving on!!! When I am feeling a bit stressed or rubbish, music always plays a big role in cheering me up. And so, since starting uni, I have definitely got earlier and earlier with listening to the Christmas music. This year it was the start of November when I cracked out, you guessed it, a bit of Bublé.

Now, none of Michael Buble's songs or covers would make it into my list of festive favourites, and yet there is something about his famous Christmas album which just captures the hearts of all, young and old.

I often see memes and jokes about how Michael Buble comes out of hibernation just for the festive season, or how he must live off the money he earns from just a few weeks a year and, while totally exaggerated, there's some truth in it! We all associate Buble with Christmas. Buble IS Christmas!

Are you a Michael Buble fan? Like me, who only listens to him over the Christmas period? Or one of the few real haters (what a grinch, eh?!)?

Let me know what your work/study playlist consists of on the run up to Christmas in the comments!

Catriona x

Trimming the Tree || Blogmas Day 4

Ok, so there wasn't a whole lot of trimming involved, but this evening my flatmates and I put up the Christmas tree in our flat!

After a bit of a 'meh' day in the library feeling unproductive, it was nice to just chill out and properly belly laugh, taking silly selfies and the mick out of each other, especially Theo who was hilariously attempting to make a perfect Christmas tree, while Amy is the total opposite and just wanted to bung everything on anywhere!

The final product was bit of a compromise I suppose! It's just really nice walking past a wee bit of festivity and twinkly lights in our living room... I'm actually such a big kid.

We went for the traditional red and gold baubles (well I say 'we went', I really mean Theo bought those last year so that's what we used haha!) It didn't take anywhere near as long as it always seems to take at home, but oh well, we had the Christmas tunes blasting and for a wee while I could just enjoy the fact that Christmas is now only 3 weeks away!

Do you have your Christmas tree up yet? What colour scheme have you gone for?

Catriona x

Tea glorious tea || Blogmas Day 3

A silly Snapchat selfie of me cosying up with a hot cuppa

in the mug one of my lovely blogger friends bought me!

Ok, so this was not what I originally planned to write about tonight, and isn't specifically festive, but as I headed down to the kitchen to make myself a nice cup of tea and ended up in a full blown conversation with my flatmate about our favourite teas, I decided that it would be the topic of today's Blogmas! (Edit: I've also just remembered that I did a tea inspired Blogmas post last year, called 'Always time for tea') If you don't drink tea, you may just wanna skip today's post because it will probably b a bit boring for you!

I'm the typical bookworm... I love to curl up in bed with a good book and a hot drink in one of my many mugs. I do, of course, like a typical breakfast tea, brewed quite strongly, with just milk (NO sugar, but if I have a sore throat a spoonsful of honey is allowable!). However, I also really enjoy green tea, and this evening I realised I have accumulated a fair collection of different green teas which I can choose from depending on my mood, so here are a few of my current favourites....




The Pukka Supreme Matcha Green tea is a classic fave... it doesn't have a particualrly distinctive taste, but is really yummy and gives me lots of energy in the morning. A little more on the expensive side so worth waiting till its on offer, but promotional packs donate to charity, and the handy individually enveloped bags are perfect for taking to the library where I can get free hot water in my keepcup!

Staying on the theme of morning wake ups, I have recently been loving the Tetley Super Green Tea Boost in the Berry Burst flavour. A few weeks ago I was told I'm a bit anaemic, so I have been doing everything I can to get my health and energy in check, and this tea with added B6 has been great! I don't really like fruit tea very much, so wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this but I really do! When I run out, I may try another flavour, but for now I'm very much enjoying this one (I also got a Boost Breakfast Tea, and Tetley do a number of different ones, with various added vitamins, which I personally think is a great way to get in those extra supplements you may be in need of over the winter without relying on remembering to take tablets!


Last year, I heard someone speak about the Twinings Salted Caramel Green and decided to treat myself to some. I still have lots left and I think that's partly because I was spreading it out and then forgot about it (it isn't cheap either) and partly because it was slightly disappointing! It doesn't taste bad, in fact it's actually pretty nice, and better if you don't brew it for too little OR too long a time. However, it smells way better than it tastes!


Finally... Since last year, I have occasionally drank peppermint tea to soothe me and to help stomach cramp. Then the other week I was in Starbucks and really fancied a green tea, but they only had their mint green tea and I thought, why not? It was delicious and I went back for another the next day (It was Starbuck's own Teavana Mint Green Tea. However, I don't tend to pay for tea in coffee shops as a rule, as it's so cheap to do my own at home, so when shopping in Morrisons I picked up their Hint of Mint Green Tea, and that has been doing the trick! A really nice change which I particularly enjoy a mug of in the evenings.

I do also have some loose leaf Jasmine and Rose Petal green tea that my mum gave me last year, but I have only tried it once so far and I have no idea where it's from! I think I probably need to finish up the ones I have for now, but I want to try some different green teas in the future so let meknow if you have any faves! Any particularly Christmassy ones out there?

Now, go make yourself a cuppa and settle down to enjoy your Sunday evening- I know I will!

Catriona x

My First Time Buying an Advent Calendar || Blogmas Day 2

Since I was young, my wonderful Auntie has always bought my sister and me a Fairtrade chocolate Advent Calendar to share. When I moved to uni, I wouldn't be at home for every day of December (in  my first year I was home from the 10th, and last year I was home for the first weekend, and then back again from the 17th), but my Mum made sure that my sister saved me a fair number of chocolates haha, bless her!

However, this year, I won't be home till the 20th December, so will almost entirely miss advent at home! It's a little sad, as I love to see the advent candle my mum buys every year burning a little more each evening, and all the other many traditions, but I decided that I had to make up for it by buying myself a whole chocolate advent calendar just for me!

Now, a whole overwhelming array of choices were open to me! Which to pick?! Haha, the idea to treat myself to one first occurred when I was in Tesco with my friend from home, at the start of
November. She works in an independent sweetie shop that last year totally sold out of advent calendars! We decided that the Lindt one, priced comparatively reasonably in Tesco at £5, may be the one I would have to go for!

But the Advent calendar saga continues.... (who knew I could write a whole post on this, congrats if you're still reading!) When U went back a couple of weeks later, they'd sold out of Lindt. So, in the end, I went for a £3 Thorntons one because I liked the picture!

And there we have it: it's Blogmas Day 2, I have now enjoyed 2 lovely chocolates, discovered the calendar also treats me to some very cheesy Christmas jokes, and been sent a heart-wrenching silly photo of my fam enjoying their own advent pressies!

What kind of Advent calendars are 'in' this year? I think maybe next year I'll branch out, away from chocolate. How about a book advent calendar?! (Oh wait, we'd be back to book reviews only again...)

Catriona x

I'm doing it again?! || Blogmas Day 1

So... some of you may have read my Blogmas posts last year, and I hummed and hawed about whether or not I could commit to 25 more festive posts this year (if you missed last year's Blogmas, feel free to head back to this time last year and have a wee read. They may be better than this year's because it was my first year of doing it and coming up with ideas haha!)

But I really feel like my blog has been carried by book reviews this year, and not much else! So it's in need of something different, and I'm in need of festive cheer and creativity as I revise for my exams. I am currently in my longest stint away from home ever. I have seen my parents briefly on a couple of occasions, but I haven't been home since September, and won't be going back till 20th December. My coursework is all in, but I do still have 2 exams to do before I can fully relax!

Therefore, I have only come up with a few ideas so far, and these Blogmas posts will likely not be very long, of varying degrees of Christmas theme. We shall see how it goes, but actually when I decided in my head that I was definitely doing this, I felt quite excited to get started!

So, this first one is really just a welcome to Blogmas 2017 (I even have brand new Blogmas countdown art (created very unprofessionally by moi!), because I enjoyed doing them last year too!).

If you have any ideas that you would like to see me include over the next 25 days, please do comment! I'm really looking forward to putting aside a wee bit of time away from revision to write, even if the posts aren't very long. Well, I'm looking forward to it now as I sit snuggled up under my duvet. Maybe when I'm into long library days and trying to fit in shifts at work it will stress me out a little more, but I really hope to keep it fun!

I'd love to hear from other bloggers doing Blogmas too... throw all the festive creativity at me to keep all of our spirits up! So comment links to your favourite Blogmasses.... (is that a word? No? Well it is now!)

So, join me as I munch on my advent chocolate, wrap up warm to face December in Scotland, and attempt to feel a little festive despite revising my butt off for my first 3rd year exams!!

Catriona x