I've Been Thinking... - Oh My Glitterballs, Strictly Come Dancing Is BACK!

Hi!!!


Now, if you have been here for a long time, you will probably already know that I am a complete Strictly Come Dancing nut. I don't watch the X-Factor (for many reasons - I'm not with my age group on that one), only Strictly and I want to share my excitement with you.

Strictly Come Dancing makes me so happy.
I find so much enjoyment in settling down on a Saturday night with a massive brew to watch celebrities, in the most wonderfully sparkly costumes, dance.

I love everything about Strictly, from the costume designs, to the live band, to the warm, nostalgic feeling it gives me and of course the judges and routines. I love the professionals and the celebrities.

I also really like how it appeals to people of all ages.

As a (former) dancer, I love seeing peoples technique improve over the weeks and I find the progression of some celebrities phenomenal.

It will be interesting to see how Claudia Winkleman works on the main show, and I wish her the best of luck in her new presenting venture.

I also wish all of the celebrities taking part the best of luck.

So, here's to you Strictly, I can't wait for you to grace my tellybox every weekend!

 Its good to have you back.

I hope you enjoyed and that, if you are watching, you enjoy Strictly.

Will you be watching tonight? What do you enjoy most about Strictly? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments below.

See you soon for some more posts!

Have the most wonderful day!

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - Reasons Why Lazy Days Are Awesome.

Hi!!!


So, I'm back after pretty much a months hiatus. I cannot apologise enough for this, I really feel as though I have let all of you guys down but I haven't had it in me for a while due to some very poopy life events (which I'm not here to moan about). I'm back now anyway, with this post and I hope you enjoy.

So, quite some time ago now (I started writing this in August), I had a slightly fabulous lazy day. In my own, very humble, opinion, lazy days are one of the greatest things in life. I feel as though, every now and then, a lazy day is highly required and I see nothing wrong with giving in to pyjamas, gallons of tea, movies and back to back TV shows.

Said lazy day involved sleeping in - I was in desperate need of catching up on that sleep thing - washing my hair and showering with some lovely products and getting into my uniform for the day - my long sleeved Supergirl top and some pyjama shorts.

I made myself a little brew and settled down for a day filled with TV, movies and, as you probably guessed knowing me, lots more tea.

So, now you know the basics of my lazy day a while back, and you have (THIS) post where I discuss another lazy day, here are just a few of the reasons I love them.

Five Reasons Why Lazy Days Are Awesome.

1. It gives you an opportunity to watch the films that you have bought on DVD or recorded on your Planner (if you are a Sky Customer like me - other TV doobrees available) that you have been meaning to watch for a long time. My choices often include Disney movies and Rom-Coms - particularly Richard Curtis ones. My choices on the lazy day in question included - The Jungle Book and Killers.
2. It gives you a chance to do the silly little things you might not have had time for otherwise like painting your nails with that pretty little nail polish that you bought the other day, or trying the body butter in the drawer of your bedside table, or read that blog you discovered the other day. They are some of the things I often like to do. On the lazy day of destiny, I tried some new bath and body care that I had bought and caught up on reading all of my favourite blogs.
3. As I said before, you have a chance to catch up on sleep, and I know that I certainly value that time as I tend to wear myself out till I am running on empty and need to recharge sometimes in a big way. On the lazy day this post concerns, I woke up fairly early, had a cup of tea and went back to bed for an hour or two which was perfect.
4. Pyjamas! You guys all know that I love pyjamas and often buy myself new tops or bottoms or sets of them - I went shopping the other day and the only thing that I liked happened to be some Jungle Book pyjamas from Topshop (which aren't in stock on the website anymore, but HERE is Topshop anyway). As I mentioned, on the fabulous lazy day that I'm banging on about, I wore a Supergirl long sleeved top and pyjama shorts.
5. The joy of just "being". It sounds incredibly cheesy, I know, but certain things really remind you how lucky you are. The way I believe lazy days do this by reminding you how lucky you are to be so busy that you need a lazy day, how lucky you are to be able to stop for a minute. Lazy days are a good opportunity to take stock of your life, and that is something we all need to do sometimes.

Did we enjoy? I know it was a short post, but its just nice to be back blogging! I promise that I will be posting as much as I used to from now on - I've got my head together again and so I feel happy to do so.
Do you enjoy lazy days? What do you get up to on yours? Do you agree with my reasons for them being awesome? Any comments or suggestions for future posts? Just fancy a chat? Let me know in the comments.
See you (very) soon for more posts (promise)...

Have a totally wonderful day!

GingerSnaps xxx

So, To Sum It All Up - August Summary.

Hi!!!


So, again, as in July, a slight lack of posts during August - appologies. Let's consider this a catch up on what I have been up to while I was away.


Here are my highlights from August - I hope you enjoy.

Lunches with Family.

I know this isn't a post related topic, but I enjoyed a number of lovely lunches out with my family in August - mainly catch-up-y lunches with my Mom.

I am a self confessed foodie and family time lover, so the multiple sandwiches, cakes, noodles and cups of tea consumed (not all in one sitting) were much enjoyed and valued.

Its nice to have little things to enjoy and look forward to like these.

The Centenary Anniversary of World War One.

I am a complete history nut and have studied (and continue to study) World War One, so I obviously  had a big interest in this.

I said a great deal about how I felt in my post about it and I do feel as though it is something that everyone should stand up and take notice of as it is such a big part of the world's history.

I do believe that it is vital for things like this to be remembered and commemorated, so I was glad to share a post with you all.

And that post can be found over (HERE).

Elf Girl's Birthday.

August saw the month of my best friend's birthday - she is known in the Blog World as Elf Girl.

I went round to see her on her birthday with some gifts (including some treats from Lush and HMV) and watched the Corpse Bride and ate After Eights with her.

I hope she had a wonderful day and enjoyed all of her celebrations as she truly deserves those kinds of things - not just in my eyes, but in everyone else's too.

To find Elf Girl's Blogger Profile - and thus her blogs - click (HERE).

To find links to Lush and HMV (where you can purchase the Corpse Bride on DVD), click (HERE) and (HERE).

Thinking About Things in my Life.

In August, I shared some "Brain Bits" with you - they were things I had been thinking about a bit during the month and wanted to share.

I like thinking about little things, as you know, and I like sharing them to give other people ideas for themselves and an insight into my mind to get to know me better.

To find my "Brain Bits", mosey on over (HERE).

Whovian Times.

Myself and Elf Girl really are self confessed Whovians (fans of Doctor Who, for those of you who aren't nerds  aware).

We went to see the first episode of the new series in our local cinema and enjoyed the benefits of it, with extra exclusives and a live Q&A with the cast and crew (which was streamed from London around the country and the world).

I really enjoyed myself and love the new series, and the new doctor! I had a lovely time with Elf Girl that day.

Some fun stories for the day include: us tracking the movements of the people who came in CosPlay (costume, again for those of you who aren't nerds aware) as David Tennant's Doctor Who and Matt Smith's Doctor Whos (i.e Oh, look, David Tennant bought popcorn) and my falling through the fold of a cinema chair in an effort to climb over to the next row and rescue the Sonic Screwdriver that Elf Girl brought with her.

To see another recent Whovian post, click (HERE).

My Favourite Blog Posts From August.

"Shout Out" on Chronicles Of Red Herring, (HERE).

I know I'm a bit biased as it is a post for/about me (can I just point out how awesome it feels for someone to write a post for you?!), but I think that it shows a very thoughtful, funny and lovely side to Elf Girl and really put a smile on my face.

"Your Toy Story" on A Rosie Outlook, (HERE).

This is really my kind of post.
I am a sentimental person - who, like Rosie, sleeps with a teddy and keeps them in my bedroom -  and love hearing stories people have like this and little memories associated with teddies and toys too.

"The Game Of Love" on Charlotte's Web, (HERE).

I found this post humorous, endearing and slightly charming (in a quirky kind of way).

I love how Charlotte's personality shines through in her posts and she is so open.

I also love how in her list of unspeakable things, she included watching all of the Twilight films... Its true.

"We Liked: Things You Didn't Know About Us" on Little Winter, (HERE).

This post was fun, a bit interesting (in terms of an being an insight into Katy and Co.) and made me smile and chuckle.

I like posts which tell you more about the people whose blog's you read, it provides a bit more connection between reader and writer. 

"Wandering and Dreaming" on Made Up Of Little Things, (HERE).

This post was open, beautiful and it was lovely that Rachael decided to share this as it is so personal to her.

I'm sure lots of people can relate to things like this - there are always things that remind you of the loved ones you lose.

I think it would also be of good comfort to the people who have recently had loses - you know how you are - to read it.

Plus, stunning photography here.

"Full English" on The London Project, (HERE).

Not only did this look like an awesome, very yummy, Full English Breakfast, it is a very good shot of something ironically British, which fit the blog well.

Also, the cutlery is the same as the cutlery we use in my house and the cup of tea in the background looks of a reasonable size too - additional brownie points added to Charlotte's tally.

"Afternoon on Embankment" on What Olivia Did, (HERE).

I really liked this outfit as it was classic yet fun and unique as well as the photography, the location - I love London, as you know - and how pretty Olivia looks.

It was a great outfit post.



There you go then, a summary for August. I hope that you have enjoyed this post. It is so nice to be back blogging. I'm looking forward to lots of posts and lots of fun on this blog and I should be back to more regular posts again now. I hope this makes you as happy as it makes me.
What did you get up to in August? Anything similar to me? Did you read any of my favourite blog posts? What did you think of them? Any ideas or suggestions for future posts? Fancy a chat? Let me know in the comments.
I hope you'll be back soon.

Have a really fun day!

GingerSnaps xxx