I can’t believe this is my 50th blog post. I started this blog last summer as a way to get my writing out there, to have a creative outlet, and I’m so thankful to every one of you who comes back each time to read my posts. Now, because it’s my 50th post, I wanted to try and do something amazing, so I opted to try and write a poem – operative word being ‘try’. So here goes… My 50th post, wow that’s a lot, Write Watch Work, that’s the plot. Never thought I’d get this far, It all seems rather bizarre! ‘A Little About Me’ was the first post written, I’m just a writer from Great Britain. Always wanted to write for people, But never thought it’d be so gleeful. So many books I have read, They’re all great just before bed. Lots more worlds for me to enter, Cafés, schools, towns and city centres. Movies and TV, passions of mine, Too many favourites, all sublime. Over 100 DVDs I have to myself, Waiting patiently, for me to watch, on my shelves. Work is fun when one has drive, Motivation helps keep you alive. Hard times and challenges may occur, But both are steps to success, which I prefer. Thanks to you all for reading my posts, I hope that I’ve been a good host. Many more posts are still to come, So, stick around for more fun! Until next time…

I’m officially 19 – woohoo! My birthday was this week, and despite being restricted with what we could do I had such a great time. My family and I went out for lunch to Pizza Hut – very scrumptious but also very filling, haha – and then in the afternoon I opened presents, we played Kahoot and then we watched a movie. It was so much fun and I know I’m going to treasure the memories forever. I got lots of lovely presents, including lots of clothes, chocolate, a gorgeous Pandora ring, and books. In total I received eight books – the bookworm in me was very happy! Admittedly, one of the books was ‘Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a literary twist’ but at the end of the day, it’s still a book – a handy one at that. The other books I received are actual reading books. My parents got me a set of three classics; they are ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen, ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte and ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte. I’ve never actually read a classic but have always wanted to, and now I’m doing a Creative Writing degree, I thought it was the perfect time to start. They also got me two books from the Debbie Johnson series, The Comfort Food Café. The titles I got are ‘Sunshine at the Comfort Food Café’ and ‘A Gift from the Comfort Food Café’. I already had the first three books, and the last one, but not the others, so I can now officially say I have the whole series – Yay! The next book they got me is by the author Heidi Swain, and it’s called ‘The Winter Garden’. I’ve got a couple of Swain’s books already but this one just looked like a perfect winter read. Lastly, the final book came from a close friend, and it’s by an author who I’ve heard of, whose work I know but, unlike my sister, I’ve never read her books – unfortunately – but since yesterday I can. The book I got is 'Christmas Shopaholic' by Sophie Kinsella. I am very delighted with all these books that I received and I’m so grateful for buying a new bookcase to house them all, haha. Books are always a great way to escape reality, especially in a time with a pandemic. And now, I have plenty more ways to escape and many more worlds to immerse myself in. Are there any books you don’t have, but you want? If so, what are they? Until next time…

At some point in our lives, we all have to focus on our work or our studies; and sometimes we lack the motivation to dedicate our entire attention to the task at hand. I know that if I’m studying or working, I can’t do it in silence. I have to have some sort of background noise going on because otherwise I just lose interest and want to do something else. Recently I was scrolling through Spotify to try and find some ambient music to listen to whilst studying. I love music – absolutely love it – so much so that I have over 3000 songs on my phone, but when I’m studying, I can’t have any upbeat music on because I would just dance instead of doing the work (totally not productive!). So, I found a revision playlist that is the perfect background noise for my study-time. It's called Revision Ballads and lasts 3 hours and 55 minutes (a lot of revision time!) It includes artists such as: Calum Scott, Harry Styles, Dermot Kennedy, Emeli Sandé, Little Mix and Kelly Clarkson. The playlist has pop ballads and acoustic covers, all of which help me to focus and zone in on my studying. If you’re like me and can’t study/work in silence, then Spotify have loads of playlists for the sole purpose of helping you to focus – this one is the playlist I prefer. Give some and try and you might be surprised. Until next time…

Everyone has their favourite TV shows that they love. I’m sure that you know some of the character's lines, what’s going to happen in a particular scene. There will always be a TV show that you can easily binge no matter what day it is. But, I know that for me, there are different shows I love to watch depending on my mood. Obviously I have my favourite shows but depending on how I feel, depends on what I want to watch. If I’m happy, a feel good show is the perfect watch - Hart of Dixie is one of my go-to shows. If I’m sad and want cheering up, then Fresh Prince and Friends are great comedy shows to watch. But if I’m sad and want a good cry then Grey’s Anatomy is the only show that can do the job. If I’m bored and want something exciting and action-packed, Grey’s Anatomy is a contender and so is The 100. If I want a show on in the background, Charmed is what I choose - I’ve seen it so many times, I can tell you what's going to happen. If I’m hungry, then I definitely can’t watch the Great British Bake Off because that just makes the hunger worse, lol! Everyone has a different taste in shows - like my sister doesn’t like The 100 (strange, haha) - so I’m curious...what shows would you watch for your different moods? Until next time...

October is just a few days away, and that means that winter is approaching with my favourite holiday – Christmas! I absolutely love Christmas, so much so that when my calendar reads October 1st, I start to read my Christmas books. October might be a little early to start getting in the festive spirit, but I have A LOT of books about that magical time of year – and I mean a lot a lot! My Christmas books literally take up half of my bookshelf and they’re written by different authors, including Sarah Morgan, Debbie Johnson, Heidi Swan, Phillipa Ashley and more. All these authors help me feel a little more Christmassy, much to my family’s annoyance, and ready for December, but there is one author – my favourite – whose Christmas books I read every year – I've read them so much that the ink is fading! This author is Sarah Morgan. Now, I said that Sarah Morgan is my favourite author, but I always wonder what makes someone a favourite author? Is it after you’ve read a certain number of their books? Is it because they make you laugh? Or cry? Is it because you can relate to the characters? What is it? Do people have a criterion that determines who their favourite author would be? Do people have several favourite authors? I know I have many authors that I’ve classed as my “favourite” overtime, and I’ve always found it hard to whittle it down to one, but at the end of the day there is one author whose books I read more of, and more frequently, and so I chose them as my favourite author. So, here’s seven reasons why Sarah Morgan is my favourite author: 1. When I read her books, I can’t put them down – literally! 2. Her books evoke emotion – I laugh, I smile…and sometimes I cry. 3. Reading her books makes me feel better and happier. 4. I become invested in the storyline – eager to know how it ends. 5. I love the character developments throughout her works. 6. She writes with great quality. 7. As a reader I can appreciate all character’s perspectives. Do you have a favourite author? If so, who is it, and why are they your favourite? Until next time...

This week I had my first job interview and I was really nervous. In the past, I’d only ever had interviews for sixth forms and universities, and for them I wasn’t really that worried about them but this week, for my first job interview I was definitely worried, especially since it was a telephone interview – I don’t even like talking to my sister over the phone, let alone someone I've never met! But all went well, and once it was complete, I was very relieved. I took steps to make sure I was prepared for it, and so I thought I’d share some of my top tips for interviews. Here they are: 1. Know what the interview is about – understand what the job is 2. Know some information about the company – you don’t want to be thrown off guard if the interviewer asks, ‘Why do you want to work for this company?’. You need to know what they do 3. Make sure you know what you wrote on your application – revise your application, CV and cover letter before so the information is fresh in your mind 4. Make a list of questions you might want to ask – the cat always has my tongue when I’m asked ‘Do you have any question?’ no matter the situation, so it’s good to think of some beforehand 5. Make notes about yourself – you might be asked to tell them about yourself and I’m sure we could all say lots of things, but not all of them would be relevant, so maybe make a note of things you could say that are relevant to the job These are just my top tips – you probably have some of your own – but in case you don’t, these could help. Until next time…

Tonight is the night that the NFL season begins. Since February, NFL fans all around the globe have been waiting in anticipation for the new season to start, and the time has finally come. We had the draft - the first virtual NFL draft - but what we really wanted to see was our favourite team playing on the field. Each team has gone through the process of drafting players, like Chase Young and Tua Tagovailoa, and cutting down their rosters to 53, so that tonight the season can begin. The first game is between the Houston Texans at the reigning champions, Kansas City Chiefs. Whilst the season is starting, there will be restrictions in place to keep in line with Covid-safe measures, such as limited-person attendance, but that doesn't mean the games will be less exciting. And, thankfully, the Sunday Night Football song will be back, pumping fans up ready for the Sunday night games. There are great new players on many teams making their debuts, like CeeDee Lamb for the Dallas Cowboys, and players that have moved teams, and even conferences. The New England Patriots have said goodbye to Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski as they've gone to Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cincinnati Bengals have welcomed their new quarterback, Joe Burrows, and Washington have welcomed their new name for this season, Washington Football Team. So tonight, the Thursday night game will kick-off the season. I'm a Cowboys' girl myself, so Sunday night is the night when I will be in full NFL mode but for now... ...Grab your snacks, get your drinks and cheer for your team! Until next time...

Today marks the beginning of September; the month where school starts, the weather gets colder and the time till Christmas becomes less and less. This September will be a little different than usual, with the restrictions from the pandemic, but work still needs to happen…and so does relaxing. It’s easy to get so caught up in your work - whether it be homework from school or tasks to do with your job – and forget about downtime and looking after yourself. I should know; there were times when I wouldn’t stop studying and my parents had to literally force me to move from my desk! But self-care is so important. Everyone needs that time, at some point of the day, to do something they enjoy and find relaxing. For some it might be watching a good movie, or listening to music or playing a sport; whatever it is, you should find the time to do it. During lockdown, one thing I’ve found that helps take away stress and anxiety is colour by numbers. And the way I do it, is by the app Happy Colour. Happy Colour is free to download and it has a plethora of different pictures you can colour. The topics range from art, to nature, to sport, to interiors and now they’ve added a Disney section! Whilst it does require a screen, it is surprising how calming (yet a little addictive!) it can be! If you’re a person who enjoys colouring, or using their devices, then this app may be for you! Here are some of the images that I’ve coloured: If you fancy a break from work, and you like colouring...have a go! Until next time...

How many of you have heard the words ship and canon before? Obviously, a ship is transport used on water and well, a canon (two n’s not three) is a Church law or decree but it just so happens there’s another world in which these words mean something else. This is the world of fandoms. Now, I know what fandoms are but there are some people who don’t, like my parents. So, here’s a quick breakdown… A ‘Fandom’ is a community formed by fans of a TV show, a book, a movie etc. Typically, the world of fandoms has its’ own jargon; the examples below are the ones I think are the most important to know. A ‘Ship’ is the abbreviation of “relationship” and it basically means you want two characters to be involved romantically. Now, a ‘Canon’ is the official storyline of the TV show, book, or movie, and when a ship is referred to as being canon, it means it is real in the show, book, etc. And lastly, the final key piece of jargon is ‘OTP’. An ‘OTP’ is someone’s ‘One True Pairing’, meaning a fangirl’s favourite fictional romance. I don’t have just one favourite fictional romance, and my latest one is actually the inspiration behind this post. My sister and I, being the fangirls that we are, started freaking out over a potential romance that we didn’t realise could happen until yesterday. We’d been watching this show and have loved it, but never thought of these particular characters as a couple before; this show is MacGyver – not the original, the reboot! We have lots of OTPs but haven’t felt strongly about one in a while and the potential romance between two of the protagonists, MacGyver and Riley, has brought out our inner fangirls - we're a bit crazy, I know! We basically had a freak out moment, spurting out all these words that were foreign to our parents – just another language we now speak lol – and so, I decided to write a blog about it. Many of you probably don’t know what I’m talking about and some of you may have just realised you’re fangirls or fanboys yourselves, but this whole fandom business is serious; there are ship names, fanfictions, fanvids and so much more all about fandoms. So, here are some of my fave fandoms and ships: 1. MacGyver – MacRiley (MacGyver and Riley) 2. One Tree Hill – Naley (Nathan and Hayley) 3. Grey’s Anatomy – Slexie (Sloan and Lexie) 4. The 100 – Bellarke (Bellamy and Clarke) 5. The Vampire Diaries – Delena (Damon and Elena) 6. Hart of Dixie – Zade (Wade and Zoe) 7. Teen Wolf – Stydia (Stiles and Lydia) 8. Supergirl – Karamel (Mon El and Kara) 9. Lucifer – Deckerstar (Lucifer Morningstar and Chloe Decker) 10. The Originals – Kolvina (Kol and Davina) These ten fandoms and ships are just from TV shows; I have many more from books, like Hessa and Clace (After and The Mortal Instruments), and movies, like Dotty and Covinsky (Fast and Furious and To All the Boys). It can be quite hard to decide – I would know – but I’m curious. So, what are your favourite fandoms and ships? Until next time...

So, whilst lockdown measures have been eased, my family and I are quite content on staying in our home, sweet home. But, eventually there comes a point when you want to do something different – change it up a bit – and so online shopping became useful. When we’re not studying, working, or FaceTiming family, we now have a new hobby. Admittedly one on which we can improve but we’re not too bad, if I do say so myself. And although we’re not experts, it’s a bit of fun that gets us all laughing. This new hobby of ours is…archery. Now, my sister had proper training during her first year at university, with an actual bow and arrow, so she’s experienced and very good. My parents and I, however, have had no training except the occasional go on the Wii – very advanced stuff, I know! But never had the chance to actually do it at home – this is where the online shopping comes in. My dad purchased an archery set from Aldi; a soft archery set, designed by Crane. It comes with a bow – obviously – and three arrows with a suction on the end, and even though it’s a soft set, it does make you feel like The Green Arrow or Hawkeye when you hit the target. So, if you’re bored, or want something new and fun to do at home, I recommend this. It’s great family fun and causes lots of laughter! Until next time…

When someone says ‘work’ people think of their jobs or homework from school and all things similar but one thing I find to be work – or at least difficult – is deciding what dinners to have for the week. In my family, we are limited to what dinners we can have; some of us dislike fish, others dislike cheese and one of us dislikes onion and pepper – me! Now, whilst there is a vast variety of dishes out there, we typically stick to the same meals and rotate them. For example, some of our favourites are: chicken and rice (either sticky chicken, teriyaki or Sweet and sour), carbonara, mince and pasta, sausage and mash, burgers, and a roast dinner of sorts. During lockdown, I have learnt to cook several meals, from carbonara to a joint of roast pork with homemade roast potatoes. And I’ve enjoyed the cooking – and the eating! The problem is we have so many recipe books, including ones from Jamie Oliver and Weight Watchers, but have we actually ever looked in those books? Ermmmm…No! We find it hard-work to come up with our meals for the week and so if you have any dishes that you have often or if you too find yourself struggling to decide on dinners, let me know in the comments section below. Until next time…

Five years ago it debuted on Broadway; three years ago it came to London; and this weekend, everyone everywhere can be in ‘The Room Where It Happens’ as it came to Disney+. The cultural phenomenon, Hamilton, was made available to ‘Blow Us All Away’ on the streaming service on Friday, leaving many eager fans ‘Satisfied’ over Independence Day weekend. Fans of the musical and those desperate to see it for the first time (Me!), could finally ‘Take a Break’ from feeling ‘Helpless’ and having to ‘Wait for It’. Having only been available in theatre, the concept of filming a live production and making it accessible to everyone means fans can watch it anytime, anywhere (even in a ‘Hurricane’) without friends and family having to ‘Say No to This’. Lin Manuel Miranda’s mix of Broadway, hip-hop, R&B, and jazz tells the story of “America then, as told by America now”, educating millions about the history of one of the founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, and the people who influenced his life (Marquis de Lafayette; John Laurens; Hercules Mulligan; Aaron Burr; and the Schuyler sisters). The musical not only embodies America’s independence, but demonstrates the country’s strength into becoming the constitution it is today and the life of Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton educates people on America’s war of independence from the British, with songs such as ‘Yorktown’ and ‘Stay Alive’ and the life of Hamilton is expressed through lyrics in songs like ‘Alexander Hamilton’ and ‘It’s Quiet Uptown’. The show is extraordinary and whilst it conveys important historic facts and teaches people about Hamilton – one of the most significant people in American history – it relates to the problems and obstacles of today, like gun violence and racism; duels were very common back then, as seen in the ‘Ten Duel Commandments’, and there was still the issue of racism, more so in terms of slavery and not having a ‘black battalion’, but it still existed. The musical has numerous exceptional performances, such as Renée Elise Goldsberry’s ‘Satisfied’, Phillipa Soo’s ‘Burn’, Leslie Odom Jr's 'Wait For It' and Daveed Digg’s 'What’d I Miss’. The 46 songs that make up the show are wonderful to listen to and are just one of the reasons why the Broadway musical has won so many awards: 11 Tony Awards; a Pulitzer Prize; a Grammy Award and many more. Now having seen the recording of the original Broadway show, I can’t think of a more perfect cast. Lin Manuel Miranda did a phenomenal job creating something that has taken the world by storm. If you haven’t seen it, you definitely should. Until next time… Trailer Courtesy of Disney.