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25 December 2016

Blogmas Day 25 | Merry Christmas! 🎅

It's now the 25th of December and the final day of Blogmas, meaning I have to say Merry Christmas to you all! Hope you all have a great festive season and eat as much chocolate and food as your body desires (I know I will).


Hope you get all you want from Santa and not a lump of coal (although that could be a great present to somebody). I'm having a great time spending it with my nearest and dearest, treasuring every moment and making it all so special.

I'll be back writing shortly after Christmas explaining what I got for Christmas this year and also what I've bought in the Boxing Day Sales, if anything that is.

Again, hope you have a lovely Christmas and a very Happy New Year 😚

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

24 December 2016

Blogmas Day 24 | I'm Away for Christmas This Year

Hi guys!


This is just a very short post to let you know that I'm going away to see my family abroad this year for Christmas. I will be sure to take lots of pictures while I'm there so will be able to share my lovely time with them when I get back.

Also I won't be answering any emails, comments or anything until I get back on Boxing Day, so I can see what y'all lovely people have said about my social media posts so far. If you would like to read the rest of my Blogmas posts this year, you may do so by clicking HERE.

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas 😘

A K Jones
xx

22 December 2016

Blogmas Day 22 | Music I'm Looking Forward To In 2017

Another year means a new batch of music stars and arising talent. Below are just some of the albums I'm really looking forward to listening to in 2017.


Amber Run - For A Moment, I Was Lost (released 10th February 2017)


Tinie Tempah - Youth (released 27th January 2017)


Rag'n'Bone Man - Human (released 10th February 2017)


Those are just three of the many albums to be released next year, with many more yet to be announced making their way onto my iTunes library. What albums are you most looking forward to in 2017? Let me know by tweeting me 😊 I think it'll be a great year for music, as 2016 has proved to be.

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

21 December 2016

Blogmas Day 21 | Albums of The Year 2016

Another year of great music has come to an end. 2017 brings lots of new artists to the forefront of people's minds as well as new releases from those legends/people we're all loving right now. That's a post for another day, but I'm here now to discuss my Albums of The Year 2016.

Ariana Grande - Dangerous Woman 



Ariana blew everyone away once again this year with her latest studio album Dangerous Woman. Featuring recent and smash-hit single Side To Side featuring Nicki Minaj, the album is a masterpiece - I even reviewed it myself, take a look at what I said HERE.

BROODS - Conscious



Oh my God this album. I fell in love with 'Never Gonna Change', a single from their debut EP. As soon as I heard Conscious fully for the first time I actually thought "that'll be one of my albums of the year, I can guarantee it" and here we are. I reviewed this too and gave it nothing but ecstatic praise, view that HERE.

Fifth Harmony - 7/27



I randomly found this album on my in-flight entertainment on the way to New York in September (read about that trip HERE) and decided to go against my X Factor-hating ways and give it a listen. Well blow me down it was a great listen. Full of sass and compassion, it's been part of my playlist on Spotify for the last 3 months and will continue to be until I get bored of it.

Revolution Radio - Green Day



I think it's kind of obvious that Green Day will be part of my AOTY list, as I wrote a glowing review of this record back in November when it was released. I've been a fan of Green Day for at least 10 years and although not every release is amazing, their politically-charged Revolution Radio really knocks the ball out of the park. Read my review of the record HERE.

Busted - Night Driver



Again another album I reviewed, marking Busted's comeback after over a decade of being in separate bands. For those who loved Busted in the Noughties (including me) their fourth studio release was really highly anticipated. Read my review HERE.

Sonic Boom Six - The F-Bomb



I swear this album has not been off repeat or appearing in my 'Recently Played' somewhere since I first listened to it. Yet another album I've subjected my opinions to, Sonic Boom Six's The F-Bomb has definitely taught me not to judge an album by it's cover (which I assume you've already done). But trust me on this, it's great and a real listening highlight for me this year. Read what I had to say about it HERE.

That rounds up my Albums Of The Year for 2016. There's many more I've loved but if I droned on about them all we'd be here all day. I've really enjoyed the releases of this year and hope to hear great albums for my list next year.

What have been your favourites? Let me know by commenting below or tweeting me.

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

20 December 2016

Blogmas Day 20 | Christmas Jokes

To make you laugh I've compiled some fairly cheesy but somewhat funny Christmas jokes for those who want to have a chuckle in between doing their Christmas shopping or serving up the turkey for the dinner.

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Why does Santa have three gardens? 
So he can 'ho ho ho'!

What does Miley Cyrus have at Christmas?
Twerky!

Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?
A mince spy!

What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?
Tinsilitus!

How do you know if Santa is really a werewolf? 
He has Santa Claws!

Why does it get harder to buy advent calendars?
Their days are numbered!

What do you call an elf that sings?
A wrapper!

A song told me to 'deck the halls' so I did... Mr & Mrs Hall aren't very happy!

What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
Ice Crispies!

How will Christmas dinner be different after Brexit?
No Brussels!

Hope you enjoyed those. Got anymore? Let me know in the comments or by Tweeting me.

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

19 December 2016

Blogmas Day 19 | 2017 Wishlist

2017 is fast approaching and there's many things I'd love to purchase/see during the year, all of which are going to be listed below.


FitBit Aria Scales

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I've forever been meaning to get a pair of scales for managing my weight loss (or gain, so I can hold myself accountable) and FitBit's Aria WiFi scales seem like the perfect appliance for me. It syncs with my FitBit that I use every day to track my exercise and can be updated based on what food I've eaten and how much water I've drunk that day. They're pretty awesome.

Amazon Echo Dot

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I've seen Amazon's Alexa pop up everywhere on the internet these days and it seems pretty cool apart from the conspiracies surrounding these devices. Also an alarm containing the voices of Clarkson, May and Hammond are definitely a reason for me buying this device as I love The Grand Tour and watch it every week without fail.

Toy Story Vans


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Toy Story is the best Pixar movie ever made IMO, so I was more than excited when I found out that they would be pairing with Vans to create Toy Story based designs, even with ANDY on the bottom of some of the shoes, replicating the same feature Woody has on his famous cowboy boot.

Levi's Jeans


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I put these on last year's wishlist and they will be on this one too as I still wish I could afford a pair 😂 but seriously, I hope to join some gym classes this year so will be able to shift some weight and be able to buy myself a pair to last me a while. That's the plan anyway!

That's my 2017 wishlist, what's yours? Share it with me either on Twitter, Facebook or in the comments below 👇

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

18 December 2016

Blogmas Day 18 | What I Hate About Christmas

On the opposite side of my What I Love About Christmas post, I also have a few things that bug me about me about the festive season too so decided to list what I hate about Christmas.

  • Having a HUGE shopping list to complete by a certain date.
  • Hearing the same Christmas songs so early - I love them all but by the time Christmas comes everyone's sick of them.
  • Shops putting up their Christmas decorations in August, who really needs to be that early?
  • The fact that Elf isn't playing anywhere on the telly this year, not even Netflix 😕
  • People who sell their gifts online when they don't like them. How rude is that?
  • Boxing Day sales, as I feel so sorry for those working and don't dare to go anywhere near the high street. 
Those are just a few reasons why I hate Christmas and all that comes with it. Do you agree with my reasons? If not, lemme know in the comments 👇

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

17 December 2016

Blogmas Day 17 | 2016 In Review

What a year 2016 has been. Trump, Brexit and the end of Bake Off. But ironically, it's been the best year for my career so far, with my blog getting more and more views each day including the chance to appear on both TV and radio. The time has come for my round-up of 2016 and what has happened in my life personally, blog-wise and within the worlds of uni and career aspects.


Blog

This year I've put more of an effort into writing more and have delivered at least one post a week. It's definitely helped me to stick to more of a schedule and get my own deadlines in order. That said, it certainly doesn't take any type of priority over university work at all. This year I also became a blogger for The Huffington Post and have had amazing opportunities because of this (mentioned below).

I've also been invited to some great events and conferences this year, with companies such as Taco Bell, Aloft Hotels and lots more - opening my networking circle and introducing me to new people from lots of different industries. I hope 2017 brings lots of new opportunities for my writing.

University

2016 has been a great year for me in terms of my Music Journalism course at uni, as I came out of second year with a 2:1 and I'm (hopefully) on track for a 2:1 in my degree. Third year has been really tough so far, especially with lots of extra-curricular things to do and events as mentioned above. But I'm still working really hard and strive to complete my assignments to their best.

Personal

Personally, I've had a great year in 2016 as I have become a lot more social and outgoing, but still am a little bit shy, but isn't everyone? I've been happy for most of this year as my career has really taken off and I'm now more sure of myself and what I want to do than ever. I'm sure 2017 will continue much the same.

Career

2016 has been one hell of a year for my career aspirations. I think I had the best year ever. As well as writing for The Huffington Post and because of this, I was invited to be a guest on ITV's The Agenda (a post about my entire experience is HERE) as well as onto Canadian radio station CBC's 'Day 6' podcast to discuss Trump vs Brexit. Sadly my podcast interview wasn't able to be used, but you win some and lose some.

Throughout 2016 I was constantly being asked what I wanted to do after uni and always said "I don't know", but now I do know. I started volunteering for Southampton community radio station Voice FM and managing their social media and writing about their Voice Fresh playlist every week. Whilst there I was delighted to find that I have a passion for social media management, and is what I want to do for the rest of my life 🙌

There's been so many highlights of 2016 and I really hope 2017 brings me more happiness and opportunities (as well as a job after my degree 😉). I'm sure if you look into 2016 you'll find something positive among all the negativity in the news these days.

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

16 December 2016

Blogmas Day 16 | Christmas TV Highlights

The good and dramatic telly is part of what makes Christmas, so here's a list of what I'm looking forward to watching this Christmas & New Year.


Alan Carr's New Years Specstacular - Channel 4, 31st December, 9pm

British comedian Alan Carr has a bash on nearly every occasion (Grand National included) and gets lots of celebrity guests on the show, a live audience and lots of booze. He gets so drunk and the show just turns into crowd control and madness. It's a great watch, even if you see it for this year only.

Outnumbered Christmas Special - BBC1, Boxing Day (26th December), 10pm

The original series of Outnumbered was great, about a family living in suburbia and who have a somewhat normal life. The kids get to improvise their lines and ask stupid questions, which is the reason the show is so funny.

For this year's Christmas special the kids who were really young when they filmed the original are really grown up now, so come with a new set of struggles to deal with as a family.

The Great Christmas Bake-Off - Part 1: Christmas Day, 4:45pm, Part 2: Boxing Day, 7pm 

Mel & Sue, Paul & Mary and the iconic tent is back on the BBC for a Christmas special. With more innuendos from Mary and a bit of real-world baking advice from Paul, it'll be a very popular show as it's the last hoorah before the show moves to Channel 4 without half of the cast. Definitely not one to be missed!

Still Game Hogmanay Special - BBC1, 31st December, 11pm and Midnight

I loved this special when my parents first showed me it a few years ago. It's so great that it's playing on TV again, as it can be introduced to new audiences and you can have a laugh even if you're not going out for NYE.

That rounds up my personal TV listings of specials that I want to watch this festive season. What will you be watching? Let me know 👇👇 I hope you all enjoy the TV, I know I will be. 

Happy Listening! (or should that be watching?)

A K Jones
xx

15 December 2016

Blogmas Day 15 | Favourite Bloggers of 2016

I've read a lot of blogs over the last year, and much like last year I'm writing a post about a few bloggers that I've enjoyed reading so much over 2016. Here goes, enjoy!


Lady Writes (written by Chloe)


Chloe featured in last year's post as well as this one, and for good reason. Her blog is wonderful to read, and photos are stunning! How does she do it? I think Chloe's got great things ahead for her blog, perhaps doing it full-time. I think everyone would love to see that, wouldn't you?

Sprinkle of Glitter (written by Louise Pentland)


Louise Pentland has a very successful YouTube channel Sprinkle of Glitter (you may have seen her face somewhere around London if you live there!) and before she before her channel, she started a blog called Sprinkle of Glitter. 

It's wonderfully written and the photos are amazing, they should definitely be admired. I love this blog and will continue to read it as long as Louise updates it. 

The Lipstick Lady (written by Alex)


Alex does a great job with The Lipstick Lady, writing lots of beauty and lifestyle reviews, but her highlight for me is her Snapchat stories and Get Ready With Me's, where she applies her makeup on camera and shows you how to do the same. It's a great blog and each review is very-well written and balanced. Alex definitely something great on her hands here. I'm so jealous of her beauty room! Can I have one?!

Charlene McElhinney (written by Charlene McElhinney)


Scottish blogger Charlene has a personal blog where she writes about all sorts of things, including product reviews, event reviews and even touching on the subject of mental health, being very open about her depression and anxiety, encouraging people to speak out about these issues. If you want to see her amazingly honest and great YouTube video about it, click HERE.

So those are some of my favourite blogs this year. Take a read of them and I'm sure you'll love them too, please do let me know if you read any of them already.

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

14 December 2016

Blogmas Day 14 | The Weird World of ASMR

AMSR is a weird phenomenon that has the world wondering why it happens to certain people. If you're not familiar with it, ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Median Response, meaning that certain people feel 'tingling' sensations in their brain when hearing certain noises.

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It makes the brain very excited (if you see what I'm getting at) and can be very relaxing for people like me and send them off to sleep. There's lots of different forms of ASMR, including role-plays and tapping noises. Just search on YouTube and see what options there are: doctor's appointments role-plays and sleep clinics, as well as many others.

Each video lasts at least 10 minutes, some even hours; but that means the brain can have some relaxing time. Read up on the science of ASMR HERE and see whether the video below excites your brain like it does mine.

Are you susceptible to ASMR? Does the video excite your brain? Let me know.

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

13 December 2016

Blogmas Day 13 | Favourite Christmas Song Covers

As I mentioned in my Favourite Christmas Songs post earlier this month, everyone loves Christmas songs. But even more so sometimes when they're covered and some are better than the original. Here's a few of my faves.

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Ariana Grande - 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'



Ari's an amazing singer, but more so when she's belting out a Christmas classic. She does a great job of covers and has even released a Christmas album or two (check them out on Spotify here) and she brings a new charm to such an already great song.

Daniela Andrade - 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas'



Uploaded four years ago and having amassed over a million views (all of which she deserves as it's an amazing cover), Andrade delivers an amazing acoustic cover of such a serene and slow song, in perfect style. Also, isn't her dog so cute?! Go and check out her music here to hear more from her.

Pentatonix - 'Hallelujah'



If you haven't heard of Pentatonix then where have you been? Their cover video of different Pop songs a couple of years ago went viral, and they've been making music ever since - including releasing a debut album and going on tour. They also covered Christmas songs such as this one. Watch the video above, it's the best cover of Hallelujah from a band I've ever heard.

So those are my favourite Christmas cover songs. Sorry for such a short post, but there's things to be done in this world before the festive season I'm afraid. See you tomorrow for something new!

A K Jones
xx

12 December 2016

Blogmas Day 12 | Subscription Box Gift Guide

Subscription boxes are an awesome gift, as a little present turns up on your doorstep every month or bi-monthly. Here's a compiled list of what's out there in loads of different categories as a present for a loved one or yourself if you want a little treat.


SourcedBox (£21.95 one off; £18.95 monthly subscription)

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SourcedBox is a great box for those looking for healthier snack choices in January and beyond. You can get the loved one a gift card to spend on a one-off box or a rolling subscription. The snack variety and choice is great, getting 8-12 snacks per box so it's great value for money and a wonderful healthy snack box for someone next year.

FabFitFun ($49, US only)

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This box is loved by bloggers and YouTubers, and holds over $200 value in a $49 box. It contains a plethora of products including skincare, clothing and other household gifts. They're full-size samples and is only seasonal, so you get 4 boxes a year with gifts from the season. Take a look on their website to see what's available. 

MusclePax

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If you or your loved one is a gym newbie or professional and want some good protein product samples to recover from a workout with, then MusclePax is for you. The box's £19.99 price tag includes a couple of different recipe cards for protein-fuelled meals and some great pre and post-workout snacks, and sometimes even some protein powders, with about 10-20 items per box. Check out their website and box options here.

BirchBox


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I'm sure if you're attuned to the world of beauty/skincare or read a lot of blogs that cover these categories, you may have heard of BirchBox. It's a monthly subscription box as well as a shop, so you can buy lots of things from the box as individual items. If you want to subscribe then there's limited edition boxes to buy as well as the general subscription. The box is "tailored to you" and both men and women can purchase one. Find out more here.

Papergang


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If you or your loved one is a lover of all things stationary, the Papergang subscription box may be the best option of these to choose. Created by stationary brand Oh Deer, it's only £9.99 a month, and there's only a few days left to sign up to December's box. If you miss it though, you can gift them January's instead and give them a new year's stationary surprise. Guide your eyes here to see what's available.

So there's a few subscription box options for you to either treat yourself every month as a little surprise, or to gift to someone else for Christmas. 'Like' my Facebook page to see more posts as soon as they're published.

A K Jones
xx

11 December 2016

Blogmas Day 11 | What I Love About Christmas

As Christmas is less than two weeks away and I'm so excited about it, I've got a simple list for you today about why I love Christmas. Enjoy!
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Here's what I love about Christmas:

  • Hearing Christmas songs in shops and around the high street - it's just wonderful!
  • Seeing movies on the TV like Elf, Bad Santa and Miracle on 34th Street.
  • Having a lot of chocolate and drinks in celebration of Christmas, whether it be at parties or just chilling at home.
  • Wearing a festive jumper/hat puts me in such a happy mood.
  • Seeing everyone else feeling upbeat and smiling at the decorations everywhere.
  • Putting the tree up 🎄
  • Seeing the Oxford Street lights which are AMAZING 😍
  • Children being so excited to see Santa (sorry in advance if I ruined it for anyone).
  • Buying people presents and getting so happy when they open them.
  • The Christmas Day lunch, when made by my Mum (hers is the best!).
  • The Christmas ads which I've made a post about, viewable HERE.
  • All the gift sets in Boots, some of which I want for myself! 😜
  • The telly schedule as it's always awesome at this time of year.
  • Spending time with family and loved ones that I hardly ever get to see (I don't go home that often and haven't seen my cousins or other relatives in a few years, but I'm seeing them this year 😆)

I hope you enjoy the same things about Christmas. If you have anything else that I haven't mentioned and makes Christmas so special, please let me know in the comments. Follow my Instagram for posts about my blog and other things too.

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx


10 December 2016

Blogmas Day 10 | It's A Mystery...

If you're anything like me, you'll be fascinated by the world around you and how it works. I'm also a reader of conspiracy theories, they're so weird but also addicting to read 😜. I don't really believe many of them, but I just want to list the ones that seem so interesting.
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The Mandela Effect


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It's a pretty weird theory, but one that's gained a lot of traction in recent months. The Mandela Effect all came about because a group of people clearly remember Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1980s and are convinced that it happened. How? Well apparently people's memories have been warped into a different dimension and makes them believe different things.

I think it's a load of bullshit but people have put lots of examples around the Internet and some of them are really strange; like in Snow White & The Seven Dwarves, what line does Snow White say into the mirror? "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all" right? Wrong.

In all copies of the film you can find anywhere, Snow White says "Magic mirror on the wall" instead. There's loads of other examples floating around the Web, so research online if you're fascinated by this crazy theory.

Fake Moon Landing


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For those who don't know, the USA was the first country to land a spaceship and get an astronaut on the moon, taking part in the Space Race against what is now Russia - yay USA. But some conspiracy theorists threw away America's achievement by saying that the moon landing was actually faked.

They had "evidence" (That you can view HERE) that apparently supports their theory, including seeing a lighting cable and the fact that there's no wind on the Moon so why did the American flag they unravelled blow around like crazy? I don't know what to think, let me know what you say.

Siri Is Listening To EVERYTHING You Say



iPhone's personal assistant Siri and now Amazon's Alexa are supposed to help make your life easier by booking cabs and setting alarms for you using your voice. But what's really scary is the fact that it may be recording everything you say, ever. Where does it go? Well some theorists think they're sending your data to security services and using it to be nosey into people's lives. My question is: who would care what you ask Siri? I've asked it some pretty stupid stuff, so they'd probably just laugh at what I ask.

So that's an explanation of a few crazy conspiracy theories. If you want to check out more, I would certainly recommend YouTuber Shane Dawson's conspiracy video playlist. He does so much research and presents them in such a great way in his videos.

Don't forget to 'Like' my Facebook page to see my posts before anyone else.

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

9 December 2016

Blogmas Day 9 | 5 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Under £15

Stockings are a good way to start celebrating Christmas Day, showing that Santa has indeed arrived and left everyone with presents. Here's a list of some popular stocking stuffers for under £15 that anyone from any gender and age will love.
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Notebooks


Notebooks (and stationary in general) are a great stocking item as everyone loves stationary and needs notebooks, even if they hoard them like I do. You can get notebooks in different sizes and prices but a great website is Oh Deer, their stationary can only be summed up by one emoji: 😍, it's beautiful. Check out their 'gift finder' on their website HERE.

Mini Speakers



I featured these in my Music Lovers Gift Guide, but a great stocking present is a set of speakers, specifically mini speakers. A great option is Bobby, a speaker which is really powerful and comes in lots of cool colours. It's so cheap and a perfect size for stockings and powered by USB - it's pretty awesome, if I had a stocking this year I'd be more than delighted if this or another mini speakerwas included. Check out the Bobby speaker HERE.

Candles

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There's nothing better than lighting up a candle to relax, perhaps in the bath or just to make the house smell a little bit nicer. You will have to gage what the person your buying for likes, so as to get them the perfect scent.

Mini candles of scents you're not sure they might like are the best, so they can get a sense of whether they like the scent or not. The most popular candle brand is Yankee Candle, they have lots of great scents you can look at HERE or in most homeware shops.

Makeup


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If it's not part of their main present or you have young ones who are starting to get into makeup, it would be nice to include some makeup for them. Most palettes are quite cheap and can fit inside a stocking, but be careful to not buy counterfeit goods from places like eBay, especially the Kylie Jenner lip kits or anything like that. As with all the other presents on this list there's lots of options, so shop around to find the best brand and deal.

Socks


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Socks are a vital part of a Christmas stocking, with children being somewhat disappointed by being given socks, but students like me are very grateful to receive socks that we don't have to buy after ruining or losing all of ours. They're very cheap and can be in nearly any design, so pop down to your local shops and see what they've got.

There's my 5 stocking stuffer ideas for under £15. They're not entirely original but all very useful and something I would personally love to have in my stocking for Christmas. Hope you all liked them. Any other ideas? Leave them in the comments and we can all get some inspiration!

Check out my Facebook page for more updates about my blog and life in general. 

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

I'm up for a UK Blog Award this year, I would love it so much if you voted for me! You can do so by clicking HERE☺️

8 December 2016

Blogmas Day 8 | The Christmas Tag 2016

People are nosey and love to know about people's lives and habits, don't they? I certainly do, especially what people do at Christmas. I've created a list of questions that I'm going to answer about Christmas and am going to tag some other bloggers who I want to answer these questions too.

Questions:

1. What's your favourite Christmas song?
It changes from year to year, but this year it would have to be I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Wizzard - apparently they filmed the video in a scorching hot New York in July, how? 😂 I actually wrote a whole post about my Christmas playlist this year, which can be read HERE.

2. Favourite Christmas film?
This year it would have to be Elf, a film everyone loves - someone's lying if they deny that they love Elf. Again I wrote a post my favourite Christmas films, which can be viewed HERE.

3. Do you have any Christmas traditions?
Instead of stockings on Christmas Day, our family have a little gift bag for each of us with little stocking gifts in it. They're usually cute and actually really useful! We give them on Christmas Eve and it's little things to open and to get the family excited for the present opening on Christmas Day. We won't be doing them this year as we're away, but it'll be great to spend time with the whole family (cousins and aunties included) this year instead.

4. Have a favourite holiday food?
My mum does the best mini sausages dipped in honey and sesame seeds, they're my favourite - not necessarily seasonal, but they're always made at Christmas! 😍😍 also I like all the festive chocolate - Lindt, Heroes and Celebrations.

5. Is your Christmas tree real or fake?
It's fake.

6. What's your favourite Christmas present you've ever received?
I've received so many great gifts over the years, but I have to say receiving my iMac in 2011 was my favourite, simply because I knew absolutely nothing about it.

7. Best part about the holidays?
Spending time with your family and friends, with all the Christmas specials on the TV and having lots of laughs as well as an amazing Christmas dinner.

8. Worst part?
Probably that it's over so quickly, and people's Christmas spirit is gone as soon as Boxing Day comes around and everyone's nursing a hangover.

9.  Do you have any tree decorations that are sentimental to you? If so, how come?
There's a Fred & Barney Flinstones decoration that we have on our tree, it's of them in their footmobile (the car they scoot along with their feet) and even though the string to it and the roof of the car's fallen off, we still have it sitting on our tree. It's sentimental to our family - my Mum got it from Florida one year and it's stuck on the tree ever since.

10. Do you wrap your gifts to look cute or just use wrapping paper and nothing else?
Most years I just use wrapping paper (not very well), but this year I got some cheap tags, ribbons and stamps from Forever Tiger and used that to make my gifts look really cute. It doesn't matter that it goes straight in the bin, it all only cost about £5. It's nice to make an effort 😊

11. What version of Do They Know It's Christmas do you prefer - 1984, 2004 or 2014?
Even though I wasn't born in the era of the song being released, I personally prefer the 1984 version. I only know 3 or 4 people in it, but it's still the best one.

12. Have a Christmas jumper? If so, what does it look like?
I have one from Primark that lights up. I would put it on and take a video or something, but all the lights have gone out on the jumper 😂

Here marks the end of my Christmas Tag for 2016. Below are a list of the people I tag to answer the questions in my tag:


Anyone else who wants to can do this tag as well, tweet me if you answer my questions. 

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

7 December 2016

Blogmas Day 7 | Films To Get You In The Christmas Spirit!

With Christmas just 3 weeks away, it's a good chance you're starting into the Christmas spirit and see all the movies being advertised on Sky Christmas or in the recommendations on Netflix. Here are some of my favourite films that I watch around this time to get into the Christmas spirit.

Bad Santa
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I must stress this before you sit down and watch Bad Santa: this is NOT a movie to watch with the kids. As the poster suggests it's pretty raunchy and contains a lot of swearing and sexual content. So put the kids to bed, watch this and prepare for a good laugh.

Billy Bob Thornton plays an alcoholic mall Santa and with his dwarf companion (played by Tony Cox) get into all kinds of trouble, as well as caring for a lonely kid at Christmas. It's a hilarious film and now one of my staples to watch every year in the run up to the holiday season. Bad Santa 2 is out in cinemas now, so catch it if you can or buy it on DVD in the New Year to watch next year. I haven't seen it yet, but I will soon - is it any good? If you've seen it, let me know!

Elf
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I don't know anyone who doesn't love Elf. It's now a Christmas classic and definitely one for a family viewing. It features Buddy The Elf who was accidentally adopted by Santa and goes to find his real father in New York City. Even at 21 I find it funny and it's definitely a heart warmer that will entertain everyone who watches it.

Home Alone
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Home Alone tells the story of Kevin (MaCaulay Culkin) who has been left home alone at Christmas as a family mix-up at the airport on the way to Florida has meant that he's left by himself. He goes on many adventures during this time, whilst trying to evade two guys who are trying to rob his house, creating cool booby-traps and eventually getting them the justice they deserved. Definitely not one to miss. 

The Snowman
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The Snowman is a film that I used to watch as a child when it was on VHS. It's a sweet tale of a young British boy who builds a snowman and it comes to life and they fly together on adventures. It's also the film in which Aled Jones' Walking In The Air first became known and a huge hit. Both the film and song have now been immortalised in Christmas history forever.

Here's my favourite Christmas films to get me in the Christmas mood. Any I've missed? Let me know in the comments 👇

Happy Listening!

A K Jones
xx

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