20180128

The Sunday Catch-Up & Current Lifestyle Favourites #9


I haven't sat down and done a catch-up post since a little while before Christmas, so of course there's lots to talk about! I've also been watching some really great TV series lately, so if you're looking for Netflix recommendations; you've come to the right place...


Catch-Up

In December it was my friend's birthday so we headed over to Cardiff for the weekend. I've actually only ever been there once but it's not too far now I'm in Birmingham. We had a good laugh on the night out (give me 90s / early 00s R&B and I'm happy!) and just chilled out and got brunch the next day.

The following weekend I went to see the Nutcracker, which is just a classic Christmassy activity for my family! My mum came down from Manchester and we saw a matinee here in Birmingham. It was a fantastic production, both in terms of the dancers and the opulence of the sets and costumes. It's one of my favourite ballets and definitely got me in the festive mood!

Of course it was also Christmas party season. Unfortunately our team do had been scheduled for the night before the big party with the entire branch and we went way too hard! In an ideal world I'd have booked the following day off, however I had a workshop I needed to attend. Luckily we finished early, so I booked the afternoon off to get some much-needed rest! Everyone from my team was feeling the pain the following night so we ended up leaving pitifully early, though at least we had a lot of fun the night before...

I had a really lovely time for Christmas itself - as usual we were over at my grandparents' house and my aunt and her husband also came over. I went with my mum to the spa at Mallory Court House which was absolutely fantastic! It's such a warm, cosy setting and it wasn't busy at all. There's a beautiful pool, an outdoor jacuzzi and sauna, as well as other rooms inside. I had a lovely relaxing massage and we had a nice afternoon tea afterwards. It's definitely up there as one of the best spas I've been to and it was nice to have some mother /daughter time! If you'd like to hear about the rest of my action-packed Christmas and New Year in Amsterdam then check out the My Week in Lipsticks post I did.

Last weekend I went with my friends for a little whistle-stop tour of Liverpool. I've not been for ages so it was good to be back, though the weather was awful! We had some pretty amazing tapas when we arrived at Bacaro - it was so affordable too, with really generous portions, meaning there was so much food... We had a few drinks afterwards but it wasn't a really late one, so we were up pretty early to make the most of the day. Of course that had to start with brunch! We went to a place called Leaf on Bold Street and I had a good shakshuka (Instagram) - it had a really great selection for non-meat-eaters, so there was a lot of choice for me (I definitely agonised for a while over my choice!) Afterwards we went to the Museum of Liverpool which contains a real mix of topics, from a reconstructed slum from when the city was heavily populated in the 1800 to displaying artifacts and tools from the Ice Age, when the area was originally settled. My standout was an temporary exhibition on the LGBT+ community in Liverpool through the ages - it had some pretty cool memorabilia and people's true stories. If you're in the city before it closes, I definitely recommend checking this out (especially because the entire museum is free entry). Before I headed back home we went for some tea and cakes at Rococo Coffee House, by which time I was pretty exhausted and coming down with yet another cold! 

Current Lifestyle Favourites

Real Detective | I actually heard about this series (which you can find on Netflix) through the My Favourite Murder podcast and decided to check it out. Imagine if those BBC crime reconstruction shows had top-notch acting, no cringey voice-overs and decent single narrative and you've pretty much got Real Detective! It interviews real detectives (hence the name) about cases they solved (so you know there's always going to be a sort-of happy ending) and intersperses this with high-quality dramatisations of the case unfolding. This is the TV show that true crime fans have long-deserved!

Mindhunter | Continuing the murder theme; this is a Netflix original drama series. The story itself is fictional but it utilises real-life monsters too. It's set in the 70s and follows the first detectives who started to profile and interview serial killers. It features a chillingly terrifying appearance from infamous murderer Ed Kemper (played incredibly by Cameron Britton, who deserves some sort of recognition for this small role!) This show pulled me right in and I was gutted when it was over so quickly - bring on season 2...

The Sinner | This is one of the most intriguing series I've come across in a long time. It's branded as a 'whydunnit' as opposed to a 'whodunnit' because in the first episode a young mother with her child and husband at the beach grabs a knife and stabs a stranger to death. Everyone saw her do it but no one knows why (it's very possible that she doesn't either). A detective is sent to dig into what made her commit this act of violence and we get flashbacks to her life before the crime. What's great about this series is that it builds up the tension expertly and instead of the eventual 'reveal' falling flat, it left me stunned!

Myths & Monsters | I'm kind of a low-key fantasy / sci-fi / mythology nerd, so when I saw this on Netflix, I watched the entire thing in a weekend! It has beautiful animations and production values so is a must-watch if you're into myths, legends and fantastical creatures. It's a short series but each episode focuses on a different theme (such as war, the sea, love etc.) and concisely explores the history and context of some of the world's most important stories.

The Edge of Seventeen | This was a film I watched on a whim on a Saturday night in, and it totally hit the spot in that respect! It's essentially a coming-of-age comedy drama but a little more hipster and edgy. It's very funny and just so relatable, because we've all been there... Hailee Steinfeld really is great in it too.


What have been your lifestyle favourites lately?


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33 comments

  1. Loved this catchup! I have only seen The Nutcracker once, the year before the last, but it was amazing! I have seen The Edge of Seventeen, and can definitely say it was amazing! Loved this post! xx

    http://zoe-ware.blogspot.ca

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  2. The Nutcracker sounds incredible! I have never been to the Ballet before but I would love to go, I'm glad you had such a lovely Christmas, the spa sounds incredible too! :)

    Erin || MakeErinOver

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  3. Loved these recommendations .. I am going to give Myths and Monsters a go! Currently watching Suits with a bit of Grimm thrown in!

    Rachael xox
    www.rachaeldickinson.com

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  4. Liverpool must have been a lot of fun! It's nice to organise little weekend trips like that. Recently I've been watching all of the Black Mirror episodes I had not seen yet, and I'm ready for season 4!

    Julia x
    Last Post: Makeup First Impressions | http://juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/beauty-makeup-first-impressions.html

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  5. Mindhunter sounds like a show that my husband and I both would like! We love murder/mystery shows so I'll suggest to my husband today!

    Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity

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  6. Sounds like you had a great holiday season! I've always wanted to see the Nutcracker. I haven't seen any of these shows but they all sound great! I'm a mythology nerd as well haha

    www.beautyfromkatie.blogspot.com

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  7. I have watched three movies this week: Lady Bird, The Danish Girl, and The Big Sick. I really enjoyed all three~

    Laila from Townhouse Palette

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  8. I come from Liverpool so I'm really glad you had such a good time. Bold street is the best place, especially for the coffee shops!
    I'll have to check out some of your Netflix recommendations! :)

    Cyber Mermaids | Alternative beauty, fashion and lifestyle blog

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  9. I honestly still can't believe that its 2018 already haha

    Andrew James - beautyandtheboy.com

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  10. glad you had a good holiday season! wishing you love for this new year! xx

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  11. We loved The Sinner and Mindhunter - we'll have to try real Detective next. Have you watched Ozark? xx

    Beautylymin

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  12. Glad you had lovely holiday season Jasmine. I can't believe first month of 2018 is over already. Time is just flying so quickly.
    Wish you the best for 2018.

    Ash | https://www.mstantrum.com

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  13. Favourite would be my new signature scent...narciso rodriguez for her black bottle
    xoxo, Colli
    tobeyoutiful

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  14. I loved sinner, such a good gripping show. I need to watch Mindhunters it sounds right up my street and true detective! xx

    www.lpagebeauty.com

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  15. I REALLY want to watch the SInner! It sounds amazing

    www.petiteelliee.com

    Ellie xx

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  16. The Edge of Seventeen is a film I've wanted to watch for ages! So glad you enjoyed it! <3

    Charlotte | https://charlotteidek.com

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  17. The Edge of Seventeen was such a good movie, glad you enjoyed it! Sounds like you have had such a busy couple of months! x

    http://paulamarieee.blogspot.co.uk

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  18. Mindhunter is SOOOOO good! It's like a long serial killer movie! Haha. I'm finishing the last few episodes of The Crown.

    Eva | www.shessobright.com

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  19. The Zoeva palette is sooo amazing! For its price and quality, definitely a bang for your buck!

    Sheena | http://sheenalovessunsets.com

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  20. All of those TV series sound excellent, not what I need with exams in March/April!

    NINEGRANDSTUDENT: A Foodie Blog

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  21. I was gutted when it ended! I need to finally watch the Crown! x

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  22. It's SO good! Seriously gripping x

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  23. You too Ash! It's flown by hasn't it?! x

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  24. I know, I think my husband could watch shows like this forever. Haha! The crown is really good - it's a little dark and definitely different than I expected, but I have so much respect and sympathy for the Queen. She watches it too!

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  25. I haven't but I just looked it up and it sounds just my sort of thing! x

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  26. The Danish Girl is a film I've been meaning to watch for ages! x

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  27. Ah yeah Suits is a show I've been sort of watching on and off haha x

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  28. I'm definitely going to try some of those TV Series! I'm currently obsessed with Pretty Little Liars! xx

    Maiya | http://www.maiyabellexo.co.uk

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  29. Definitely loving Netflix at the moment, it's just got so much watchable content on there!

    www.upyourvlog.com

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