A Year in a Life 2023: Food and Flowers and Scenery

 

The Viewing Files: Christmas Overload

My love of Christmas movies knows no bounds.  And although Hallmark might lead the way there are in fact 'other' Christmas movies that can give me the Christmasy feel goods.

 

Is it possible to watch too many Christmas movies?  We'll just have to see...

This Is Christmas

Starring: that guy from How to get away with Murder

Original release: 2022

Synopsis:  When a stranger talks to you on the train...

 

The Brit version of a Hallmark movie and it's just a lovely warm fuzzy feel good. Exactly what you need at Christmas

The Noel Diary

Starring: Green Arrow from Smallville

Original release: 2022

Synopsis:  A novelist returns home to clear out his mother's house.

 

Sappy as anything and a little preachy too so not my kind of thing but worth it just to see Justin Hartley wearing glasses and being a writer. Can we have more of that, please. 

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Starring: Those famous 'puppets'

Original release:1922

Synopsis:  Title says it all really

 

Singing and dancing puppets is what it's all about.

8-Bit Christmas

Starring: Doogie Howser all grown up

Original release:1921

Synopsis:  80's Christmas and all Jake and his friends want is a Nintendo

 

It might be the mince pies and mulled wine talking but I actually like this. I'm such a sap for Christmas feel goods.

The Santa Clause

Starring: Home Improvement man

Original release:1994

Synopsis:  An ordinary man suddenly finds himself turning into Santa

 

Silly and sentimental but with its heart in the right place.

The Santa Clause 2

Starring: Home Improvement man... again

Original release:2002

Synopsis:  Santa has to find a wife

 

Comet I feel your pain. I too would have eaten all the candy, then laid down feeling sick but with no regrets.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Starring: Some green dude

Original release: 2000

Synopsis:  The classic Dr Seuss book as a movie

 

I think I need more wine to make this even remotely bearable. 

The Grinch

Starring: Some green dude

Original release: 2018

Synopsis:  The animated version

 

So much better than the 'other version'... not that that was hard to do.

Max the dog totally sold this story.

Arthur Christmas

Starring: So many famous people

Original release: 2011

Synopsis:  Arthur does everything he can to get a lost present to a little girl

 

Funny, warm, cosy feel good with just a little bit of snark... which exactly what Christmas is. Delightful and with just the best voice cast.

 

My Christmas perfection.

The Long Kiss Goodnight

Starring: Geena D and Samuel L

Original release:1996

Synopsis:  Amnesia girl, spies and a whole lot of action

 

Kick ass Christmas Eve viewing with a snarky Samuel J and a blonde take no nonsense Geena D. Just the thing to see the night out.

The Viewing Files: The Good, The Bad... The Hallmark

You know it's the start of Christmas when I start watching Hallmark Christmas movies.  Sappy, sentimental films where every town is covered in snow and decorations and oh so pretty.  And where the worse thing that can happen is that someone forgot to put the nog in the eggnog.

Sigh...

One day I will have my white Christmas with a roaring fire and endless hot chocolate and gingerbread and a town decked out in lights as far as you can see.  Until then I have these... and an ice cold ice block.

Rocky Mountain Christmas

Starring: He with the gravelly voice

Original release: 2017

Synopsis:  He's an actor... she's not.  And somehow they are both on a ranch

 

Totally watching for swoony gravelly voice Kristopher Polaha. If only it had a different female lead.

Winter Castle

Starring: He makes a lot of these and she doesn't

Original release: 2019

Synopsis:  A wedding

 

It's got snow in and an ice hotel so I'm not going to complain.

 

And yet still no chemistry.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Starring: People no ones knows

Original release: 2021

Synopsis:  A travel agent walks into a bar... well an ice hotel

 

Well if you're going to watch one movie about an ice hotel you might as well make that 2 movies, though this one was seriously bland and some what dull.

Time For Them To Come Home For Christmas

Starring: I really have no idea

Original release: 2021

Synopsis:  Amnesia girl... yes they really went there.

 

The fact that I didn't mind this despite the sap and sentimentally shows that I really have watched way too many Hallmark movies.

 

PS the sister was kind of shitty

A Christmas Spark

Starring: Dr Quinn Medicine woman and Sully (yes it really is him)

Original release: 2022

Synopsis:  Dr Quinn and her man, only it's 2022 and Christmas... oh and she's a widow.

 

I really didn't expect to like this and yet it's kind of warm and nice and it was great having an older people romance.

 

Joe Lando is a bit of a silver fox. Who knew.

Tis The Season To Be Merry

Starring: Do we even care?  Probably not.

Original release: 2021

Synopsis:  The world's worst relationship coach

 

This was surprisingly cute and quirky. Although that could be the all the chocolate I've eaten talking.

Sappy Holiday

Starring: I'm beyond caring but the house is gorgeous

Original release: 2022

Synopsis:  It's maple farming time

 

The fact that I paid more attention to the house says it all really. The acting really was dire.

A New Year's Resolution

Starring: Some brunettes

Original release: 2021

Synopsis:  Say yes

 

The year of yes Hallmark style... only in this case it's a month. Still it was a cute premise with a cute couple. Really could have done without all the bank stuff though.

Christmas At Castle Hart

Starring: Vaguely familair

Original release: 2023

Synopsis:  An Irish Christmas

 

One plus for the castle and Irish setting and all the minuses for everything else. So so bad.

Saving Christmas Spirit

Starring: More brunettes

Original release: 2022

Synopsis:  An archaeological treasure hunt

 

Scottish scenery. Snow. An archaeologist. This is so my vibe. Even if it is a bit silly.

Book Talk: All The Snowy Christmas Reads

If the snow can't come to you then you go to the snow.  Or something like that.  And with all these gorgeous Christmas Chick Lit reads I can do just that.

 

Forget about the weather outside, with the sun shinning and the humidity high.  Instead I can curl up on couch with an ice cold drink and pretend just for a little while that I'm having a white Christmas.

 

Excuse me while a wallow in all the feel goods and a strong fan blowing...

All The Plans... Or How I'll Go Insane But At Least I'll Have Cake and Chocolate

You would think after 2 failures of doing this that I would be crazy to try again.  And yet here I am once again undertaking 101 Things in 1001 Days.  Because obviously I'm seriously twisted.

What can I say?  I love me a plan and a list.  So really how could I resist doing this again.

As before I've tweaked some of the goals, taken off some and added some new ones.  All the while trying to at least to be reasonably realistic while keeping it challenging.  Or challenging to me at least.

 

Maybe I should just eat all the cake now...

Start:    1 Dec 2023

Finish:  28 Aug 2026

 

1.     Buy a telescope and learn how to use it

2.     Buy only second hand for 1 year

3.     Complete the A-Z travel challenge 

4.     Complete 25 jigsaws

5.     Do an ancestry DNA test

6.     Do an online course

7.     Do a Duolingo course

8.     Do a no spend month 

9.     Do a paint by numbers project

10.   Do yoga once a week for 1 year

11.   Eat a plant based only diet for 1 month

12.   Experience a White Christmas

13.   Finish 1 of my ongoing stories

14.   Finish a first draft of a novel

15.   Get a greenhouse and use it

16.   Give or donate to a charity

17.   Go on a horse drawn carriage ride

18.   Go on a night time walk

19.   Go to a car boot sale

20.   Go to a Christmas Market

21.   Go to a Farmers Market

22.   Go fruit picking

23.   Go glamping

24.   Go on a picnic

25.   Go on a road trip

26.   Go to a lantern festival

27.   Go through a maze

28.   Grow 5 different kinds of sunflowers 

29.   Have a bubble bath

30.   Have a hot stone massage

31.   Have a facial

32.   Have a spa day

33.   Have afternoon tea at a hotel

34.   Identify 10 constellations

35.   Identify 100 things that make me happy

36.   Install a bee house in my garden

37.   Install or build a raised bed in my garden

38.   Knit a blanket 

39.   Knit a hat

40.   Knit a pair of socks

41.   Learn calligraphy

42.   Learn Gaelic

43.   Learn a new language

44.   Learn how to arrange flowers

45.   Learn how to crochet

46.   Learn how to knit on a knitting loom

47.   Learn how to make preserves

48.   Learn how to press flowers

49.   Learn origami

50.   Learn to play backgammon

51.   Make 5 different hot chocolate recipes

52.   Make 5 different soup recipes 

53.   Make a flower garden

54.   Mediate every day for a week

55.   Photograph the same tree every month for a year

56.   Plant a herb garden

57.   Plant a shrub

58.   Read 1 Jane Austen novel

59.   Read 25 graphic novels

60.   Read 25 children's novels

61.   See a light house

62.   See a meteor shower

63.   See a movie outdoors

64.   See a waterfall

65.   See the Aurora Australia

66.   See the cherry blossoms

67.   Sleep in a four post bed

68.   Sleep under the stars

69.   Stay overnight in a castle

70.   Stay overnight in a treehouse

71.   Stay overnight on a island

72.   Take a boat trip

73.   Take a photo every day for 365 days

74.   Take a photo for each letter of the alphabet

75.   Take a pilates class

76.   Take a selfie on the 1st day of every month for 1 year

77.   Take a Tai Chi class

78.   Take a train trip

79.   Take part in NaNoWriMo

80.   Toast marshmallows in a fire

81.   Visit 5 museums online and do an online tour for each one

82.   Visit an island

83.   Visit a botanical garden 

84.   Visit a butterfly garden

85.   Visit a garden

86.   Visit a lake

87.   Visit a lavender field 

88.   Visit Stewart Island

89.   Watch 5 foreign language movies or TV series

90.   Watch 10 documentaries

91.   Watch 10 movies from 10 different countries

92.   Watch 52 movies in 52 weeks

93.   Watch a fireworks display

94.   Watch a silent movie

95.   Watch the sunrise and the sunset in the same day

96.   Win a giveaway/competition

97.   Write a 1000 words every month for 1 year

98.   Write a book

99.   Write a story and post it on Inkitt

100. Write and post 50 blog posts each year for the next 3 years.

101. Write a To Do List every week for 1 year