Goodbye 2015!

Today is the last day of 2015! To celebrate, I have found a list of the offical Top 20 of 2015 (by number of copies downloaded off i Tunes) and have compared it to my Top 20 favourites from the past year. Use them as your party playlist for tonight or to remind you of your year.

No.      i Tunes Top 20                                                        My Top 20
1.         Hello                                     Adele                          Hold Back The River          James Bay
2.         Love Youself                        Justin Bieber              Cheerleader                          OMI        
3.         Sorry                                     Justin Bieber               Photograph                          Ed Sheeran
4.         Stiches                                  Shawn Mendes           See You Again                    Wiz Khalifa
5.         Same Old Love                     Selena Gomez            Black Magic                        Little Mix
6.         What Do You Mean?            Justin Bieber              I Wasn't Expecting That     Jamie Lawson
7.         Here                                      Alessia Cara               Like I Can                           Sam Smith
8.         Like I'm Gonna Lose You    Meghan Trainor         Shut Up And Dance            Walk The Moon
9.         Confident                              Demi Lovato              Up                                       Olly Murs Ft DM
10.       Stand By You                        Rachel Platten            Night Changes                   One Direction
11.       Hide Away                            Daya                           Bloodstream                       Ed Sheeran
12.       Perfect                                   One Direction             Hello                                  Adele
13.       I Know What You                 Shawn Mendes &      When The Beat                   Marlon Roudlette
            Did Last Summer                  Camila Cabello           Drops Out
14.       On My Mind                         Ellie Goulding            Sugar                                  Maroon 5
15.       Wildest Dreams                    Taylor Swift                Bills                                    Lunchmoney Lewis
16.       Hands To Myself                  Selena Gomez             Dear Future Husband         Meghan Trainor
17.       When We Were Young        Adele                           Waiting For Love               Avichii
18.       Drag Me Down                     One Direction              Wake Up                            Vamps
19.       Cake By The Ocean              DNCE                          Love Me Like You            Little Mix
20.       Fight Song                             Rachel Platten             Someone New                    Hozier

I would also like to give a special mention to Up Town Funk and Thinking Out Loud as they were in the Charts for many weeks this year but were released in 2014 so can't be on this list.
Happy New Year!

My Christmas

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days, but I have been busy with Christmas. I got lots of fab presents including sparkly earrings, a new phone and Dan and Phil's new book, more on that another time. my funniest/weirdest present was a magazine about looking after chickens! We went to my Gran's, who had more different puddings than people eating and seriously does not understand charades, as she kept speaking instead of miming. I also got to see my dad's family, including my cousin's 3 year old son. He is sooo sweet! What did you get for Christmas?

I have mentioned before that I love the Big Bang Theory. One of the presents we got my mum was a Big Bang Theory trivial pursuit game. We all played it together yesterday and it is great, but some of the questions are really hard. Like most trivial pursuits games it took forever but eventually I won.

Now Christmas is over, school is looming closer but we still have almost a week left. I will use that time to post lots of blogs to make up for the last week, so watch this space!

Christmas Eve

One more sleep to go! Christmas Eve is a weird day, you've done all your Christmas prep, there is nothing good on TV as it is not actually Christmas yet and all that is left to do is wait, really. Still, only 7 hours left to go.

I probably won't be posting for the next couple of days as I will be busy doing family stuff. We usually spend Christmas morning at home and go to my Grans in the Evening. On Boxing day we go to my Grandma's, then we travel up to Somerset a couple of days later to see my cousins. What do you do at Christmas?

Christmas Jumpers

Tomorrow is your last chance to buy yourself a suitably embarrassing jumper for Christmas day. I have a red one from peacocks with a reindeer on the front, complete with fluffy body and real bells on the antlers. I have searched the internet for my new favourites.


Bright, cheerful and fun.
Debenhams, £26.99

Simple but effective
New Look £17.99

I love the cute robins!
New Look, £14.99

Perfect for dog lovers!
Was £16, now £10

Strictly Final

Last weekend, we had the Strictly Final. The amazing Jay and Aliona won the glitterball on Saturday night, managing to beat Kelly's two 40's. I wanted either Jay or Georgia to win, so I am very happy. I think Jay is a better dancer overall, but Georgia did a much better show dance. Her blind dancing was amazing! However, that was down to the routine which is down to the professionals not the dancers.

Some people have been saying that Jay and Aliona are a couple. They are definitely close, and I think he really likes her, but does she like him too? I'm not sure, she is married. She has also decided to leave Strictly, which is a shame as I really like her. She is a lovely woman and an an amazing dancer, proved by the fact she has one twice. I hope all this press attention has not affected her.

Are you pleased with the Strictly result?

Cats at Christmas

I have mentioned before on this blog that I have a badly behaved cat called Bumble. He can be a bit of a problem at Christmas because he does not like our decorations.We put them up yesterday (yes, I know, we are a bit slow) and he has already been causing problems. So far, he has already tried to eat the branches countless times and also enjoys undecorating it. He has already pulled 2 decorations off. He even scratched my mum for rescuing a bauble!

So you can understand why we do not put our tree up that early. We are not the only people who have cat trouble at Christmas, one family were really worried that their kitten would knock over their tree, so they tried a new solution. We are not quite that desperate yet though!

Christmas Nail Art

I noticed the other day that one of my most popular posts of all time was Nail Art, so I decided to do a festive version. Christmas is the time of year for a little extra glamour, and as we are off school we have plenty of time to try something new. My Christmas nails are quite simple this year: bright red with silver glitter, but if you want to try something more fancy, have ago at one of the designs below. If you are struggling with the finer detail, you can get cheap specialist nail art tool from AVON. They have a ball at one end and a fine brush at the other. They can be dipped into any colour polish, meaning you don't have to buy nail art pens in lots of different colours.

Elf Yourself

This year, I have been experimenting with a cool Christmas app called Elf Yourself. This can be downloaded to your phone or accessed via the internet on a computer. You can transform photos of your friends by turning them into elves and making them complete fun festive dance routines! Those of you who have seen my X Factor hip hop dance video will know what I am talking about. If you missed it, click on the link to see them in action!

http://elfyourself.com/?mId=66748231.2

Have ago at your own! Elf Yourself and share it with your friends or chose celebrities and post your video link in the comments.

X Factor Final!

Last night saw Louisa crowned as this year's X Factor winner. I had really liked her all through the live shows and am really glad she won. I like Reggie and Bollie, but although they are a lot of fun, they are not good enough singers to pull off the winners single. If the prize was 10 nights performing at the O2, they would be perfect as I think they could probably sell more concert tickets than Louisa. The problem is that it is a record deal, and they might be great entertainers, but they simply do not sound anywhere as near as good as Louisa. She is an amazing singer and definitely deserves this.

I am still glad Reggie and Bollie were in the final though because they made it so much fun! I especially loved their version of What Makes You Beautiful, it was much more fun than 1D's! I really liked how they used the cheerleader music in the background as I love that song. If you missed it, click here to watch them.

1D were one of the  performers on the Sunday show. They are having a break now and wanted their last performance to be on the X Factor stage as that was where it all began. I never loved 1D, but they did a few good songs and they will definitely be missed. They are definitely due a break though!

Now X Factor is over, the judges have been getting ready for Christmas. Here is them practising their dancing ready for their Christmas party! Click here to watch their hilarious hip hop routine!

Did you watch the X Factor? Did you want Louisa to win?

Top 10 Christmas Films

As we reach the second weekend in December, it is definitely time for a Christmas film or two. Not sure what to watch? Here is my top 10 festive films.

1. The Polar Express                       - great for all ages
2. Love Actually                             - a more grown up but still festive film
3. Home Alone                               - quite possibly the funniest Christmas film ever
4. Elf                                               - it's so sweet
5. The Holiday                                - another grown up film but this ones much funnier
6. The Muppet Christmas Carol     - a modern family version of a classic
7. Bad Santa                                   - a great alternative to the traditional films
8. Home Alone 2                            - not quite as good as the first, but still good
9. The Santa Clause                       - it could happen to any of us
10. Jack Frost                                 - sad, but good

Any more suggestions? Post them in the comments.

IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well nearly. What I mean is I am now officially on my Christmas holidays! So I am definitely going to listen to Slade and "look to the future now, cause it's only just begun". Saying that, we have had plenty of fun already at school today. We started off with the formalities, first the end of year assembly and then the carol service. For obvious reasons most people did not enjoy these much but I quite liked them as my house won and I love singing, so enjoyed the choir's performance at the service.

Then the festivities really started with the Christmas lunch. We were given those long noisy balloons to fire at each other and I hit my headmistress on the head! 100 points! Later on, we had a staff panto of Peter Pan which was hilarious. There is nothing funnier than having your History teacher dressed up as Nursy the Dog being dragged away by the caretakers shouting "If this is about the poo on the school field, that was a fox, not me!"

Overall, it was a great day, the best way to end the term and start Christmas. If you do go to the same school as me, please comment telling me what was your favourite part of today. If you don't, tell me when you brake up and what Christmas celebrations you have enjoyed/ plan to have.

PS. You may also notice that my blog has had a Christmas makeover! Comment if you like it!

Paper Towns

I have now finished Paper Towns and I love it even more now! The ending is great and ties everything up nicely, although it is not the best bit of the book. I prefer the beginning.

Paper Towns is set in Florida and is about the geeky, boring Quentin and the popular, unpredictable girl next door Margo, who he is in love with. Margo is not the girl people think she is. She is not satisfied with her life of High School, Boys and Clothes. She feels it is fake, like the whole of Florida are living fake, paper lives and spending so much time planning for the future that they don't live today. So, she decides to leave, and goes out on an all night road trip of revenge with Quentin to deal with her enemies before walking out on her life.

However, she has left a trail for Quentin to follow. To decipher it, he must first work out- Who is the real Margo? This book is about him fully discovering the girl he has known but never really understood for as long as he can remember. It makes you think about life's big questions as well as thinking about your own life. Meanwhile, it will also make you laugh out loud, as Q's friends are really funny.

I recommend it to any teen, boy or girl, especially ones who are questioning what they are doing with their life.

Celebrity Jungle Final!

All the big TV shows are having their big finale, Doctor Who yesterday, X Factor next weekend and Strictly after that. Tonight, after weeks of celebrity torture, Ant and Dec will be crowning the king of the jungle. Will it be Vicky, Fern or George? I love Vicky and want her to win, I think she is funny, strong, clever and confident. However, I really like the other two so I will be happy whatever, safe in the knowledge the horrible Lady C can't win!

Last night, they took part in the annual celebrity cyclone. It was so funny when Ant got soaked, I think they did it on purpose. And then Dec congratulated them for it afterwards! The show would not be anywhere near as funny if they weren't on it.

Will you be watching tonight? Who do you want to win?

Festive Accessories

Another way to get into the Christmas spirit is with festive accessories. These are perfect if you don't want anything as big as a Christmas jumper or as silly as a hat, but still want to get in the mood. If their subtle enough, you can even wear them to school! Here is my selection of fun Christmas accessories from around the web. I haven't seen as many as previous years, it is mostly hats and jumpers in the shops at the moment, not hair accessories and badges.



These snowmen are really cute! I love their little gilttery red hats!
Claire's, Were £4.50 now £3.15

I love these Christmas tree earrings! They are quite grown up
as they have a simple design. Perfect for Christmas parties or the big day.
Claire's, Were £4.50, now £3.15

These reindeer would make a great Christmas present as well
as a treat for yourself.
They even have antlers!
Accessorize, £5

I love these colourful bracelets. Wear them together or individually.
Accessorize, £6

Top 10 Christmas Songs

Now we are only a few weeks away from Christmas, I think it is time to get in the Christmas spirit with some festive tunes. Here is my Top 10 Christmas playlist to get get you in the mood.

1. Merry Christmas Everyone
2. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
3. All I Want For Christmas Is You
4. Let It Snow
5. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
6. Last Christmas
7. One More Sleep
8. Do They Know it's Christmas
9. Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time
10. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

I went to see my Schools Infant Nativity today! They did it outside with live animals! There was a really cute donkey and a badly behaved goat that kept trying to eat the children! They had to be rescued by their teachers. Are you doing anything Christmassy?

My Current Addiction

You may have noticed that I am not blogging everyday at the moment. This is because I am completely addicted to Paper Towns (by John Green) and often find myself reading it when I am supposed to be blogging! I have just got to the climax of the book this evening, and I am totally hooked.

I will do a proper book review when I have finished it, but for now I will just say this. It is brilliant. It makes you see life and death in new ways in one line, and laugh out loud with the next. But what ever you do, don't start reading it when you are busy. You won't get much done for that couple of weeks!

Are you addicted to any good books at the moment? Or are you hooked on a TV series?