My Christmas

I have had a great Christmas this year. I spent the Christmas morning at home with my parents, then went to my Gran's in the evening, where there was more food than we could ever eat. On boxing day, we went to my Grandma's house for yet more food, and I spent yesterday at home with my parents again.

My parents bought me an Animal hoodie and some cool T-shirts, a benefit make-up set and some other bits and pieces. I also got a fancy hair curling kit from my Gran.

My favourite presents were my limited edition Ed Sheeran records. They are made out of coloured vinyl and feature tracks that are not on his albums, as well as extended versions of some of the ones that are. The music on them is mostly acoustic, which really suits the sound of a record player, as they sound different to CDs. The more I listen to records, the more I understand why people prefer them. They are much more complicated to use though!

What did you get for Christmas?

Christmas Eve Fun

I can't believe it is Christmas Eve! It has all gone so quickly! Both the last month and the year as a whole have gone really fast.

Christmas eve is a day of last minute preparation before the big day, as well as the start of the festive fun (if you are organised enough!). This is my checklist for Christmas Eve.

Have you...
1. Remembered to buy presents for your parents, and not just your friends?
2. Had a secret squidge of your presents under the tree to see if you can guess what they are?
3. Had a peak at the Christmas drinks to see what alcohol you might get given over the next week?
4. Decided what you are wearing on Christmas day and Boxing day, then changed your mind 5 times?
5. Wrapped up the cats Christmas presents, even though he has no interest in opening them?
6. Done any last minute shopping, and laughed if your parents still have 10 people left to buy for?
7. Remembered NOT to tell younger relatives that Santa isn't real?
8. Eaten large quantities of cake, biscuits and chocolate?
9. Upset the cat by playing Christmas songs really loudly?
10. Drunk more mulled wine than you probably should?

Have a great Christmas everybody and I will tell you how my Christmas went in a couple of days time!

Crazy Relatives At Christmas

At Christmas, you see more of your family, and as mine is quite large, it is a busy time for me. Today, I went out for lunch with some people from my mum's side of the family: my Gran, Grandad and two Great Aunts and Uncles. Now, as much as I love them, my mums family can be a little crazy. My Gran and Great Aunties are especially bad. Today, we had recounts of ghost stories, creepy old houses and killer cats.

One of my Aunties says she has seen and heard quite a lot of ghosts over the years. She certainly has enough stories to creep me out! I personally think ghosts probably do exist, but I am not 100% convinced yet. I have certainly heard a lot of evidence to suggest that today, as although some of the stories were a little questionable, many were pretty convincing.

Do you believe in ghosts?

The Apprentice Winner

This week saw Alana crowned as the winner of this year's Apprentice competition. I loved the look of her cakes and thought her business was pretty good. However, when I saw the clips of her performance over the series, I was quite shocked by a few of the things she had said. On one of the first episodes, she explained that:

"All I have ever wanted is as much money and power as possible"

This, in my eyes, is not a healthy goal in life. And possibly the worst thing is she said this like it was a positive thing. By saying this on TV, she is suggesting that being power hungry and materialistic is a good thing. Also, she is displaying no interest in the other things in life, the ones that might actually make her happy - family, friends, relaxation, fun. Nope, it is just all about the cash.

And she is not the only one. The previous years winner said from a young age, all he wanted was to be a millionaire. Many of the other candidates probably have similar priorities in life.

So does this mean you have to be power hungry to be successful in business? Or is it only the power hungry ones that are mad enough to go on the show. Either way, it is scary that these people think that is a good way to live their lives.

Christmas Tree Chaos

I write this while sitting next to our heavily decorated Christmas tree. It is completely covered in a wide range of non-matching decorations some old- some new. 3 colours of tinsel, a collection of different baubles and many other random ornaments all fight for space on our 6ft of tree. And we are not even finished yet!

The thing is, I don't believe in perfectly co-ordinated trees. They belong in department stores, not family homes. Ours might be a little "busy", as my dad described it, but I would not want it any other way. Even if we do now have more strange characters than baubles! And by the time me and my mum have finished it, it will be even more chaotic.

Also, we do have the slight problem that my cat likes to play with the decorations. He often takes them off the tree and sometimes we find them under the sofa after Christmas! He is so much trouble, but very cute.

What is your Christmas tree like? Is it as chaos as ours?

Christmas Favourites

Although I have never been Christmas' biggest fan, I do enjoy it, especially when it gets nearer the time. It does take me a while to get into it sometimes though, which is where Christmas music and films come it. Here are some of my Christmas favourites, guaranteed to get you in a Christmas mood.

Best Christmas Song - A tie between Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin Stevens and Merry Christmas Everyone by Slade

Best Adult Christmas Film - Love Actually
The scenes with the Prime Minister and his assistant are brilliant!

Best Kids Christmas Film - The Polar Express
Ever since I first watched this at school when I was 8, I can't get enough of it!

What are your favourites?

Eating Your Way Round The World

Today, me and my Dad went on a Christmas shopping extravaganza. While we were out, we had lunch at the Global Buffet. It was brilliant! It is an all you can eat restaurant, and we definitely ate our money's worth! The buffet features food from all over the world, from pizza and pasta to curries and Thai food. My personal favourite was the Chinese. It also includes a wide range of puddings and sweets.

As me and my dad love our food, we think this place is great! You can go up as many times as you want, so I usually have a plate of food from each country. It is fairly cheap at midweek lunchtime, but more expensive in the evenings and at weekends, so if you want good value pick your time carefully. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes to eat a lot!

Have you ever tried the world buffet?

Gingerbread Disasters

Yesterday, me and my Dad had a go at making a gingerbread house. We knew it was going to be a challenge, but it was MUCH harder than we thought. We spent the morning baking the pieces and all seemed fine. When we started constructing, the pieces did bend a little, but we had all the walls  standing up. However, when we tried to add the roof pieces, disaster struck. The roof pieces sagged inwards, they started to slide off and the walls collapsed underneath the weight. One broke in two places, so our second attempt at construction failed too.

So gingerbread houses are very hard to make. However, we did cut a few normal biscuits from the leftover dough and these turned out great! I think in future perhaps we should stick to making biscuits instead of entire houses. Have you ever tried to make a gingerbread house?

Dan and Phil Go Outside!

Yes, the internet obsessives really have ventured into the real world!

As you already know, I am a lover of Dan and Phil. Their videos on the internet are brilliant, but they usually avoid leaving their flat. They prefer their laptops to people! However, this year, they did a world theatre tour, showcasing all thing Dan and Phil. For this, they had to go outside. Shock horror!

To document this one time they ventured out into the world, they have created a book, called "Dan and Phil Go Outside." It is full of photos from behind the scenes of their tour (TATINOF). These tell the story of their trip, along with captions and commentary written by Dan and Phil themselves.

It is really good, as you get a real insight into their lives during the months they were on tour. In places it is quite funny, although not as funny or interesting as their first book. Also, as the book is
mainly pictures, it is a quick easy read.

I definitely recommend it to any fan of Dan and Phil.

Christmas Lights Madness

Now we are well into December, many people have put Christmas lights up outside their houses. Personally, I have never done this, as my parents think it is a waste of electricity and won't let me. Nobody inside the house can see them anyway! Still, I like looking at other people's displays as they are nice and festive. However, some people take it a bit too far. When your house looks like this, you know you have a problem:

 

I mean seriously, anyone spending that much time and money on Christmas lights must be a little crazy. It is possible to love Christmas and still be able to see what your house looks like. Do you have Christmas lights on your house? Have you ever seen a display to top this one?

The English Teacher and The Beanstalk!

Today was my last day at school before the Christmas holidays!

To celebrate the end of term, we had a Christmas lunch, complete with music, crackers and a traditional roast dinner. While we were all in the hall together, we did the mannequin challenge! We started off by all dancing to "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", then all froze when we got to the chorus.

In the afternoon, the teachers performed a pantomime for us. It was hilarious! It was made up of 3 stories: Jack and the Bean Stalk, Cinderella and Hansel and Gretal. The first one was the funniest. They made our glamorous, high heel loving English teacher play Jack. She had to wear dungarees and wellies, do a west country accent and act really stupid! One of the sixth formers came on as the beanstalk, dressed only in pants and leaves and danced to "I'm bringing sexy back."

As I am in Year 11, it was my last Christmas at the school. Although it was definitely a great one to remember as my last, I am still a little sad. Still, we definitely finished in style? What do your school do at Christmas?

PS: Sorry I had not posted in a while, I have been ill and very busy with Christmas prep. Now I am off school, I should be able to post more often, so watch this space!

My Questionable Character...

At my school, we are putting on a Shakespeare play in the New Year. We are performing an adapted version of "The Comedy Of Errors" and I volunteered to play the part of the Courtesan. However, I have been seriously stitched up. My character was originally described as a "high class, expensive lady", but it turns out she is a prostitute! And she is a busy one. Not only do I have to go off with a married man, I also have to seriously hit on another character, who is one of my friends playing a boy.

As the play is set in 1960s Italy, my outfit consists of a very short, clingy dress, white strappy wedges and flashy jewellery. If I can get through all the rehearsals and performances without showing my underwear, I will be lucky.

Oh, but worst of all, the play will be watched by the entire school.

I am a bit horrified, but I think it will be fun. We will definitely have a laugh anyway. And I did tell my drama teacher I wanted to play a different sort of character to usual. Perhaps that was a mistake! I will keep you updated on how things are going. Hopefully, my character won't get any new clients in the mean time!

Christmas Shopping

As I have only a couple of weeks left at school before the holidays (yay!), I have been buying Christmas presents for my school friends. My best friend and I went shopping together yesterday - that way it was still fun, even if we didn't get to try on as many clothes as we usually do! As it was black Friday weekend we got loads of deals too. And to top it all off, a Costa hot chocolate - a Christmas shopping essential,

As I am still at school, I have a limited budget so I usually get fairly small gifts. The adults in my family don't buy huge presents for their friends either, so this is quite normal for me. However, I have friends who buy lots at Christmas, and friends who don't buy presents at all. This is the problem with Christmas as a teen - some people are relying on pocket money while others have jobs, making it a little difficult sometimes to get equal gifts. Do you have this problem?

Prom Nightmares

As I am in year 11 now, everyone in my year is starting to think about Prom. Yes, I know it is November, but now the school has set a date, it is on all of our minds. To be honest, I didn't realise what a big deal it was. I was expecting fancy dresses and limos, but not a 5 and a half hour long event with professional hair and make up!

I do want to go to prom, as it is our last chance to have a great time with everyone from school. However, I am not that girly and the only dresses I like are simple ones, not long, faffy styles. I am not that keen on fancy hair salons or limos either. Anyway, for me prom is more about the people and the evening itself than the dresses. Some of the other girls in my year think quite the opposite though! What do you think about proms?

Another Exam Over...

Today I had my first ISA and I survived. The papers were a little stressful but overall, it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. If you have some coming up, try not to worry about them, they will probably not be as bad as you are expecting. As these have been popular before, here are some funny test answers. I hope nothing I wrote was as risky as these!

    

Coursework Nerves

Tomorrow I have my first ISA - a piece of GCSE science coursework. I have done coursework before for other subjects and I am prepared, so I am not that worried. However, with everyone else panicking around me, it is kind of hard to stay calm. I guess I feel as though I must not be taking it as seriously as everyone else.

Although it is daunting to be doing something that is going to count towards our GCSEs so early on in the year, at least it means we will have a little less to worry about when we have our exams. So, I guess I am just going to have to try not to freak out just because that is what everyone else is doing.

Are you worried about coursework?

Cold Weather, Cold Hearts

It has just been too cold this week. Well, too cold to go to school in a skirt anyway. I mean seriously, you would think they would relax the uniform when it is so cold the field is completely white but no, skirts it is. Although the fact I refuse to wear tights probably does not help! No sign of snow unfortunately though - funnily enough I don't complain about the temperature when that happens. Still, it is early days yet.

I have been just as shocked and horrified as everyone else by Trump's victory. I didn't think America would vote for someone like that, but clearly there are a large amount of people who like his principles. I think that says a lot about the world we live in right now.

The thing is, the USA is a country that was built on immigration. Very few of the people who live there now are part of America's native population. Their ancestors all moved there from other parts of the world, and that diversity is part of what has created their culture. So why are they so intent on stopping that happening any more, it is as though they are denying their history. They have been a country at the forefront of new technology, and yet now they are heading for the past. And I feel that if they carry on this way, they will be leading us into dark places.

I'll Give You The Sun

I have just finished reading a book my friend gave me called "I'll Give You The Sun" by Jandy Nelson. I loved it! The story is told by a pair of twins called Noah and Jude. Some parts are written by Noah when he is 13, some parts are written by Jude when she is 16. In Jude's sections, something terrible has happened to drive the twins apart and turn their world upside down, while Noah tells the story of everything that happened before.

As well as the relationships that occur between the twins and the other people in their lives, the story also looks as the relationship between artists and their art. Both twins are artists, but while Noah draws and paints Jude makes sculptures and clothes. They are both driven to make art by different things and this plays an important part in the story. The author describes this "artistic impulse" that drives them brilliantly.

I love this book partly because of the characters and the storyline, but also because of how it is written. Flicking back and forward in time gives the book an interesting dynamic, adding to the suspense. But what I think I love best is how realistically the author shows the characters passions - for their lovers, their family and their art. He has successfully captured what makes the characters tick, and that is what makes the book so special.

I highly recommend this book to all teens, especially anyone who is an artist. It is the best one I have read for a while.

Dodgeball Madness

We played dodgeball at school in PE today. At first, it was just the girls playing. All was calm. But then the boys came in from football because it was raining, things got a little hectic! They were throwing the balls as hard as they could, even managing to hit the ceiling with such force it then bounced on the floor and slammed against the wall. And that was all before my team was on! I managed to hit a couple of boys amid the chaos. It was so much more fun than netball - we all need a bit of madness on a Friday afternoon!

On James Cordon's late late show, he had a game of dodgeball with One Direction! They took it really seriously and it was hilarious! Not as chaotic as ours though! You can watch it below:

Halloween Fun

Sorry I haven't blogged over the past few days, it is because I have been busy with Halloween. On Saturday, one of my friends had a Halloween party at her house. I dressed up as a purple and black witch. We all watched The Visit together, which is seriously disturbing but I loved it. We also had a go at some apple bobbing (it's impossible) and did the doughnut challenge - competing to see who can eat a doughnut without their hands off a piece of string first. I was covered in sugar by the end of it!

On Wednesday, I dressed up again to go trick or treating with my friend and her little niece and nephew. They were so cute! I loved going round with them and we got plenty of sweets. Between those and the ones we got from the party, I am sorted for weeks!

I have had a great Halloween this year. What did you get up to?

Why I Am Pleased I Did Work Experience

Today was my last day of work experience. For the last 2 days I have been working on a design brief for a charity T-shirt that will be sold to fund raise by students at the school the business works with. I have loved working as a designer for the last couple of days. I want to work in design when I am older but I never thought I would have the opportunity to design something that could be used commercially at just 15 years old!

The people I was working for were really pleased with my design. They have asked me to keep working on a digital version and possibly come back later on in the year to do some more work with them, or when I am in college. They said they might even pay me! I am now really pleased I did work experience as without it I would never have had this opportunity. It has definitely been worth it!

Bake Off - The Final 2016

Tonight is the final of Bake Off. Jane, Candice and Andrew will be competing for the last time to try and win. Personally, Candice is my favourite, as she consistently produces bakes with amazing flavour and they usually look good too. She is also a very likeable character. However, Jane has many years of baking experience and Andrew's creations are often brilliant too, so it could be anyone.

We also of course have the excitement of seeing what colour lipstick Candice has on this week!

As Mel, Sue and Mary won't be in the show when it moves to channel 4, this will be the last episode of the show as we know it. I am very upset they are leaving; the show won't be as good without them. So tonight lets enjoy our last ever bake off with the troublesome duo. Who do you want to win?

The Best and the Worst of Work Experience

Today was my second day of work experience. I have been working at a Design and Print workshop as I am interested in being a graphic designer. I did not realise it when I applied, but the business is actually owned and run by a local secondary school. They do a mixture of jobs for the school and jobs for external clients. They were set up to allow students to get work experience and they employ a group of "student staff " who get paid to work there after school. This means they are used to working with teens and were very welcoming.

For the last couple of days, I have been helping in the print workshop to carry out the various print jobs needed by the school and external clients. On the first day, this was very interesting as we were doing lots of small jobs, allowing me to gain experience with a variety of techniques and machines, some of which are relevant to my graphics work. However, today we had to make 900 booklets which was really boring as we were doing the same thing over and over again all day.

I have been told I will be involved in the design work later on in the week, so I have that to look forward to. However, tomorrow will be spent putting all 900 booklets into envelopes! :(

Loving Mandalas

Recently I have become fascinated by Mandalas. These intricate designs are spiritual symbols that symbolically represent the cosmos. Drawing them can be used as a form of meditation, as the process can often be described as an outpouring of the soul. They are full of patterns and usually very colourful.

One of Animal's limited addition skateboards features a mandala design, shown on the right.

I have been having a go at drawing my own mandala and I have fallen in love with them. They are quite hard to draw as they should be symmetrical, yet are made up of repeated freehand irregular shapes which are often hard to get all the same size. However, I love the fact that there are no rules on which patterns you use, allowing you to be very creative. If you like drawing, even if you are not very artistic, I think you should definitely try designing one.

The Latest Dan and Phil Release...



I am a fan of Dan and Phil - I have liked watching their mad videos for a while now and I have read their book. Now though, they have taken their crazy world of internet fame to a whole new level with their new song! In aid of Stand Up To Cancer, Dan and Phil have released a song called The Internet Is Here. It is about the internet and how it fits into our modern lives. You can listen to it below:

 

I'm not sure I agree with some of the lyrics, but it is still funny! I think they need to work on their vocals though! Could they be the next number one? The next big thing? I guess we will have to wait and see! Hahahahah!

Girl Power Playlist

The media seems to get a bad reputation when it comes to promoting feminism. Often, this is unfortunately very true, but there are some artists who write songs that have the opposite message. Songs that promote girl power. Little Mix are especially good at this and have many songs with positive messages for teenage girls, but there are other artists as well. Below is my playlist of empowering songs that reflect what the media should be doing.

Wings - Little Mix
All About The Base - Megan Trainor
Hair - Little Mix
Royals - Lorde
Salute - Little Mix
Hard Out Here - Lily Allen
Just Like Fire - Pink
Black magic - Little Mix
Roar - Katy Perry
We Are Who We Are - Little Mix

Making a Difference

As young people, it can be hard to get our voices heard on issues that are important to us. We are the people who will have to live in this world in the future, and yet we have little role in shaping it. But there are still ways for us to make a difference. One of the reasons I write this blog is to give myself a voice. This sense of how writing can give you a sense of purpose is illustrated beautifully by this quote:

"Whatever we write, we are reaching out. We are declaring that we are not alone on this planet, and that we have something to share, something to say. Our writing survives us, even if nobody ever reads a word of it. Because we have given back, we have reflected our truth. We have mattered."

Larry Brooks

 

There are other things you can do that will make even more of an impact. There are many sites with online petitions that you can sign. These can be found on all sorts of issues. Greenpeace usually have ones on a range of ongoing environmental campaigns. Currently, you can sign to protect Indonesian rain forests, whales and the environmental laws created by the EU, which could be dropped now we have left.

 

You can also raise awareness of these issues by sharing them on social networking sites. If you really want to get involved, you could always write to an MP.

 

So even though we are still only teens, there are lots of ways we can make sure our voice is heard, to help create a world we want to live in as adults.

Autumnal Dresses

Although the weather is getting colder, we can still wear dresses! These casual autumnal styles from around the web are perfect for wearing with leggings or tights and ankle boots.

This cool shirt dress could be worn
in the day or evening.
New Look, £24.99

This stripey jumper dress is perfect for colder days.
New Look, £24.99

I love denim dresses, and the longer sleeves on this one
allows it to be worn well into Winter.
New Look, £19.99

This dress is very casual. I love the layered skirt.
Animal, £45

This jumper dress could be worn casually in the day
or dressed up for evening.
H&M, £12.99

I love the rich colour of this dress.
H&M, £12.99

This cool jumper dress has cut out details in the arms.
Topshop, £49.99

The Problem With Pre-conceptions

Reputations are not always true.

There have been several occasions over the past few years, when a place or person with a bad reputation has been totally different to what people expect. It can be a school, a college, a person in your class or a singer. Whatever or whoever they are, you can't just judge them by what you hear about them.

There is a college near where I live that I have visited and thought was perfect for me. Not too big, good at the subjects I am interested in and only a short walk up the road. My cousin went there and loved it (she got two As and a B). And yet because they have had problems in the past, everyone I spoke to told me I shouldn't go there. People who had never been anywhere near the place were telling me to avoid it. My school have every prospectus in their library but theirs. They are always giving out leaflets advertising open days, but not for that college.

So I have ignored them. Because I believe that reputations do not match reality. And I encourage you to do the same in your lives, get the real information for yourself instead of listening to the rumours.

The Apprentice Is Back

This Thursday, The Apprentice returns with 16 new candidates for Lord Sugar to terrify challenge. If you can't wait till then, have a look at the video below. Matt Edmondson has done hilarious interviews with the new group, revealing that some of them are nutters have a few, er, quirks.

Click here to watch it on BBC iPlayer.

I love the show because Lord Sugar can be really funny in the board room, especially when they make stupid mistakes. Are you looking forward to The Apprentice?

A Trip To Shakespeare's Globe

Today, I went to London on a school trip to The Globe theatre with a small group from my year. We saw Macbeth. It was brilliant! The theatre it's self looks really authentic. It has been built exactly like the original, complete with a thatched roof and wooden balconies. We had tickets for the standing area, which meant we were right at the front. Sometimes the actors even walked through the crowd.

The play was very dramatic. It was set in the original place and time, but with some modern jokes and references. I loved the 3 witches, and the drunk porter was hilarious. It was great to see the play in the way people would have seen it when Shakespeare first wrote it.

It is a unique experience that I recommend to any theatre lover, even if you are not that into Shakespeare. And to those who are forced to study his plays and are hating it, Shakespeare is a lot more fun to watch than read about!

Liven Up Your Weekend

Now we have been back at school a couple of weeks, I'm guessing you are needing something to brighten things up a bit. Here are some lively, energetic (and loud!) songs to take your mind off the weeks you have just had and the school year ahead.

Don't Stop -                    5SOS
Good Grief -                   Bastille
Last Night -                    The Vamps
Hey Everybody -            5SOS
Teenagers -                     My Chemical Romance
Ex's and Ohs -                Elle King
Geronimo -                     Shepard
Shut Up and Dance -      Walk The Moon
Written Off -                   The Vamps
Just Like Fire -                Pink
Cake By the Ocean -       DNCE
She Looks So Perfect -   5SOS

Ping Pong Madness!

Today, we had a very strange PE lesson. As most of the people in my year were on fixtures, the few that were left did table tennis in the Gym. However, as the PE teachers were needed for the fixtures as well, our session was supervised by normal teachers.

The first session was calm, with us all playing by the conventional rules. By the second period we were ready to mix things up a bit! We were just getting starting on a "Round the World" game, where you play in a large group and run to the other side of the table after hitting the ball. Our mad psychology teacher had turned up to keep an eye on us, and decided she wanted to join in! Only problem was, she caused chaos and did quite a lot of screaming!

For the final period, we had a science teacher who let us play a manic version of dodge ball. However, she forgot to remind us of the all important rule that you can only hit people below the waist! As a result, we had 2 injured students and 1 annoyed teacher. It was a lot of fun though!

So, not the normal PE session, but I think it was much more fun. I love a bit of chaos!

The Problem With My School is...

I go to a school that is 5 miles from my house and it can be quite a pain sometimes. Here are 10 reasons why going to a school that is not local can be a problem.

1. You waste more time travelling.
2. You don't have the freedom and independence of walking to and from school.
3. You don't get to chat, while you are walking, to your friends (and the boys) away from everyone else.
4. Your friends don't usually live near you either.
5. You can't just walk to your friend's houses, you have to rely on lifts and buses.
6. It is not convenient to just meet up with them for an hour.
7. All meet ups have to be pre-arranged, not spur of the moment.
8. When the school bus decides not to show up, you have a bit of a problem!
9. You are much more reliant on your parents than you want to be.
10. You lose touch with the kids you grew up with.

However, it should be noted that there is one positive to living far from your school: you are more likely to get the day off if it snows!

Do you live near your school? Or do you have the same problem as me?

The Bridget Experience

Sorry I haven't posted this week, it has been my first full week back at school and I have been very busy with homework. The joys of year 11 - not!

Today I saw the new Bridget Jones Film, Bridget Jones's Baby at the cinema. It was even better than I thought it would be. It was really funny, it had everyone laughing out loud in the cinema! It also had some really cool music, especially when Bridget goes to a festival that she is a little unprepared for.

The film is centred around Bridget's new life as a successful single women in her 40s. She gets accidentally pregnant, but is not sure whether the baby belongs to her ex Mark Darcy, or the millionaire Jack she meets at the festival.

My favourite moment is when Bridget meets Ed Sheeran and she has no idea who he is, suggesting he might be someone who works in Starbucks! Although her attempts at public speaking and Mark and Jack's method of carrying her to the hospital are also brilliant.

It is the best film I have seen for a while and I think anyone who wants a laugh should go and see it!

Bake Off Is Back!

The Great British Bake Off is back again for a 7th season. It is one of my favourite TV shows and this year is just as good as I had hoped it would be. After 3 weeks, we are starting to see who could do well. I love Candice, but she can be very inconsistant. Some of the boys can be very experimental with flavours, which usually works out well, although I don't think I fancy the chocolate and chilli bread from this weeks episode. Val is my favourite for the entertainment factor, although she has turned out some very good bakes, even winning the bread week technical challenge.

It looks like it could be anyone in the final. Who is your favourite?

Banishing The Back To School Blues

The other day, I went shopping with a few of my friends as I hadn't seen them all holiday. I bought quite a lot of stuff, unusual for me. One of the things I bought was a sun dress from Saltrock. I really like the message on it, and it is one of my favourite colours. They have an end of season sale on. I love that shop, but not quite as much as Animal. It has the same kind of feel but the colours as often a bit too muted for me. This dress is nice and bright though.

I also bought After You (the sequel to Me Before You), arty stuff and some keyboard stickers that brighten up my netbook. I love the keyboard stickers, although I am not quite used to typing on them yet!

Yesterday, I had to go back to school. Although it was terrifying to be called year 11s, it was not as bad as I thought. In fact, we barely did any work all day! But then we did have psychology, and that is always chaos! It will be a hard year, but with classes like that I don't think it will be all bad!

Have you gone back to school? What year are you starting?