Monthly Archives

October 2020

Lifestyle

Controlling What I Consume On Social Media

Posted on 23rd October 2020

Over the last few months I’ve written a couple of posts about social media. I’ve shared all my little peeves about it and how to engage with audience. It’s such an essential element for a blogger to have, especially when they’re starting out. It helps you market your posts, correspond with brands and chat with your readers.

I’m a bit of an enigma when it comes to social media. I rarely use Instagram or Facebook and only venture onto Twitter, Pinterest and TikTok. Kind of obviously why my views are always super low! Haha! I started blogging back in 2014 and the way we use this media has changed so much.

It’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve allowed myself to control what I read/watch. You can easily get overwhelmed by news, posts and opinions on these sites. My mental health has constantly been triggered by comparisons, unrelated images and nasty rants. If I’m going to use these sites daily, why shouldn’t I market it towards my personal tastes? I shouldn’t be ashamed to mute or even block accounts.

It was around February last year when I finally had enough. I was sick of seeing news about politics, reading tweets from celebrities I didn’t like and even being subjected to videos of animal abuse. My Twitter had to show all the fandoms I loved from voice actors, merch and fan chatter.

I wanted to surround myself with people who make me feel wanted and care about what I tweet. I wanted to be excited to click onto the site and enjoy what I saw. Yes, that means watching adorable cat videos! Twitter wasn’t the only place that I changed things. I did the same on Youtube, Pinterest and TikTok. There is something special about motivational quotes, successes of friends and fangirling news!

This time yesterday I was asdf-ing over some Tom Holland news. That is definitely the kind of news I want to see every day!

As I’ve gotten older, my tastes have changed. Content creators who I used to adore have changed or disappeared and it’s easier for me to see videos/posts with fewer subscriptions. You don’t even want to know how many people I used to follow because they were ‘cool’. I’ll admit that unfollowing certain people was painful at the time but I had to be honest with myself. When did I last watch/read their content? Did I enjoy what they did?

The one site that I’ve had to be brutally honest on is Twitter.

Photo by Eaters Collective on Unsplash

It took me a long time to feel okay using the mute and block options. Guilt was what had previously prevented me doing this, but I decided that I had to put myself first. First I muted words that I didn’t want to see, then moved onto accounts. I hate the idea of blocking people unless I have a very good reason. That reason usually is they’re either obvious spam accounts or adult ones. No-one needs to see that on their timeline!

I’ll be frank with you: I have muted friends in the past.

Muting them doesn’t mean that I don’t like them. Muting them just means that they’re a little triggering for me. Obviously people probably notice when I mute them and unfollow. If that was you, sorry! I swear it wasn’t personal! One of the biggest things I’ve tackled this year is blocking spam accounts. Yes, they make me look like I have a bunch of followers. They don’t read my blog though! I’m just purely a number for them.

Doing this has taken me down to under 5000 but at least I know my followers are people who are real.

If you’re thinking about looking at your own social media accounts, here are some tips:

Don’t be afraid to unfollow someone.
Try not to feel upset if you’re unfollowed.
Take a break if you need one.
Follow accounts you love/who are positive.

What have you done to make to make your social media more self-accessible?

Lifestyle

The Ultimate Autumn Bucket List For All Ages

Posted on 16th October 2020

With the world feeling like it’s on fire right now, we don’t know what we can do. It feels like we’re going to be stuck without family. While that might be the case I think there are lots of fun things we can do to celebrate the season.

This is in the form of an Autumn bucket list.

You guys know how I love a good list! I decided to have a sit down and think of some things you could do. This could be at home or with your family out in the open. Don’t worry…I am still thinking of the Tier 3 people here in the UK!

Photo by Cecile Vedemil on Unsplash

Carve a pumpkin

We have to attempt to carve a pumpkin this year! There are so many things you can make, especially if you’re creative/artistic. If you can’t carve one then you can do the next best thing: paint on it! You don’t have to be great at any of these.

As long as you have fun as you do it, then that’s all that matters.

Buy a new sweater

We’re moving into the cooler months so we say goodbye to heatwaves and hello to eternal rain. That’s what it feels like right now! Haha! Something that I love wearing is a nice comfy sweater.

You can get all snug with a turtle neck or a camel cable-knit. See? I know some terminology! Doesn’t Autumn automatically make you think of curling up in a sweater with a blanket and a good book? It does for me! I’m not sure which one I’ll buy this year but I’d love any opinions!

Create a Halloween playlist

Something that I’ve gotten into this year with Spotify is creating playlists.

I have way too many to my name! I have one for helping me sleep, one for my childhood, one for songs my parents introduced me to and more. I don’t actually have one for Halloween since I don’t really like scary things. I still like the idea of getting songs that make me think of this time of year.

It wouldn’t be an Autumn bucket list without something about music in it!

Make a closet costume

This concept was introduced to me by my cosplayer friends. You get given a character and create their costume using whatever clothes you have.

You’re obviously not going to make the perfect costume. That’s not the point. It’s just making a costume that feels right to you. You could choose to do a human Casper or Beetlejuice! It’s just something a little different and a fun game to do with friends.

Buy a candle

Candles have always been a big thing through the decades. They give us light and now have some amazing scents connected with the seasons. I’ve always wished that the UK had better selection of candles for Autumn, but they do exist. You just have to look around for them.

Yankee Candle have some gorgeous scents for this time of year: Pumpkin Patch, Spiced Orange and Autumn Glow. Not sponsored but wouldn’t mind being! *wink*

Decorate your home

What are bloggers particularly known for?

Decorating their homes for pictures, of course! Okay, so that’s kind of what the world thinks we do and they’re not entirely wrong. Most of us do love to decorate a room in our home. I’ve brought a little bit of Autumn into my bedroom through a soft yellow blanket and season-inspired cushions. I can’t get into putting fake leaf garland around the place, but I do love a little something!

Attend a Zoom Halloween party

Since we can’t attend any Halloween parties right now, we can do the next best thing!

Have one over the internet!!

You can still get dressed into a costume, have some drinks and chat with friends. Plus you can do it all from the comfort of your own home. No need to go out in the freezing cold!

Jump in a pile of leaves

Hey, I did say this was an Autumn bucket list for all ages! We all have that inner child that loves crunching leaves and, if you have enough, you can make a massive pile!

I’ve never jumped into a pile before but it sounds like so much fun! I’d probably be finding leaves in my hair for days though. The trials of having long, curly hair. Haha!

Eat a candy apple

First off…ew.

Second…I only say ew because I’ve yet to find a candy apple that was nice. There’s just something about having something extra sweet over an apple. They’re sweet enough, people! I blame the fact that I had braces when I was younger and broke a wire.

Anyone who has had a broken wire or bracket will know my pain.

This all said, I may try and make my own. I’m only doing it because of one of my favourite animes. 100 kudos points to anyone who recognises this anime!

Dress up your pet

Let’s see how many owners can do this! It doesn’t matter if you have a cat or a dog either. If they’re happy for you to dress them, then go for it! They are so many adorable outfits you can buy these days.

Turn your dog into a vampire or even transform your cat into a pumpkin. These are basically our furry children so we have to have fun once/twice a year.

What costumes has your pet worn through the years?

What is on your Autumn bucket list this year?

Fandom

10 Horror Video Games To Scare Your Friends

Posted on 10th October 2020

Remember how I said in my last post that I didn’t like watching horror films/games? That was a bit of a lie. I definitely can’t deal with horror films but, for some reason, I can play scary video games! Don’t ask me how because I’ve never understood my brain! Haha!

There’s something about jump scares while playing that gets your heart pumping.

Maybe it’s because you’re the one in charge of what happens, especially with ‘you decide’ games. We might be stuck indoors during this scary years, but we’re still able to play with friends. What’s the best thing you can do during October? Freak out your friends!

Photo by Mélanie THESE on Unsplash

Outlast: Whistleblower

THIS GAME!! This game gave me nightmares for ages! It has everything that a horror game should have: unsuspecting jump scares, terrifying characters, close calls and…gore. I personally can’t stand gore but you kind of expect it in a game like this. I missed out on playing the first Outlast so wanted to see what DLC would be like.

I don’t know how the developers came up with some of the things that happened, but I still question whether they’re all okay! Haha!

If you’ve ever worried about being hopeless with a weapn, don’t worry! You don’t use any at all! All you have is a camera, your legs and your timing skills. Your camera helps you see some nasties and you have plenty of places to hide and squeeze through.

Until Dawn

Before winning his Oscar in Bohemian Rhapstody, I knew Rami Malek from Mr Robot and this game Until Dawn. It is one of the freakiest games around and not for the usual reasons. It has its gruesome deaths and jump scares but you also get to take part in therapy sessions! The therapist guy is the scariest thing in the game for me! He looks both realistic and completely distorted.

Beware of Dr Hill!

It’s an interactive game where the term ‘butterfly effect’ really makes something. Your decisions really affect each of the characters and sometimes determine who lives and who dies.

Little Nightmares

Before I played this, I thought it had looked rather cute. You’re a teeny figure in a raincoat running around and avoiding traps. What I didn’t realise was that I’d have to see and hear giant, bloated people eating food and who end up chasing after you at certain points!

SO FREAKY!

Like a lot of horror video games, there is an unnerving real-life edge to it that makes you really uncomfortable. Here’s a description of it to give you an idea:

Confront your childhood fears in this darkly whimsical tale, set in an immersive world of great sensibility, interactive storytelling and outstanding sound design. Discover the foul secrets of The Maw and survive the attentions of its monstrous residents as you bid to help Six escape to the world outside. (Bandai Namco)

Resident Evil 2

You don’t have to love horror to have heard of Resident Evil. I hadn’t heard too much of it until I saw trailers for the first film! Haven’t watched it either. Haha!

The only reason I know of the video games are through watching Youtubers play them. The most recent one I saw was last year for the Resident Evil 2 remake! It’s a must-play for anyone who loves playing games with zombies and amazing graphics.

I’m not selling it well but I promise it’s really good! Resident Evil 3 came out this year and there’s another game scheduled for 2021 too!

Five Nights At Freddy’s

Even though we don’t have them over in the UK, Five Nights At Freddy’s involves freaky animatronics that want to murder you. You’re playing as a new nighttime security guard and you’re in charge of guarding Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza through security cameras and phone call instructions! As you can probably guess, you have to survive five nights while holding off the deadly characters. You have:

Freddy Fazbear
Bonnie the Bunny
Chica the Chicken
Foxy the Pirate Fox

You only get so much electrical power to keep the security doors closed from attacks. Once that is gone, you’re doomed.

Phasmophobia

This is the newest horror game that everyone seems to be playing and isn’t Among Us! It’s a 4-player game where you’re a team of paranormal investigators! You get sent to different haunted places to try and figure out what kind of ghost they are.

You get a bunch of items to help you document evidence such as EMF readers, thermometers and a spirit box. The creepiest element of this is that the game listens to you. Any time you mention the spirit’s name, ask for a sound, then the game tends to make things happen.

Anger the spirit and you might be joining it in the afterlife.

The Last Of Us

One of the most gorgeous horror games out there has to be The Last of Us series. It’s just as scary and disturbing as the others, but it has such an incredible story that goes along with it and I love! It follows Joel and Ellie as they’re trekking across a zombie-invested country to get Ellie to a hospital.

Both of these characters make you fall for them with Joel’s dad humour and bravery and Ellie’s absolute sass! Did I mention that she’s also gay?! The scenery is breath-taking and you sometimes forget that there are creatures out there wanting to kill you.

Hello Neighbour

I honestly thought I was playing an IRL game of this with my crazy neighbours, but mine are nothing like this neighbour. You’re playing a guy called Nicky who was once kidnapped as a child by their next-door neighbour and locked in the basement. You manage to escape and, after moving away and things going wrong, you find yourself back in your old house.

After hearing a child scream, it’s your job to sneak back into the house to find the child and help them escape too. The story surrounding the neighbour is a bit more complex but the game is perfect for anyone who likes to be stealthy!

Dead By Daylight

Another multiplayer game where you can either play as a victim trying to escape or the killer wanting to sacrifice them. You and two other people have to sneak around a scary map to fix generators that open the final exit. It takes patience and some skill to fix these because, if you aren’t careful, the generator makes a loud bang and signals where you are to the killer.

You can get attacked by them, trapped by a bear trap and even hung up on a large hook as a sacrifice. Your friends can help you get down and heal you, but you have to make sure you aren’t seen!

Doki Doki Literature Club

The last horror video game on my recommendations is one that might trick your friends before scaring them. At first glance, this game is like an adorable anime! You join a friend with other girls in the school’s literature club where you can talk about books and poems. Everything is lovely and the characters are normal…until they’re not.

The reason this is a horror game is because of how disturbing it becomes. You think you’re playing a dating simulator until poems start to turn morbid, blood appears and gruesome things start happening to them. I’ll be honest and say that this is triggering for anyone with mental health so thought I’d warn you before you all played.

Have you ever played any horror games?

Fandom Lifestyle

What’s On My Non-Spooky Watch List For Halloween?

Posted on 4th October 2020

Hi, I’m Daisy and I can’t watch horror films! Not only am I a coward but I just don’t like them. That said I still love Halloween. I can watching spooky things like Ghost Adventures or Buzzfeed Unsolved so I’m not a complete lost cause. I mean…I scare myself looking in the mirror every day.

If only that was a joke! Haha!

To get myself into the season of a new month, I’m sharing some of the TV shows/films that I’m planning on watching during October. So many new things to watch and fangirl over!

Photo by Neven Krcmarek on Unsplash

Netflix

The Addams Family

There have been so many versions of this awesome family! I’ve watched a teeny bit of the original, the musical and some of the new film. One of my favourites though has to be the 1991 film. It did freak me out as a kid because of the woman Debbie and her ending in a grave.

It’s definitely something I appreciate more now I’m older. I have a bit of a dark sense of humour (blame my parents and Jeff Dunham) so giggle at all the ‘wrong’ jokes. Wednesday is just an amazing character! That and Cousin Nit! It’s a staple for my Halloween viewing!

October Kiss

A free-spirited woman takes a temp job as a nanny to a workaholic widower. As Halloween approaches, she shows the family there’s a fun side to life.

I’m surprised that I haven’t watched this film yet since it came out in 2015. I usually jump on sweet, thought-provoking films like this. I guess I’ll just have to watch it this month! You can’t not watch a film called October Kiss in October.

This reminds me a little of Mrs Doubtfire meets Hook!

If there’s anything we need in 2020, it’s a film that makes you feel good.

The Corpse Bride

Erm…is this a bad time to admit that I’ve never watched The Corpse Bride? *hides*

I’ve heard a lot about it and know what everything looks like but I’ve never sat down and watched it. It sounds interesting and I love the style of the characters so I’ll let you guys know what I thought. After you’ve stopped silently judging me…

Hotel Transylvania 1, 2 & 3

Another kids film that I’m not ashamed to admit I enjoy watching!!

I first watched because Selena Gomez was voicing a character but then fell in love with the rest of the characters. It obviously has that silly humour kids all seem to love, but it does have some serious moments too. I missed out watching the last film so, with the weather being bad this week, I think I’m just going to sit down and watch all three.

The Worst Witch

Having grown up with the 90s version of the TV show and the books written by Jill Murphy, I had to give the recent CBBC series. It has Bella Ramsey playing Mildred so you know it’s going to be good! I’ll admit that it doesn’t have that sparkle the original had, but I still love the show!

Everyone is super cute and it really does bring back memories!

You can either watch the show on Netflix or on the CBBC iPlayer.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Of course…you can’t have Halloween without this freaky retelling of Sabrina!!

It’s one of the best shows on Netflix and gets better every time I watch it. I didn’t think I would like because it was so much darker, but I did! Kiernan Shipka makes an incredible Sabrina and I can’t help but love the characters especially Theo (played by Lachlan Watson) and Aunt Hilda (Lucy Davies).

I haven’t watched the most recent season so I’ll be sitting in the darkness watching this!

Disney+

Coco

What I’m starting to realise in the process of writing this post is just how many things I love but haven’t watched. I swear I haven’t done it on purpose! Life has usually gotten in the way when they’ve come out and I’ve forgotten to watch. One of those films is Coco.

I know what it looks like and have heard a couple of the songs, but I don’t exactly know what it’s about. It looks like something about the Day of the Dead but I could be wrong. I think the timing of the film was just wrong for me since it was when Mum died.

Oh and check the interview with the amazing woman who inspired Mama!

Maleficent 1 & 2

I’ve not connected much with the films Angelina Jolie has performed in, but I did fall for how she brought Maleficent to life! It has all the magic, the darkness that transforms her and the re-awakening of her light because of Aurora! Elle Fanning makes the perfect Disney princess and I wish we could have more films in this universe!

I purposely made sure not to watch the sequel as I wanted to watch it during October. I’m always nervous of sequels because they’re not normally as good as the first. I’ve heard some great things about this though so we’ll see.

Zombies 1 & 2

Something that modern Disney is known for is their musical films, whether it’s High School Musical, The Descendants or more. Since it’ll soon be Halloween, I decided to share Zombies! Another film with a sequel I haven’t watched yet. I’ve seen the trailer and heard about it but all I know is that it has werewolves involved this time.

It’ll be cheesy and squeaky, but sometimes it’s good not to think too much when watching.

If you’ve watched it, let me know what you thought of it!

Gravity Falls

This series is on my list of Top 10 shows I’ve loved! I’ve watched lots of different animated shows throughout my life, but only a handful keep me interested. Gravity Falls is still brilliant even though it finished in 2016. I keep hoping they’ll bring it back!

The show follows twins Dipper and Mabel as they spend the summer with their great-uncle Grunkle Stan. Something they didn’t realise was all the mysterious and spooky things happened in Gravity Falls. Dipper finds a mysterious journal in the forest one day and starts to learn that the town was weirder than he first imagined.

I wish I could adopt Mabel! She’s so vibrant, fun and all so crazy!! She isn’t stupid though and is very close to her family!

Star Vs The Forces of Evil

If you wanted to know which show had the catchiest theme tune, it would be a tie between Gravity Falls and Star Vs The Forces of Evil! This show is just like the title suggests. It’s about a princess called Star who uses her magic to protect the world from the forces of evil.

However she isn’t the best at performing spells and tends to put herself into a lot of danger. Enter her best friend Marco! He is very safety-conscious and doesn’t like to take many risks! When he asked to look after Star when she transfers to his school, his world gets turned upside down!

Look, if you can be witches for Halloween, then you can also watch a magical princess from another dimension!

What are you planning on watching this Halloween?

Lifestyle

40 Autumn Post Ideas For A Productive Blogtober

Posted on 1st October 2020

Today is October 1st and, for a few bloggers out there, that’s the start of Blogtober!

The last time I was able to successfully do a post through the month of October was back in 2015. Don’t think I’ll be able to do every day but I’m going to try and post more often. One of the struggles I had with this was coming up with post ideas.

We struggle at the best of times so I hope that these can make your Blogtober extra productive!

Photo by Alex Geerts on Unsplash

Blogtober for nerdy/fandom bloggers

I had to start with some fun prompts for my fellow fandom bloggers!

Whether you chat about Disney, Harry Potter or other fandoms, let’s try to throw ideas at each other! We need all the help we can get for post ideas!

Tips on how to deal with Disney Parks withdrawal
What TV shows/films do you re-watch every year?
A haul of autumn-related Disney products
5 fandom no-carving pumpkin items (break out the paints!)
Do a Halloween decorate-with-me
4 Halloween costume and make-up ideas for kids and adults
Gift Ideas for your nerdy friends
What content do you watch to get you feeling seasonal (Youtube/TikTok)
DIY craft ideas
A Disney-inspired lookbook

Book bloggers

With the weather getting more unpredictable and the days drawing in, this time of year is made for the book bloggers! They can curl up somewhere comfy and read. Nothing else you’d rather do when it’s raining and dark! I know that I’ve already been searching around Pinterest for ideas!

Books you’re looking forward to this autumn
Chat about cosy places to read in your home
Share your favourite spooky books that scare you
Craft your favourite books onto pumpkins
What did you managed to read this month?
Have you got any tips for people who are in a reading slump?
Tell us what music you like to listen while you read during the colder months
Compare original book covers to newer covers for the same book
Spell out your first name with books you love and tell us why you love
What blogtober ideas would you give to book bloggers?

Lifestyle

One of the hardest tropes to do ideas for has to be lifestyle! Not hard as in not being able to come up with ideas but the opposite. There are so many things that you can write about and it’s trying to figure out which ones you want to do. I’m in the middle of both of these.

Somedays I can have no ideas whatsoever and others I get overwhelmed!

Tell readers your reasons for loving/hating Autumn
Do a home decor haul to make your home more seasonal
Create some homemade recipes to warm you up
Have you got autumnal candles that you love to burn?
Create some fun ways to celebrate a social-distanced Halloween
Write a bucket list for the upcoming month
Chat about the scariest films you love
Have you got any interesting childhood stories?
Warm drinks that help you ignore rainy days
Share any advice on dealing with seasonal depression

Travel

We might be stuck indoors more because of Covid-19, but I reckon we’ll still be able to come up with travel posts. We can either travel at a social distance or use our imagination! You would be surprised how often I visit other countries in my head.

I’m probably more in there than out of! Haha!

A list of fun places you could visit for Halloween
How would you travel on a badget?
Discuss what you’re doing to stay safe while travelling
What’s on your autumn travel bucket list
Do you have a routine while travelling?
Write about any childhood memories you have of travelling
Who would be on your wishlist of famous people to travel with?
What do you miss from home when you’re travelling?
A list of things you don’t need but still end up packing
If you could take part in any international autumn traditions, which ones would you choose and why?

Are you doing Blogtober this year? Have you got ideas you’d like to share?