Day Trip to London

Just before Christmas me and my best friend Kirsty met up for a pre Christmas meet up and planned our day trip to London. She offered to drive which was amazing as she knew a car park in which you could park for £2 all day and then just hop on the underground station in to the centre of London.

We went on the 27th January as we both wanted to go after payday with the long drag after the December pay which made total sense so we both actually had money. We were originally just going to take our cameras to have a play with but after chatting about previous trips we decided to take a sneaky trip to Madame Tussuads as we hadn't been there since 2012 plus I could get us some cheap tickets for £24 rather than £40 which saved a lot of money.

As Kirsty was driving and we wanted to make the most of the day we set of at 06:30am for the long drive to London. We actually arrived in London at 09:30 and made our way to Baker Street so I could take a few photos being a Sherlock fan but due to the museum being open that day I couldn't get a photo of myself knocking on the door but I did still get a photo outside.

With our ticket being set for 11:15 and making good time we decided to go for a walk around Regents Park which I had never been to before, it was absolutely beautiful and full of a variety of birds and ducks even though we were screaming if they came to close haha. After messing about near the fountains with our cameras we decided to take a walk back to Madame Tussuads so we could get in line to go inside.

It was so busy for a Saturday which we didn't let ruin our day and to be honest we actually managed to get around the whole place in just over an hour because there were a few sections we weren't massively bothered about. The only section I wasn't to pleased about but I was most excited for was the Star Wars area as it was so poorly managed and people were just so rude pushing and shoving and jumping in on peoples photos and spaces.

After this we grabbed a sandwich for lunch and had a well deserved sit down before wondering down the Southbank and across to the Shrek Shop. Its a shame that Big Ben is going to be covered up for so long and she is beautiful in all her glory. We took a very long stroll around the area and by the ITV building before we realised we were walking the wrong way to the underground ... whoops. By now it had started to rain which was a shame.

Kirsty had told me about this amazing Coffee shop called The Theatre Cafe which I know a lot of people who love musicals and shows rave about so please don't hate me when I admit I wasn't all that impressed. The staff messed up our order meaning I didn't actually get a drink as it was busy I couldn't be bothered to wait, it was untidy and no clean tables along with the music that should be playing wasn't.

Don't get me wrong though the decor of the place was amazing, all the memorabilia from all the different shows was amazing and maybe if I went on another day not during the weekend then maybe I may have a different opinion of the place.

After hiding from the rain and having a well deserved sit down we took a stroll around China Town but I didn't take any photos as at this point it was still raining. We then ventured to a few shops and of course the Disney Store before grabbing some food.

We actually went to somewhere my dad had gone the previous weekend called Angus Steak House as there happened to be a branch down Oxford Street which was handy as neither of us felt much like walking. The restaurant it's self was lovely it was just shame about the service and funny how a meal that is exactly the same can be so different.

We both went for the same ribs but with different sides and when the ribs came out mine were perfect so juicy and the meat fell right of the bone but for Kirsty's they were dry, rock hard and had barely any meat on them. The waiter was so rude about the situation blaming her cutting when it was clearly the ribs luckily the serving boy defused the situation and went and got her some more which were perfect the next time. Just a shame the waiter then went and moaned to his manager in ear shot, I won't be visiting this branch again but maybe ill try the other branch next as the ribs were incredible.

By this point the day was talking its toll a little bit on us both, knackered from the long drive and day we decided to call it a day and head home around 8pm. We managed to get back in to Bristol for 10:30pm. I had such an amazing day out and I can't wait for more of our adventures.

Planning London - October 2017

I feel my blogging inspiration has been a little flat over the last few months apart from blogging about my upcoming Disney trip and I do have a few other posts in the pipeline but not a lot so I thought I would tell you about our upcoming trip to London.

After my friend Kirsty went and spent a weekend in London with her boyfriend it gave me an idea to see if Joel fancied doing a similar thing but I know he hates travelling and isn't a massive fan of London so I was really surprised when he jumped at the opportunity to go and spend a few nights there in October.

What I'm looking forward to about this trip the most is that we are just going to arrive in London and do as we please. Usually when I'm in London I'm always there to do something whether its seeing a show or watching a band and it feels very rushed so I'm looking forward to going with the flow and seeing where the few days takes us.

We arrive in London on the Thursday afternoon in time for us to check in to our room as we have booked a room with bathroom to save on costs as it was £110 for 2 nights compared to £300 in a hotel which saved us a lot of money. It is over in Wembley which is about 25 minuets on the underground which isn't an issue because I would rather save money. We then leave London on the Saturday evening giving us pretty much 2 full days and half a day.

We haven't got any plans set in stone when we are there but we are slowly compiling a list of places we would like to visit and do whilst we are there.

To Do List:
- General Sightseeing - We want to just take a wonder around to all the different big landmarks like Big Ben, London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and loads more.
- Visit Kings Cross Station - So I can finally visit the Platform 9 3/4 shop
- Eat breakfast at The Breakfast Club
- Visit Primrose Bakery again and get cake
- Visit London Zoo (Maybe)
- Visit the Disney Store in Oxford Street/Covent Gardens
- Shopping - With so many shops in London this is a must do of course
- Borough Market - I've heard so many good things about all the food stalls here and I have yet to visit so somewhere I would definitely like to go.
- Sky Garden/ Pod Bar
- Eat at lots of different restaurants and try new foods

So these are the few things we have on our to do list although like I said we don't really have anything set in stone and will take things as they come!

Once I get back I will be sure to do some trip reports about what we did and where we ate, maybe even a haul post if I buy anything!

Coming Up - July 2017 to December 2017

I have had just such lack or inspiration this year when its come to writing this blog, I was hoping maybe I might hit the 100 posts again this year but I honestly don't think I will. I thought it would be quite nice to just update you all on whats going to be coming up over the next six months things that are definitely happening and I will be posting about.

Coming Up:

- Disneyland Paris
If you have completely missed all my Disneyland Paris over the last six months then my holiday is finally getting closer and I have a few more posts coming up soon following on from my trip.

• What's In My Parks Bag
• Trip Reports
• Haul Post

- Doki Doki Boxie Review - July or August 2017
So in July I decided to swap my usual Tokyo Treat box for a new Japanese box to review just because I haven't been that impressed since the changes back in April. I haven't cancelled my subscription plan as such just skipped a couple of months as well because the next few months with my holidays I need the extra cash.

- What I Got for my Birthday
I know some people really don't like these types of blog posts because they think some people are showing off where as I and a lot of other people I know really enjoy reading them. I love finding out what people got for they're birthday and what they go up to on they're special day.

- EGX Convention - Birmingham - September 2017
So excited to go to EGX this year with Joel and for those who don't know its the UK's biggest gaming convention where we will get the chance to play some of the newest games but also try some demos for future releases.

• Day Trip Reports
• Haul Post

- Beauty and The Beast Afternoon Tea - Bristol - October 2017
I have been dying to try the popular BATB afternoon tea in London since it was announced at the start of the year but have never managed to get a booking. My friend though got an email about one they are doing in Bristol and its actually only a 15 minuet drive away from our home which is perfect although its a little while off yet but it will still be amazing when it comes around.

- Seeing Chon - Bristol - October 2017
Chon are a band from all the way over in America and they're music is mostly instrumental with a few tracks that have vocals. Now Joel introduced me to them last year and I fell in love but at the time they only seemed to be touring the states and have now released a new album and surprised the UK with a tour and whats even better is they are coming to my home town!!

- London Break - October 2017
With me being in Disneyland Paris in September and money being tight me and Joel decided to take a few days break in London just to change things up a bit as we are saving for Tokyo there isn't going to be any holiday on the cards.

• Planning London
• Day Trip Reports
• Haul Post

So there we have it, my plans for the next six months and what to expect on my blog. There will be the usual books I've read posts and Tokyo Treat reviews.

Until I get my Doki Doki Boxie I'm not 100% sure If I will continue with Tokyo Treat or not but I haven't cancelled my subscription because I have a $5 off for life code on there and who knows when something might pop up that I would like to try. 

Annie The Musical - London

On the 15th June 2017 only last week me and both of my sisters travelled up to London to go and watch Annie in the theatre. Annie has been one of my all time favourite movies since I was a little girl after watching the 1982 original with my sisters growing up. 

My love for Annie didn't stop with the classic when Disney released they're own version of the movie back in 1999 I had to watch it of course one with it being Annie and two with it being Disney. 

In 2014 a more modern up to date version was released and although it received mixed signals I absolutely loved it because it mixed things up and gave it a more up to date feel with remakes of the classic songs and new ones added as well.

Annie did come to my home town in Bristol back in 2016 but because I didn't have any money at the time I didn't get any tickets but when I found out it was going to be coming to the West End and staring Miranda Hart who is one of my favourite comedians and is in Call The Midwife the credit card came out and tickets were booked instantly as I had to go.

Because money was still tight at the time we went for the cheapest tickets we could get but with a decent view. I quite like being sat up high looking down over the stage as it means you get an overall great view and don't miss anything although I did check how the top tier seats were before booking because I know in some theatres the seats can be awfully uncomfortable the higher you get.

We were sat in the front row of the upper circle right on the end in the middle meaning we had a perfect view of the stage with no one blocking our view.

After reading so many good reviews of the show before we went I just knew it was going to be everything I wanted it to be and more. The cast were incredible especially the children playing the orphans and Annie herself they had such powerful voices and brought the characters to life.

Miranda Hart made the most perfect Miss Hannigan from the moment she walked on the stage to the moment she galloped off ... any Miranda fans will get that reference and she did actually gallop off the stage. 

The set designs were incredible how they moved from scene to scene and all the added extras changed. 

I could not help but sing all the way through it was just full of the classics songs and screen play was just perfect even though it varied in certain places.

As I have only seen the movies and never seen Annie on Broadway in New York I cannot really comment which one it is based on. But going on the movie basis I would say it was a good mix of both with some new songs added in that I hadn't heard before. As for my sisters because they hadn't watched the 1999 Annie they didn't know two of the songs or that the ending of the show came from that movie.

If you are an Annie lover like myself or just fancy seeing something new then I really recommend this. It will make you laugh and sing and its just a good feeling show. Its currently on in London until the 6th January 2018 but Miranda is only starring as Miss Hannigan until the 17th September.

Hyper Japan July 2016: Haul

So as you're all see from my previous post I went to Hyper Japan over the weekend in London so I though I would do a little post for you all of what I brought. As mentioned most of it is candy and snacks. I found a lot of the stalls there were over priced but they all had a variety of different items which was great.

So first stop and where I spent about 70% of my money was Tofu Cute. I have been a massive lover of them for a good few years now when my love for everything Asian began and I was so glad to see they were making an appearance this year.

First of all for £15 I picked up the smaller of the 2 snack lucky bags that they do, these come in a cute draw string bag blue for snacks and pink for plushes and cute things.

In my small bag I received 8 items and was really surprised that I actually received a drink as I thought it would have been included in the larger bags but win win aye. As they let you pick at random a bag you would like I was really happy with my choice as it included items that I hadn't even tried before.

It meant I was able to try Matcha for the first time and to my surprise it was ok I wouldn't personally go out of my way to buy it but if some one had given me some I wouldn't say no.

As well as having they're normal Kawaii section they also had a food festival area and a shop which was just full of different snacks and drinks obviously we made a B line right there after and picked up all of the above for £31 which I don't think is too bad considering the cost of postage you would pay if you brought it anywhere else.

I have been so excited to try Ramune for ages and have been close to ordering it online for a while but with Hyper Japan looming and Tofu Cute being there I decided to hold off although now I want to order more in different flavours. We went for Blueberry and Strawberry and they both tasted amazing and what is even more amazing in the unique bottles they come in with the glass ball at the top.

I have to admit we did you tube how to open a bottle of Ramune as we had no clue and I was surprised at how big the bottles were as I imagined them to be smaller. Essentially this is just a fizzy flavoured drink but it tasted amazing they were so sweet and a lot of fun to watch when you release the glass marble.

I'm a massive lover of chewy candy and one of my favourites are Hi-Chew especially the Grape flavour which you can see I did buy some but also luckily got some in my lucky bag but I have been wanting to try some chews from Puccho and I am so glad I did!

I picked up 3 different packets Assorted Fruit, Cola and Soda flavours. They're slightly different to Hi-Chew candies as these have a gooey centre and chewy candy pieces which  I didn't realise until we started eating them. Out of the three Soda was my favourite and since receiving different Soda treats in my Tokyo Treat boxes the flavour has become one of my favourites.

Of course I couldn't not pick up any Pocky it just has to be done especially when there is limited edition summer flavours on offer. We picked up Orange and Coconut then Joel wanted to get some Almond Crush ones.

All three of these flavours are amazing, especially the Almond and Coconut ones because the biscuits have little bits on them which makes them taste even more amazing. I'm not sure I would buy the orange ones again but the other two I defiantly would.

Moving away from food I came across a stall next to Tofu Cute called Dreamy Bows and they basically sell the most Kawaii stuff you could imagine from dresses to shoes to anything Kawaii for sure. They're also a Sailor Moon merchandise seller and have a wide range of items.

The first thing that caught my eye was this most beautiful cup there was 6 to choose from but I went for the cute pink colour with cute design rather than choosing a character as at the moment I am new to watching the show and only really know Sailor Moon.

Last but not least I couldn't not get a Totoro, I had seen a few whilst walking around but it wasn't until we reached up stairs and came across a stall by the website Otaku which sell a variety of Asian goodies.

On a massive stand they had a huge collection of Ghibli plushes and I could have easily brought them all but I refrained myself and got this one because he was super cute with his big wide mouth and teeth showing! Joel also picked up the Splatoon Artwork book which is in Japanses and hasn't been released in the UK yet which is pretty cool.

So that's what I picked up from Hyper Japan last weekend. I haven't really got much planned now until my Birthday in 52 days and then Disneyland in 56 days <3

Hyper Japan July 2016

Finally after years of forgetting to book tickets on Saturday just gone I finally managed to get to go to Hyper Japan which is the UK's biggest convention of Japanese culture and anime that is held in various locations in London.

This year it was held in the same venue as me and Joel went to the London Film and Comic Con funnily enough on the same day as last year which was great because it meant that we knew exactly where to go. Hyper Japan was laid out in an more organised way than LFCC which meant there was a lot more free room to move about although it was still boiling hot and very uncomfortable but never the less I had a great time.

This year Nintendo had a massive area on the ground floor featuring all they're new games and upcoming releases with a special demo of the new Zelda game.

What was the best thing about it was they had Splatoon Battles on through out the day which was a great laugh to watch.

There were lots and lots of stalls ranging from fashion, kawaii, prints, dvds, collectables and loads more but a lot of the stuff was over priced but it was really nice to see all the hand made items. There was also loads of food stalls selling a variety of Japanese foods. Me and Joel both had a chicken Katus burger although I wish that I had wondered around more before making my choice.

My favourite stall had to be Tofu Cute who I have been buying stuff off they're website for a long time so it was great to finally actually get to see they're stock in person.

After a few hours we had decided we had had enough and that maybe we should move on. With it being such a nice day we went to visit Hyde Park for the first time and laze around on the grass as we had a few hours to kill before our coach back.

We found a cute little juice/smoothie bar in which we had a fresh carrot, apple and orange juice which was amazing and so refreshing and now I really want to make my own.

After our few hours in the sun we stopped off at Lola's Cupcakes to grab a wee snack before our long journey home and I have to say these were the best cupcakes we had ever had. I had a Red Velvet and Joel had a simple strawberry flavour.

I do love a good trip to London and I'm so glad that I finally managed to get to go! In my next post I will do a haul of what I brought although be prepared its mostly food ha!

Happy Jackson

So whilst in London yesterday I stumbled across a little shop in Leicester Square called "Cards Galore" it caught my eye because right by the door was this display of bright and colourful note books, cases, lunch boxes and nick knacks. 

I recognised a glasses case that my best friends brother had got her a while back which was so cute so was intrigued to have a look as i didn't know the brand.

After walking through the door I fell in Love with "Happy Jackson", the brand is so quirky and cute. Everything is bright and colourful with the most perfect sayings to match each item.

I purchased the most amazing travel wallet for my adventure to Disneyland Paris in November, its a coral orange colour with a zebra print lining and 3 pockets. One for your passport, travel documents and travel money. I couldn't resist especially as I am always losing my passport and documents while going through the airport somewhere in my hand luggage.

As it's my birthday in 10 days my sister was nice enough to get me the wash bag to take on my trip as I have a really small one at the moment which doesn't fit much stuff in so as this one has a big zip pocket, 2 small pockets and room for more stuff its perfect. Also the saying is so true "Girly Crap - Yes I Do Really Need It All"

After looking on the Happy Jackson website I've found so many more items I really want;

These are definitely going on my Christmas list, they're just all so cute!