So here we are; a summary of the last month of 2017, and my ninth Monthly Muses post! I couldn’t end the year (and start the new one!) without keeping up with my blog series.
This won’t be a round-up featuring my favourite things from the whole year – my memory isn’t that good I’m afraid! I’ll simply be sharing my usual list of things I loved in the last month.
December was a good one. Despite the threat of gremlins (no, not the film!), I forced so much festive spirit down my own throat, I was in danger of giving myself tinsellitis.
(Sorry).
Christmas in your twenties is a very different experience, but no less magical, and I made sure to fit as much in as possible throughout December; from visiting the Christmas markets in Southampton and Winchester, to making my own handmade mince pies.
Now that the fairy lights have been turned off and the tree has been taken down, I’d like to take a look at the things I loved in the last month that aren’t necessarily festive (this post isn’t going to include any lovely Christmas gifts, either! Just the stuff before and after the holidays).
Watching…
Thor: Ragnarok
I am a fan of the Marvel films. No, I’m no die-hard comic book nerd; I just love to watch superheroes do their thing with an epic soundtrack. Thor is one of my favourites, so I was excited to see the third instalment of his adventures in December.
This wasn’t my favourite of the trilogy; I felt that it tried too hard to be funny (I preferred it when Thor wasn’t aware that he was humorous!). However, it was fun, feisty and I thought Cate Blanchett was fantastic as Hela.
The Crown
I watched the entire second season of The Crown in one week. I love the cast (all of whom are perfect, in my opinion) and I am finding it thoroughly educational too. I can’t wait for series three to grace our screens (with Olivia Coleman and, allegedly, Helena Bonham-Carter!), but for now I’m trying to resist the temptation to watch it all over again.
Snow White at the Mayflower Theatre
I LOVE a pantomime, so when I was invited to see this year’s panto at The Mayflower Theatre, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. You can read my review of the evening here; it’s on until tomorrow, so if you’re in Southampton and keen not to miss it, go!
Reading…
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
I’m just over halfway through this book (I basically stopped reading over Christmas, appallingly) but when I do find time to pick it up, I find it almost impossible to put it down again. This will be the first book I finish in 2018 and I honestly can’t wait to share my thoughts with you in a review! All I’ll say is…got some book vouchers for Christmas? Buy this.
2017 summary blog posts
It looks like everyone who has a blog has written a post rounding up the year that has passed. I’ve even had a go at exploring my (elusive but existent) successes of 2017, so I’m joining in too! I’ve been enjoying reading some of these posts; the ones that stand out to me are ones which are pithy, honest and realistic.
If you’re looking to be a bit nosey, I recommend starting by reading:
Ella’s ‘Good Moments in 2017’ and ‘Best Reads of 2017’
Katy’s ’91 Good Things that Happened in 2017′
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
This was a birthday gift from my friend Caitlin, who always gives me wonderful books as presents! I’d not heard of this one at all before it turned up on my doorstep, lovingly wrapped, but after the first few chapters I was enchanted and devoured it in mere days. I’ll be sharing my thoughts with you soon.
Listening to…
Honestly? I think I mainly listened to Christmas music in December. See, I told you I went full throttle on the festivities! I still downloaded a few podcasts though…
Favourite episodes from December include:
Austin Kleon, Pencil Vs Computer – Hurry Slowly
#7 The Struggle with Talking About Sexual Assault – The Female Struggle is Real
Sharing a Cab, And my Toes – Modern Love
Doing Your Best But Being a Mess with Roisin Conaty – The Guilty Feminist
Eating…
You mean aside from mince pies and stollen??
Giant pizza at L’Osteria
L’Osteria in Westquay has been on my list to try for a very long time, and I finally got to go in December for a catchup with some girlfriends after a little Christmas shopping. The pizzas were HUGE and delicious – and despite promising I’d have leftovers for lunch the next day…I ate the whole thing. No regrets: delicious.
Treating myself…
…to a manicure at home!
I wanted to get my nails done for Christmas this year; a manicure is a real treat for me and one of my go-to activities when I really need to show myself some love. I wanted sparkly, festive nails, but I didn’t have a lot of time on my un-polished hands.
I ended up having my nails (and brows!) done in the comfort of my own home by the lovely Clara, who set up her own mobile beauty business in 2017! It was a really fab experience and my nails looked so wonderful (and still do).
Clara is based in the Southampton area, so if you are local (I know that may not apply to many of you!) I highly recommend her; she’s a great beautician, and is super friendly and professional. Thank you so much Clara!
You can find Clara’s Mobile Beauty on Facebook.
Writing…
- Monthly Muses | November 2017
- Ten ways to give a little more this Christmas
- Theatre Review | Follies, National Theatre Live screening at The Point, Eastleigh
- Theatre Review | Snow White at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
I think that’s all for December – what did you enjoy at the end of 2017? I can’t wait to start sharing my favourite parts of 2018 with you.
But first things first…my 2018 goals! Watch. This. Space.
Jo Fisher Writes 
Aww, thanks for the shoutouts, Jo!
I felt the same about Thor – enjoyed it but felt that it tried a little too hard. I also didn’t read at all over Christmas and getting back into the swing of things is proving difficult 😬
Great post, as always!
Ella x
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Great poost
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