Landlocked Mermaid

    5. Neverwinter   If you have spoken to me within the last year, there is no doubt that I will have mentioned Neverwinter. I have sunk many an hour of my life onto this game and I love it. Since reaching level 80 is has gotten a little more repetitive than before, but then again the game hasn't just stopped now that I am a hero of Neverwinter. There are seasonal events, replayable missions, and additional campaigns for me to play. Lots of things to hit and shinys to find. It does keep me quiet for an hour or two. If anyone plays and sees a Barbarian named Kestrel about, that's me! 4. Balder's Gate     This is a game which I have been playing since I was a teenager and recently rediscovered with my partner. We like to have games we play together and RPGs work great for us. Balder's Gate: Dark Aliance and Balder's Gate: Dark Aliance II are two games which we have completed together (as well as a load of Lego games!) We like games which are a nice balance of sto...

Who fast forwarded November? Go on, own up! Has November whizzed by for anyone else? Well, never mind. As we are within 30 days before Christmas, I am going to resist the temptation to Grinch it up and just go with it. So have my top five Christmas films which I shall be indulging in over the coming weeks. 5. Edward Scissorhands This movie is beautiful and such a lovely origin for why it snows. It's not specifically a Christmas film, but I feel it qualifies because the climax of the story happens at Christmas. Plus, the whole "this is why it snows" thing. I am a big fan of Tim Burton, if that hadn't come across already. His wacky view of the world and strong stylised imagery has always delighted me. Even before I knew about auteurship, mise-en-scene, and all those other film student phrases. I remember watching Edward Scissorhands at Christmas every year when growing up and I do believe it has led to a lifelong appreciation of Tim Burton and Vincent Price. (He plays ...

Final Friday Top Five Villains   5. Ursula Naturally, Ursula had to make this list. She is a badass sea witch with an awesome villain song. She's dramatic, body proud, and not afraid to be herself. And like every good villain, she is just charming (and seductive!) enough to lure our unsuspecting heroes in. Villains for the sake of villains fall a little flat, but a good villain is endlessly fascinating. If Disney wanted to do a live action treatment for Ursula like they did Maleficent, I would very much be behind that! 4. Norman/Norma Bates I blame Norman Bates for my fascination with serial killers in movies. Between him and another on this list, I went through a phase of loving serial killer films. Anthony Perkins plays Norman Bates (in the 1960 film, not the TV series) with an endearing awkwardness which is often left to the "geek guy who is really nice and secretly hot" character. He is a complex character with more meat to him that merely someone obsessed with killin...

 Final Friday Top Five! Areas to Visit in the UK It's that time of the month again, where I lament the passing of time and seem surprised it has occurred. You know, how is already the end of September? Yet will 2020 ever end? Who knows! That's the answer to both of those. So it is time for a distraction in the form on a top five list. This month I am fantasising about all my favourite places to visit around the UK. What with lockdown and the weather starting to turn, it's unlikely I will see them before the year is out. But a girl can dream! 5. Abersoch/Porth Ysgaden Abersoch and the Porth Ysgaden area one of the regularly visited spots for the Shrewsbury Sub Aqua Club. Meaning, this is where we go diving. I have explored more of the sea's depths than I have of the land! Still, it is a beautiful area - above and below the sea. With dramatic hills forming the coastline and plenty of diving spots, Porth Ysgaden has something for everyone. On drive throughs of Abersoch, it...

Final Friday Top Five Board Games Ok - so this theme is not so watery, but has anyone else's board game play increased exponentially over lockdown? Mine certainly has. Thanks to Table Top Simulator and Board Game Arena I have not only been able to learn new games but stay in touch with fellow gamers. While the rest of the world may be chomping at the bit to return to "normal", I have actually quite enjoyed my time in lockdown. Sure, it has been difficult in some ways and the never ending anxiety fueled by death tolls has been terrifying. But having the chance to connect online and further my love of board games has been something I have cherished. Because of the online medium, some of the games I am choosing have not actually been played "in the flesh" but that has not diminished my love for them. So, without further waffle, here are my top five board games! (Just a note before I start: "board game" is being used as a general term for table top games...

All images made using Canva It's that time again when I lament about time passing and distract myself with lists. Have my top five bugs! As #30DaysWild is drawing to a close, it seems like an appropriate topic. 5. Shield Bugs Shield bugs are awesome. The are big which makes them easy to look at, but pretty chill which makes them less of a "creepy" crawly. The colours they come in are beautiful too, that bright green or autumnal brown. Plus, it appeals to my inner DnD/Fantasy nerd that they are named after and look like shields! 4. Ladybird Who doesn't like ladybirds? I remember as a kid being really excited to count the spots and figure out how old they were. One of those playground rumours which are utter nonsense. These bugs are iconic. There's Ladybird Books, Ladybird Books for Grown-ups, Francis the Ladybird in A Bug's Life , and so many more examples that it makes my brain crash trying to think of them! I was surprised to learn that I had no idea what bab...

Final Friday Top Five Reusables! All pictures made on Canva I have been looking at a lot of reusable products, thanks to my podcast , so I figured I should rank them! I've been really enjoying taking a closer look at them. In the future I will be doing more pro/con lists here on the blog to further explore these awesome products! Without further waffle, here are my top five reusable products. 5. Gift Bags As per usual, I am breaking my own rules and starting with something not technically advertised as reusable. But surely I am not the only person who hoards gift bags and the fancy paper shopping bags with a mind to reuse them? I have a wine bag which is made from jute so if that's not reusable I don't know what is! And even if I don't actually hand the physical bag over, they are a great way to transport gifts at the very least.  I genuinely think I have never bought a gift bag in my life.  4. Sanitary Towels Making the s...

Final Friday Top Five Film Scores 5. Sharknado series: (The Ballad of) Sharknado by Quint It is no secret that despite being a shark advocate, I love a good Creature Feature B-Movie. The Sharknado series ticks all my boxes: bad acting, ridiculous premise, cheap CGI, and an escalation of silliness you couldn't predict in a million years. Plus, all the cameos! And the music does not disappoint. It enhances the aesthetic and completes the tone to the film. It's fun and everything it needs to be. 4. Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - Movie Version by Joe Hisashi You get the Noah Cyrus and Bonus Jonas version, rather than original Japanese. In my books, Joe Hisashi can do no wrong. The man knows his way around an orchestra. I am a fan. (I mean, I have the score to Spirited Away tattooed on my arm.) I can (and regularly do) listen to his music for hours on end. His scores are the perfect accompaniment to Hayao Miyazaki's b...