30 November 2017

Things That Make You Go Oooooo (November 2017)

Untitled

It's the final month of 2017 and I can't quite believe it's already upon up this year has gone so quickly yet I've done so much! In a couple weeks I'll be setting off on a month long adventure with my bestie so blog posts will probably be less frequent but as always be sure to check out my Instagram and Twitter for real time updates of our adventures! Everyone be sure to keep warm during these colder months, take good care of yourselves and make the most of what's left of 2017...

♥ How to Keep Going When You Want To Give Up on Life

♥ If You Are Looking for Reasons to Be Happy, You’ll Probably Find Them

♥ Gachapon: Tracing the evolution of Japan’s colorful toy capsules

♥ Five Easy Ways to be Eco-Friendly

♥ When Life Gives You Lemons - How To Deal With Stressful Situations

Búlandstindur.

♥ How To Stop Mindless Shopping

♥ 7 Things I've Stopped Telling Myself Everyday

♥ 5 Ways To Improve The Blogging Community

♥ Life Inside Hong Kong’s ‘Coffin Cubicles’

♥ How To Approach Brands For Freebies

Tranquillity

♥ Why I'm Happily Unmarried

♥ How To Get a Workout In Without Leaving Your House

♥ 6 Tips For Getting Started With Snail Mail

♥ 14 Important Tips To Stay Safe When Travelling!

♥ How to Maintain a Friendship When You’re in Different Life Stages

The Gentle Eye of the Beast

♥ I Was Depressed & Anxious Until I Started Doing These 4 Things

♥ Quitting the Internet Is as Hard as Quitting Drugs, Study Finds

♥ To Anyone Who Thinks They’re Falling Behind In Life

♥ 7 Things We Have to Stop Telling Ourselves About Other People

♥ You’ve Been Doing It Wrong: Why You’re Still Dehydrated




Love & Donuts
Cate
xoxo

27 November 2017

Coffee & Cake Date #8: Baan Kang Wat - Chiang Mai - Thailand

Baan Kang Wat - Chiang Mai - Thailand

Baan Kang Wat is one of my favourite hidden gems in Chiang Mai, the name translates to the house next to the temple (the temple being Wat Ram Poeng) and it's also know as the artists village. Every Sunday morning there is a market there where you can get food, drinks, organic vegetables and handmade goods and that's always the day I choose to visit. I love this place so much it's got such a relaxing, artsy vibe, it's really healing to just sit and watch the artists at work, you can also attend art classes there which I would love to do one day, and there's all sorts of unique goods you can buy to help support the local art community which is what I'm all about being a creative myself.

Baan Kang Wat - Chiang Mai - Thailand

There are actually a few little cafes here but I always go to the one in the back near the vegetable garden because the cakes there are some of the best I've ever tasted! When it comes to lemon meringue pie I'm spoilt because my Nan makes an awesome one and I haven't tried a single one any where in the world that matches it in flavour but the one they serve here is excellent and I always order it whenever I see it. The cafe is covered in plants and you'd be forgiven if you miss it because it's so hidden by green but I love it because it's so relaxing and you can easily spend a couple hours here relaxing and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. This is always the place I come to when I need to clear my head and sort out my life and when I leave I always feel in a much better place than when I arrived.

Baan Kang Wat - Chiang Mai - Thailand

บ้านข้างวัดเป็นบ้านศิลปินอยู่ใกล้วัดรำ่เปิง ฉันชอบไปบ้านข้างวัดทุกวันอาทิตย์เพราะมีตลาดพิเศษขายของแฮนด์เมดและอาหารออแกนิค ฉันมีอารมณ์ดีไปเที่ยวที่นี่เพราะชอบเดินในสวนและเห็นศิลปินวาดรูป ในบ้านข้างวัดมีคาเฟ่ฉันชอบที่สุด เค็กที่นี่อร่อยมากกว่าคาเฟ่อื่น ฉันรู้สึกดีกินเค็กที่คาเฟ่นี่เพราะรสชาติเหมือนย่าทำ ฉันแนะนำเมื่อคุณเครียดคุณมาเทียวบ้านข้างวัดเพราะมีสวนเงียบคุณนั่งสบาย

What's your favourite places to visit when you're stressed?
Love & Lemons
Cate
xoxo


Psssst if you want to see more awesome cafes from around the world you can click the button below, buy me a coffee & get treats & a shoutout on my next post





21 November 2017

Anime I'm Watching & Loving!

This isn't summer

It's been a great year of anime and I've really enjoyed getting back into the anime world, watching so many new and different series that it's almost been like falling in love again because prior to this year I hadn't really been watching much and now I'm watching almost a series a week! This will be my last anime post of 2017 but do not fear I will be continuing these post in 2018 because there's just so much more anime I want to watch and share, new and awesome series are being released all the time so there's just no way I can quit....

青の祓魔師
Rin Okumura is ambushed by demons one day and discovers that he is the son of Satan who wants him to use his demon powers to conquer the world. Rin refuses to join Satan and instead joins an academy along with his brother to begin training to become an exorcist to protect the people around him and defeat Satan. This anime has been on my watchlist for the longest time, I'm a big fan of supernatural anime and this did not disappoint. I loved the relationship between the exorcist students and seeing how they overcame their struggles both supernatural and personal. The series is quite humorous to which I always enjoy and I really loved Kuro, I'm always a sucker for the cute familiars. A second series based in Kyoto was also released earlier this year which I really enjoyed watching to, it's a self-contained story (or possible reboot?) so it's easy enough to follow even if you haven't watched the first season so be sure to check that one out to as it's really good and it features a little cameo from one of my favourite Japanese mascots Tawawa-Chan.


機動戦士ガンダムUC RE:0096
I confess although I'm familiar with the Gundam world and I am a fan of the figures I haven't actually watched a Gundam series since I was a little kid, it's one of those series I used to watch during summers in Thailand along with Sailor Moon, Doremon, Ultraman and Kamen Rider and as I've become reacquainted with most of the old Japanese series I used to watch as a kid now I'm living in Thailand again I thought it was about time I watched some Gundam so I went for Unicorn for obvious reasons! I felt so much nostalgia watching this and it wasn't too difficult to follow considering how out of the loop I am with this world and now I'm kinda thinking I need to catch up so no doubt I'll be adding a bunch more Gundam to my watchlist.


月刊少女野崎くん
Chiyo Sakura, a high school student, confesses her feeling to Umetarou Nozaki who hands her a strange autograph, it turns out that Nozaki is actually a popular shoujo manga artist who goes by the pen name Sakiko Yumeno, Sakura through some confusion then finds herself becoming one of Nozaki's manga assistants along with a few other of her schoolmates. This is such a fun and cute anime, I loved the relationship between all the characters as they seem to constantly misunderstand each other but there's still sweetness between them. This anime is very humour based and I giggled so much watching this as the characters are just so funny. It may be a little cheesy but that's the whole point because in a way it parodies a typical shoujo manga and its tropes.


僕のヒーローアカデミア
Izuku Midoriya dreams of one day becoming a hero but is bullied by his fellow classmates for not having a "quirk" or superpower. After being the only person to try and save his childhood bully from a villain, the world's greatest hero All Might, gives him a quirk "One For All", Izuku is then accepted into U.A. High School an elite school that trains the worlds next greatest superheroes to save the world against the villains. I've seen so many mentions about this anime so I decided to finally give it a watch and I would describe it as One Punch Man the high school edition (remember when Attack of Titan did that?). I love One Punch Man and I can just imagine this existing in the same universe, the characters are so "quirky" (see what I did there?) and it made the series really fun and humorous to watch, so if you're you're a fan of One Punch Man check this out and if you haven't seen One Punch Man you need to watch that to!


クズの本懐
Hanabi Yasuraoka has fallen for with her childhood friend and now teacher at her school Narumi Kanai but he's already in love with another teacher Akane Minagawa. Hanabi meets Mugi Awaya who is another admirer of Akane and they form a fake relationship to satisfy each other's loneliness both sexually and emotionally but agree not to fall in love with each other and end the charade once their love is returned from the people they really love. This anime wasn't particularly enjoyable, the storyline is quite depressing and none of the characters are really that likeable but for some reason I liked it and it's because it's real and relatable to anyone who's every felt loneliness and unrequited love, I think at some point in our lives we've all done something stupid and regrettable because of hurt feelings regarding love. The animation is really beautiful and done in such an interesting way that it's like you're watching a manga being drawn out with the use of panels and ink stain transitions. This anime may be too "real" for some people but that's the beauty of it so if you're into something more light-hearted then give this one a miss but if you want an anime which makes you reflect on your own life choices and loneliness then maybe give this one a try.


What anime series have you been watching lately?
Love & Matcha
Cate
xoxo

15 November 2017

Zaful Winter Haul and Review

Zaful Winter Haul

Winter is here and although the climate in Thailand resembles a UK summer I will be visiting much colder climates soon so I thought I better get myself a few essentials because I don't even own a coat and I don't want to turn into a complete block of ice as soon as I step off the airplane! So after previously working with Zaful I had a few vouchers and Z Points to spend on the site and as I was really pleased with their quality and service last time I thought I would check them out and spend some of my own money there.

Zaful Winter Haul

I didn't actually want to invest too much into a winter wardrobe as I know I'll only really need it for the few weeks I'll be away and I'll of course be doing lots of shopping there so I mostly went for items that I knew I could layer and match with my existing wardrobe here. Every winter I seem to gravitate towards the colour red and this year it seems to be on trend and in fashion which means there's so many cute red items to chose from but I resisted the temptation and just got myself a sweater and a hoodie which were both really soft and comfy but quite thin so not really great for winter but perfect for the cooler weather in Thailand and I can always layer them with some thermal wear to make them more suitable for colder climates so I'll still get lots of wear out of them.

Zaful Winter Haul

When it comes to winter coats I can be extremely picky about them, in fact it was one of the first articles I wrote about on this blog because I think a good winter coat is essential and something you should invest in, but I decided to take a risk on getting one this time as I didn't feel the need to invest too much money into a coat I knew I would only be wearing for a short time. So I actually wasn't expecting too much from this coat but I absolutely adore it and it's everything you need for the winter it's thick, long, padded, hooded, fluffy, has lots of pockets and most importantly will keep me nice and toasty on those cold snowy days.


I wasn't asked to write this review this time, it was my own decision to shop with them and my own money that I spent but I just wanted to share the love with everyone and recommend them to anyone who's considering a purchase from them or is looking for some cute, cheap yet quality clothing. Once again I'm very pleased with everything from Zaful and it's definitely somewhere I will shop again if I need anything in the future.

What's your favourite item from my haul?
Love & Toasties
Cate
xoxo



Links to the items I got and the prices at the time of ordering:

09 November 2017

Kawaii Box Unboxing & GIVEAWAY!!

Kawaii Box

Kawaii Box got in touch with me recently to let me know they had improved their boxes to include more character themed goods and would I like one for review so of course being a lover of all things cute I said yes! I'm a huge fan of Kawaii Box and Blippo they always bring so much joy and cuteness to my life so definitely go check them out, also this box is the November month so if you like what you see be sure to check out their website and get yourself one as you'll have until then end of the month to get it!


Kawaii Box have very kindly let me host a giveaway where you can win your own Kawaii Box completely for free so be sure to check out the widget below for details on how to enter...


What is your favourite item from Kawaii Box?
Love & Bunnies
Cate
xoxo

07 November 2017

The Watcher on The Great Wall of China (Mutianyu)

The Great Wall of China - Mutianyu (2017)

It's been seven years since my first visit to Beijing, China and seven years since I made my dreams a reality, took that plunge and booked my first solo trip abroad. I never imagined I would actually go back to China one day but the opportunity came knocking and I took it without a second thought. A lot has changed in seven years and even though I had already been to most of the places we visited they had changed so much. A lot has changed within me to so even though the setting was familiar I was seeing everything with a whole new appreciation and perspective.

The Great Wall of China - Mutianyu (2017)

This was a nostalgic trip for me and also a chance to re-connect with my parents who I hadn't seen in almost 6 months. The trip was made possible thanks to my Dad's friends and work colleagues and I got to see a whole new side of him I'd never seen before and meet new people who showed us so much warmth and hospitality I couldn't help but feel humbled.

The Great Wall of China - Mutianyu (2017)

There's a photo in our house of my Dad when he was in his twenties at The Great Wall of China and next to it a photo of me at the same age standing on The Great Wall to, now several years later we made the journey there together as a family. As I had visited all the main tourist sights in Beijing before I made this trip about spending time with the family and showing them the places I had enjoyed and keeping them happy and hydrated in the Beijing summer.

The Great Wall of China - Mutianyu (2017)

Mutianyu has changed a lot in seven years, I remember travelling there down isolated roads in the mountains and being one of only a handful of people visiting but now it's much different! This is said to be one of the quieter sections of The Great Wall to visit however there were hundreds of people there that day. They had also built a brand new visitor center and a bunch of restaurants (including Burger King and Starbucks) and lots of souvenir shops. Seven years ago I remember us eating lunch in a local restaurant similar to a shed before we got to "The Wall" but on the whole journey there this time I saw so much construction, houses and new buildings it was almost like we had never left the city. It was a really interesting trip and I'm happy I got to spend it with my parents and tell them all about my solo adventures and share with them in person some of the amazing places I had been.



What places have you been to in the past that you would like to re-visit now?
Love & Adventures
Cate
xoxo

01 November 2017

Winter Wardrobe Wishlist from Twinkledeals




Twinkledeals got in touch with me recently and asked me to share a few of my favourite items from their site and as winter fashion is something I've been thinking a lot about lately with my upcoming Christmas holiday to colder climates I thought I would put together an outfit of what I'd like to be wearing this holiday season.

♥ Cold Shoulder Cropped Jumper - I know what you're thinking how is this winter it's cut out and cropped? But hear me out, this would actually be great for layering and something you can wear throughout all the seasons also during winter places blast their heaters on full heat so much you often end up sweating more than you think so this would be the perfect solution to that.

♥ Irregular Faux Leather Trim Turndown Collar Jacket - Mixing textures is one of my favourite winter trends, I love the look of shiny leather and fluffy wool together and this is a great versatile coat that should keep you warm and cosy during those cold days.

♥ Radio Shaped PU Leather Crossbody Bag - During winter you're so wrapped up in layers nobody can appreciate your cute outfit underneath so I like to jazz up my outfits with a statement bag and I thought this radio themed one would be the perfect match.

♥ Knee Length A Line Flounce Skirt - My outfits tend to be on the darker side but I love rich burgundy colours in the winter and as I hardly wear trousers I thought a thick comfy skirt would be quite festive and fun.

♥ Warm Rhinestone Crown Embellished Pom Hat - Hats are essential in winter and this one is simple yet cute and would fit the look well, the little crown embellishment even reminds me a little of those paper hats you get in Christmas crackers.

♥ Short Cylinder Anti Slip and Fleece Warm Martin Boots - It's important to get yourself a good pair of shoes in winter as it can get quite frosty and slippery out there, also cold toes are the worst feeling ever! These boots caught my eye as they're not only anti-slip but fleece lined so you have all the winter basics covered and they're such a nice simple design that you'll be able to wear them with any outfit.


What are your winter wardrobe essentials?
Love & Cranberry Cookies
Cate
xoxo