Things That Make You Go Oooooo (December 2017)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I'll be celebrating my first day of 2018 in one of my favourite cities in the world, Seoul. This year has been full of adventures and I really hope it continues into the new year as I've had a blast visiting all these amazing places and making new discoveries. I'm starting the year in a great frame of mind and really want to make this the best year ever! I hope you're all well and even if this year wasn't your best there's a new one on the horizon so make as much of it as you can and keep believing!

♥ 5 Practices to Help You Live a Happier, More Present Life

♥ How To Break Out of a Negative Mindset for Good

♥ The Six-Step Week Plan That’ll Help You Get Your Life Together

♥ How Blogging Helped Me Become Who I Am Today

♥ Finding Peace When the Future Overwhelms You

♥ 6 Secrets for Getting Out of a Rut

♥ 7 Ways to Start a Relationship with Yourself

♥ 8 Things That Make You Feel Rich That Have Nothing To Do With Money

♥ 9 Fears You Will Regret Never Facing

♥ 10 Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me When I Was 18

♥ How I Afford To Live In Paradise & Travel The World (Without A 9-to-5 Job)

♥ Chic Pixel’s Ultimate Guide to Blogging Part 2: The Nuts and Bolts

♥ Surround Yourself With Friends Who Want You To Be Happy

♥ When a geek goes full IRL

♥ How to Encourage Diversity in the Blogging Community

♥ 10 Ways That I Practice Self Care

♥ Fancy Believing in the Goblin King

♥ 6 Ways to Benefit From Alone Time

♥ Following People You Don't Like

♥ 4 Ways to Stay Healthy Even When You're Not in the Mood

Love & Cinnamon Buns

Cate

xoxo

Unboxing Presents from my BFF!!

My dear friend Cally sent me a huge package full of goodies which I was so happy and excited about I decided to make a video of me unboxing them for her to see. Living alone and being so far away from friends and family can be super hard sometimes so getting such thoughtful care packages like this is an amazing way to show you still care. Although this was filmed a while back I forgot to share my excitement on the blog but as it's the season of giving I thought I would share it now in the hopes that it will inspire you to reach out to friends and family near and far and make their day all the much brighter.

You can find Cally on Instagram and Twitter so be sure to check her out, give her a follow and spread the love. I'm honestly so grateful to have the friends that I do, I may not have many and I may be far apart from them but they bring so much joy and inspiration to my life and while I'm super flaky at keeping in touch with everyone I promise I'll make an extra effort and make 2018 our best year ever!

What ways do you like to show your friends that you care?

Love & Cuddles

Cate

xoxo

Christmas in Bangkok

Christmas isn't a big celebration in Asia but ever since spending Christmas in Japan and seeing how they celebrate I have wanted to see how other Asian countries celebrate it to, this year I'll be spending it in Seoul, and last year I was lucky enough to spend my first ever Christmas in Bangkok.

What I love most about Christmas in Asia is that everything is open so you can go out and celebrate the occasion rather than staying in the house, being bored, sleeping and watching bad TV, and even though Christmas isn't traditionally celebrated there's still lots of places you can go to get that festive feeling. I was determined to find an epic Christmas tree somewhere as I'd gone almost the whole of December with out seeing one, so after doing some research and seeing some beautiful photos on Instagram, I took my family to Central World to see all the decorations and it was honestly one of the most beautiful displays I'd ever seen.

That Christmas Day was one of the best days I've ever had and I'm so happy I got to spend it with my Thai family after all these years of being apart because we all had such a fun day. We started off by getting som tam which is my favourite Thai dish, then did karaoke where I sang and danced awfully to KPop, and in the evening we ventured over to Central World to go see the concert and decorations, and if that wasn't enough the day ended with some pretty damn amazing vegan waffles at one of my favourite vegan restaurants in Bangkok, Veganerie, before we headed home for some much needed sleep.

I was shocked to see so many people out on Christmas Day as I've grown so used to seeing the empty streets in the UK but the atmosphere was amazing, everyone was so happy and spirited that it gave me such a festive feeling and even though it was hot and humid outside it felt more like Christmas to me than if it had been snowing. The memories of that day I will treasure forever and although there were no presents, crackers, snow, silly jumpers or traditional Christmas dinners because I was with the people I love in such an amazing beautiful place, doing fun things it felt more special and more like a real Christmas should be, because more than anything Christmas should be about making happy memories with the people you treasure, no matter what you do or where you are in the world.

How will you be spending your Christmas Day?

Love & Reindeers

Cate

xoxo

Getting Lost at The Forbidden City - Beijing - China

The Forbidden City is probably one of the most famous sights in China and a place you must see if you travel to Beijing. Several years ago when I visited I was shocked at the amount of tourist at this site but I think on my second visit there were even more! It was a hot summers day when we visited The Forbidden City or Palace Museum as it's also know by and it's called a city for a reason, it's absolutely humongous! I'm not quite sure how we walked through it all so quickly last time but I recommend at least half a day to experience it and to bring lots of water if it's sunny!

As I was there with my parents who are a little less energetic than me we decided not to walk through the whole city as it was far too hot that day however we got lost trying to find an exit as you can't exit the way you came in. None of the signs weren't really helpful in out quest to find an exit and none of us could speak Chinese but eventually after a lot of walking and a shuttle bus trip we finally made our way out.

I was glad to get the chance to re-visit The Forbidden City again in the summer as they colours of all the buildings were so vibrant, one of the things I love most about Asian architecture is just how bold and colourful it can be, of course a lot of the buildings have been renovated as you could see just how faded some of the older buildings are, there was also a lot of construction happening inside and with the size of this place I can imagine the upkeep on all the buildings is pretty much constant.

Looking back on the photos taken on my last trip it's strange to think how much I've changed in both appearance and personally. China was the first trip I had taken abroad on my own and it helped me learn so much about myself and my capabilities and I also learned so much about other cultures and how to be more understanding and less ignorant.

Visiting here a second time I felt more relaxed and prepared as I had a better understanding of how things worked like queuing for example, people in China sometimes just barge in and push you aside so you just have to go with the flow, don't let it get to you and be a bit more pushy yourself or you'll never get in anywhere! What you may view as rude may be common place in another culture so it's important to travel with an open mind, be observant and be kind.

What's the biggest lesson that you've learnt from travelling?

Love & Luck

Cate

xoxo

Christmas Food in Thailand: Starbucks & Mister Donut

Christmas may not be a big celebration here in Thailand but you can still find a lot of festive cheer and one of my favourite things about the season is all the cute, yummy food available. On a recent trip to the mall I spotted some Christmas Hello Kitty themed donuts and could not resist so I thought I would treat myself to a box and no donut binge is complete without a coffee to go with it so I also popped into Starbucks to get myself one of their Christmas lattes.

The donuts were so good! I'm a sucker for the Mister Donut collabs, they always have the cutest food and Starbucks always has some interesting seasonal drinks and while it was kinda pricey it was extremely cute and sometimes you just gotta treat yourself, I mean Christmas only comes once a year so make the most of it!

What's your favourite Starbucks Christmas drink?

Love & Matcha

Cate

xoxo

The Christmas Tag!

Can you believe it's almost Christmas? So Sarah over at Raiin Monkey tagged me to do a Christmas tag and I thought it would a fun way to get into the festive sprit. I have to admit now I'm living in the tropics I've not really been feeling that festive vibe although there are some pretty awesome trees around town but I'm kinda loving being in Asia for Christmas again. This is actually my 3rd year spending Christmas in Asia, the first year I spent in Japan, last year I was in Bangkok and this year I'll be in Seoul and hopefully I'll be able to continue the tradition and spend Christmas in another Asian country next year as I'm loving seeing how other cultures celebrate the day. So anyway on to the tag....

 Do you start your Christmas shopping on Black Friday or wait until last minute?

I used to start shopping around September but as I've been travelling these past few years I tend to go shopping whilst I'm away and look for cool souvenirs and things I think my family and friends might like there which inevitably means everyone ends up getting their presents some time in the new year, but I mean as long as they get something awesome it's all good right?

If you could be in any Christmas movie, what would it be?

Batman Returns... is that a weird one? I guess so but it was the first one that came into my mind because I just love that gothic aesthetic and I mean who doesn't want to be Catwoman in that movie? But a more traditional pick would be Home Alone 2 because I have always dreamed of spending Christmas in New York I mean there's just so many Christmas movies based in New York it just makes it seem so beautiful and romantic.

Which do you like better: Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Christmas Day for sure because we've never really done anything special to celebrate Christmas Eve

When does your family (or you) put up your Christmas tree and who decorates it?

So it's been a while since I had a tree but usually I would put up all the decorations in our house around the second week of December. Funnily enough the first Christmas I was away in Japan my Dad kept asking me who's going to put up all the decorations if I'm not here haha bless!

White lights or coloured lights?

It depends on the tree, I think the traditional green ones look better with while lights but our current tree is black and has LED lights built in that changes colours which is pretty cool.

Are you guilty of peeking at your presents or do you like the surprise?

I don't even get a chance to peek because they're normally hidden away until Christmas morning and any other gifts I exchange with my friends we normally open when we're together so there's no waiting or temptation to peek, but I do love surprises.

Would you rather live in a gingerbread house or in Santa's workshop?

Oh man a gingerbread house for sure but it would smell AMAZING but I can't imagine it lasting long as I would probably just keep nibbling at it.

Tell us your Christmas Eve traditions!

I don't really have any... sometimes we used to go to my Nanna's house for a buffet and then just come home and watch Christmas TV and movies but other than that we don't really have any Christmas Eve traditions, maybe I should make some?

If you could be under the mistletoe with anyone who would it be? 

Well I think that one is pretty obvious...

What tops your Christmas tree? 

It's always been an angel and after the last one broke, which we had had since I was a baby, I decided to put a Funko Pop of Castiel from Supernatural at the top instead because he's an angel afterall... MERRY NERDMAS!

Can you name the 12 days of Christmas? 

Maybe... I guess I would have to sing it to find out, its the one about all the gifts right?

Have you ever gone Christmas carolling? 

YES! When I was a kid I was part of the school choir, I still have no idea why as I couldn't sing then and I definitely can't now, so we used to go to retirement homes at Christmas and sing for all the old people there which was pretty sweet, I kinda wish I could do it again but I'll spare people having to listen to my terrible singing although I did do karaoke last Christmas...

Do you countdown to Christmas? If so, how many days left?

 The only thing I'm counting down to at the moment is my vacation in 7 DAYS!!

What are some foods and treats you can count on having every holiday season?

I guess lots of cakes, biscuits and pies although I haven't really had the chance to eat much festive food for the past few years but I'm trying I mean Asia has a lot of kawaii Christmas themed food which I really should make the most of while I'm here.

How has Christmas kept its magic for you as you've grown older?

Definitely since I've been travelling and spending Christmas in Asia doing new and different things to celebrate the magic of the day has been restored for me and these past few years have been the best I've had in a looong time! I really hope to keep this new tradition up and keep travelling during the holidays and having as many different festive experiences in as many different countries and cultures as I can.

I'm tagging my friends Hilde, Angie and Cally and anyone else who wants to get in that festive spirit!

Love & Cookies

Cate

xoxo

7 TV Shows That Will Make You Fall in Love with GOT7

I've been listening to GOT7 ever since they released 'A' but as with most KPop I tend to just listen to a few songs and never really look into the groups (I mean there's so many groups and so many members it's overwhelming) but that was until I moved to Thailand. THAILAND LOVES GOT7!! So after looking into the reason why GOT7 is so popular in Thailand (BAMBAM!!) I started to get to know them as people and I just fell in love with these boys, they're so sweet, hardworking, caring and so funny and I wanted to share the love and the hype so here are a few TV shows they've done which are definitely worth checking out and even if you're not a KPop fan I'm sure there's something on this list you'll enjoy.

Dream Knight

드림나이트

When I found out GOT7 had their own drama of course I had to watch it. There are 12 episodes in total, each only 10 minutes long and is about this girl who's leading a pitiful life after the death of her mother when these handsome boys randomly enter her life and help her out. Honestly the drama is mostly an excuse to show off the gorgeous GOT7's singing and dancing skills which I'm fine with because heck they're the only reason I watched it and I actually found the part where the girl is learning the dances quite amusing especially as I quite often practice GOT7's dance routines as part of my workout (haha did I really just admit that? #KPopTrash) but cheesy/tragic plot aside it's worth a watch for all the cuteness also I need to get me some GOT7 plushies already!

Roomate

룸메이트 

Roomate is a reality show that follows the lives of 12 Korean celebrities living together in a share house, kinda like Celebrity Big Brother but so SO much better and funnier! When I first watched it I only really knew of Jackson (GOT7), Sunny (Girl's Generation) and Young-ji (Kara), Lee Dong-Wook is in this to but I watched this before I watched Goblin but he's just a awesome to, in fact all the celebrities in the house are awesome, interesting, and funny and I loved seeing their interactions and how close they grew, it was so sweet. I also loved the outings they had as I learned a lot about Korean culture and food, they're almost always eating in this show and it makes me so hungry, Korean food is SO good! After watching this Jackson became my bias I just loved how much energy he had, how random he was and how adorable he is especially when he got a donkey for his birthday... no joke that is one thing you definitely need to see!

IGOT7

So the concept of IGOT7 is that it's a variety show where GOT7 take on different challenges in order to become the perfect multi-talented idols and I love that even with the silly challenges and harsh punishments that these boys can still just goof around, have fun, and laugh with each other. I don't think I have ever laughed so much watching a TV show before and it definitely made my days much brighter, also loved seeing the early days of angry screaming JB he's definitely my bias wrecker!

Real GOT7 / GOT7ing / Hard Carry TV

First thing you have to do is download the V Live app then just binge watch everything that GOT7 have ever posted, then head on over to their YouTube and binge watch everything there! These shows are kinda like a day in the life/behind the scenes look at GOT7 whether it be dance practices, eating, pranking, touring or just chilling but there's guaranteed fun times and lots of laughter I swear I can happily watch these boys just eating ramen all day!

Dream High 2

드림하이 2

Before GOT7 existed there was JJ Project and this was the drama series that started it all AKA another excuse to show off their awesome singing and dancing skills. There are quite a few KPop idols staring in this including the big chief JYP and although I will admit the lead female characters are slightly annoying I loved JB and Jinwoon (2am) even though JB cringes when he sees it now. The actor of the group Jinyoung isn't featured in this as much as I thought he would be but his character is so sweet and I loved the dancing, I just can't believe how smol everyone looks in this, they've grown up so much!

After School Club/Markson Show

I'm kinda addicted to Arirang TV after randomly discovering it on my TV, most shows are in English or subbed which is pretty sweet for a Korean network and they even invite international fans to take part in their shows which is great as I've loved KPop for so long but sometimes it's hard to find things about your fave groups outside of Korea let alone interact with them especially when you don't know the language. One of the things I love most about GOT7 which I didn't know when I first found them was that they are a multi-national group and can speak many different languages so can communicate with fans all around the world and ASC gives them a great opportunity to do this. GOT7 are so sweet to their fans and although they may be so hyped they give the MC's headaches that's exactly why we love them.

Real Men

진짜 사나

GOT7's foreign members Jackson (Hong Kong) and BamBam (Thailand) join the Korean army and experience life as a soldier. These two are probably the craziest members of the group so seeing them in the army was just so funny but they definitely pulled it off despite some amusing cultural/language misunderstandings. There were some moments that just broke my heart though and I cried a couple times watching it but don't worry the sadness never lasts too long when these two are around and it's a really interesting look into Korean army training and what life is like for the soldiers.

Are you a GOT7 fan? What's your favourite Kpop group?

Love & Cuddles

Cate

xoxo

7 more shows to check out...
♥ Legend of the Blue Sea  - Jinyoung plays young Lee Min Ho.
♥ Law of the Jungle - Jackson in Costa Rica, Mark in New Zealand and most recently JB in Cook Island spend a week trying to survive life in the jungle.
♥ Hitmaker - Listen to their hilarious debut song then watch the series to find out how this amazing group was formed.
♥ Where Is My Friends Home - BamBam and Jackson take a trip to Thailand and explore my home in the north as well as spending some time in Bangkok eating all the delicious foods with BamBam's mother.
♥ A Look At Myself - A day in the life with Jackson.
♥ Celebrity Bromance - Jackson and JB go on "dates" with their idol friends for a day.
♥ Magic School - Jinyoung stars in this web drama about you guessed it a Magic School.

Kawaii Mini Anime Lucky Bag Giveaway

It's December, it's Christmas time so what better way to celebrate than with another super awesome cute giveaway! I'll actually be spending Christmas travelling again and as Japan is on the list and it's fukubukuro season I thought I would put together another little surprise anime lucky bag for you to try your chance at winning.

I won't tell you exactly what's in this goodie bag as that's all part of the fukubukuro fun but there's a nice diverse selection of charms, jewellery and gashapon toys included which should please all tastes. So if you want to be in with a chance to win this month check out the widget below for details on how to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's your favourite anime?

Good Luck

Cate

xoxo

Things That Make You Go Oooooo (November 2017)

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

♥ 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

♥ 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

♥ 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

Coffee & Cake Date #8: 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.

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.

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

Anime I'm Watching & Loving!

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....

The Blue Exorcist

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.

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096

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.

Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun

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.

My Hero Academia

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!

Scum's Wish

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

Zaful Winter Haul and Review

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.

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.

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:

• Hooded Letter Padded Coat (L) - $37.99
• Halloween Ghost Fingerless Knitted Gloves - $3.43
• Fringed Brim Checked Long Wrap Scarf - $9.64
• Graphic Two Tone Asymmetric Hoodie (L) - $19.49
• Drop Shoulder Letter Striped Sweatshirt (L) - $18.49

Kawaii Box Unboxing & GIVEAWAY!!

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...

Cateaclysmic Kawaii Box Giveaway

What is your favourite item from Kawaii Box?

Love & Bunnies

Cate

xoxo

The Watcher on The Great Wall of China (Mutianyu)

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.

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.

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.

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