December Favourites 2017!

Hi all!

Happy New Year! By the time you are reading this, it will be 2018! Wow, I cannot believe how fast 2017 went. It just flew. Today, I’m going to be sharing with you all of the things I loved in December. As I mentioned in Monthly Classics & Reading Wrap-Ups! this is my last favourites post. Click the link above to see what I will be doing instead from now on. To say that December was busy, was an understatement. My sister’s friend Harry came to visit from Taiwan so we helped show him around Melbourne for 2 weeks, my Uncle came to visit from Macau, I had work functions, birthday parties, holiday shopping and of course, Christmas itself! It was an absolutely crazy but wonderful time so let’s not delay any further!

THE BEST OF DECEMBER:

1.) Journal – Katie Daisy’s 2018 ‘Love This Life On The Go’ Weekly Planner

Order a copy here!

I have professed my love on this blog for Katie Daisy’s artwork before (see: ‘How To Be A Wildflower’ – A Special Spring Photo Diary) so when I saw that she had brought out a 2018 diary/planner, I had to grab it. Every page is filled to the brim with her gorgeous illustrations of nature and inspirational quotes. I religiously use planners every single year so I absolutely cannot be without one. It helps me stay organised and aware of any important appointments/events/plans that are coming up. I am really looking forward to using this beautiful diary.

2.) T.V Show – Peaky Blinders

Francis and I really got into Peaky Blinders this month despite it first airing in 2013. With only 6 episodes per season, (Season 4 just finished up in December) it wasn’t too difficult to catch up. The series follows a family gang in Birmingham, England set in the 1920’s. Ambitious and clever leader, Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) is hellbent on establishing himself and his members in the gambling/betting business. Throughout the series, they face plenty of opposition from the IRA, communists, criminals and the police. There is just as much political drama within the family as there is outside of it. I highly recommend it. We both found it only got better as it went on.

3.) Game – Disneyland Adventures on Xbox One

Order a copy here!

Thank you to my amazing husband for the best Christmas present ever. You all know that I love Disney and that I’m an avid gamer. Well, imagine my delight at finding a game that combined the two? This little treasure was so much fun. I immediately started playing it after Christmas was over. As you might guess, you control a kid that has come to Disneyland in search of adventure. Not only do you get to go on the beloved rides, you are also tasked with collecting autographs from all the characters, doing quests for them, buying souvenirs from the shops, finding exclusive Disney pins and locating all of the ‘hidden Mickey’s’ scattered throughout the park. I cannot even begin to describe how much heaven I was in for every second that I played this. It made me want to return to the happiest place on Earth!

4.) Movie – Coco

And speaking of Disney, I of course had to see Coco not long after it was released here in Australia. This story follows 12 year old, Miguel Rivera who is accidentally transported to the land of the dead. It is here that he seeks the help of his musical great-great-grandfather to return him to the land of the living. The entire film is based off of the Mexican holiday, Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) featuring plenty of colourful characters and fantastic music. I was amazed by how touching this story was and how it made me feel. There is such a huge emphasis on family, following your heart and remembering those you have lost. I highly recommend everybody go see this movie. Disney has done it again! 

5.) Christmas Apparel – Fuzzy Reindeer Socks from Peter Alexander

How adorable are these socks? When I saw them, I had to get them! I haven’t linked them as they will be out of stock by the time this post is published. In Australia, Christmas is always during the summer but the city of Melbourne’s temperatures fluctuate like crazy all year round. There were some cold days during December in which it was the perfect time to pull on these warm, fuzzy foot warmers. I love the plush reindeer heads and rubber soles underneath for gripping. I was very much in the Christmas spirit last month so I definitely wanted something festive to wear and these did the job!

6.) Book – One Of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus

Order a copy here!

Thank you to my awesome sister for buying me this book for Christmas. I have wanted to get my hands on this baby for a while. This story has some serious Breakfast Club vibes combined with a murder mystery twist. A Geek, Jock, Criminal, Princess and an Outsider meet in detention one afternoon. By the end of the day, one of them is dead. The worst part? It was no accident and all of the teenagers are suspects. So who did it? I can’t wait to find out!

7.) Experience – ‘Deep Space’ Escape Room

More information here!

This was not my first escape room experience but I will say ‘Deep Space’ was by far the best one I have ever done. Me, Francis, my sister Lauren and her friend Harry all went in together for 75 mins of intense puzzle-solving, exploration, teamwork and loads of fun. The basic premise is that you are stuck in space with an AI named Columbus who likes to communicate and tries to assist you in what to do next. There are several story-lines and endings that you can trigger along the way depending on your decisions. Your main objective is to survive and we were told the success rate was only 30%. We all worked wonderfully as a team and made it to the very last part but unfortunately we ran out of time. I highly recommend this escape room over any other in Melbourne. It was epic!

8.) Memory – Best Moment of December 2017

Without a doubt, the best memory of December 2017 was my family’s annual Christmas Eve celebration. As I have mentioned in the past, they are always themed and lots of fun. Click ‘Around The World’ Christmas Celebration! – Photo Diary for more photos. We all dressed up according to a country we picked out of the hat. As you can see, I picked France therefore I came as a mime haha. It was a night to remember!

TOTAL BOOKS I READ IN DECEMBER 2017: 4

– The Door in the Tree by William Corlett (Book #2 of the Magician’s House Quartet – RE-READ) – 5/5 STARS

– Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake (Book 2/2) -2/5 STARS

– My True Love Gave To Me – 12 Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins – 3/5 STARS

–  The Last Hero by Rick Riordan (Book #1 of the Heroes of Olympus Series) – 4/5 STARS

I read 81 books total this year! What an achievement!

Thank you so much for following all of my monthly favourites for the past 2 years. It has been a lot of fun putting them together. I hope you enjoy my new reading wrap-ups just as much, if not more! Have a wonderful and safe 2018!

Peace & Love xoxo

Disclaimer: This post contains links to my Amazon & Book Depository Affiliate which helps fund my blog, I am not being paid or sponsored for this post/products – all my thoughts/opinions are my own