Life Update

It appears that I haven't blogged at all for over 2 months so I thought I'd update you on what I've been upto.  In September, I booked to go on the Coronation Street Tour.  Being an avid watcher of the show (although I am 3 months behind shh!) i've always wanted to go on the set and when the chance arose, I snatched it up.  They have changed the location of their set and so the old one was open to the public for a few months before it is completely shut down.  I got to see the Rovers Return, the cab office, Nick's bistro, the corner shop, all of the houses, Roy's Rolls and of course the famous cobbled street.  It was so much fun seeing it all in real life and I was amazed at just how small the sets are.  I obviously took loads of pictures and even threw in a Tina pose on the cobbles (which I got a few weird looks for).

I then started my new and first (real) job at Wythenshawe Hospital which I am loving so much.  I have been there for 2 months now and I am loving the working life and being back to having a routine (and also having money!).  

September was Michael's turn to pick our monthly date and he surprised me with a trip to Monkey Forest.  Being a massive lover of monkeys (particularly the smaller ones), it was the perfect date idea for me and I absolutely loved it.  Monkey Forest is in Staffordshire within 60 acres of woodland and they have around 140 monkeys roaming freely.  It was so weird walking through a forest in the UK and seeing real life monkeys just chilling, eating and playing with each other.  My favourites were the baby macaques! The monkeys weren't afraid of humans at all and wandered on the paths infront of us.  After we'd been around the forest and watched them being fed by the keepers, we made our way back to the cafe and had some lunch.  I'd definitely recommend going if you are looking for something to do for a few hours, and it isn't too pricey either! :)

   

Fast forward a few weeks to Halloween where Michael and I made pumpkins and visited Spooky World in Warrington.  Apple Jacks adventure park basically turns into a scary park at night over the Halloween season in which there are 4 main attractions; Carnevil, The Asylum, The Slaughter House, and the Haunted Hayride.  There are actors dressed up in frightening outfits and chainsaws that run at you and I've never been so scared in my life.  My favourite was the Haunted Hayride in which the actors would get on the trailer and 'attack' you with chainsaws and try and scare you.  We had water thrown on us and was tickled by some of the actors.  It was such a fun night although I was nearly crying by the end of some of the attractions!  I'd definitely go again though! 

If you know me well enough, you will know that I love watching YouTube, in particular the UK based beauty bloggers and their other halves.  So obviously I had to go to Amity Fest in which Zoe, Louise, Joe, Caspar, Jim, Tanya, Marcus and Niomi were hosting.  The event was a lot of fun and included Q&A's, singing, games and YouTuber Olympics.  I was a bit disappointed that the show was aimed more for 12 year olds and was a bit immature at times, but I guess their average viewer age is around 12 so it made sense.  I also had many young, shorter girls and their mums giving me evils for being in their way.  I can't help that I'm tall!  Overall though I really enjoyed it and it was so surreal seeing people that I watch on a  daily basis on my iPad in real life in front of me.

And finally November, Bonfire night!  Michael and I went to two bonfires, one in Wolverhampton, and one in Stockport.  We ate candyfloss, watched the firework display and watched the bonfires being lit.  Brabyns bonfire was sooo muddy and Michael nearly lost his walking boots!  The fireworks were fantastic and the bonfires were huuuge, I felt like I was having my face burnt to a crisp.  It was a lovely night out and I'm glad I didn't sit in the house and watch fireworks from my bedroom like usual.

And that's my life up-to-date!

Love, Amy x

You're a Wizard Harry!

On day 2 of our London trip, we went on a tour of the Harry Potter Studios.  We took the bus from Watford Junction which took us straight to the studios.  When you start the tour, you watch a short video which ends on an image of the Great Hall doors.  The screen then slides up and reveals the REAL Great Hall doors!!

Inside the Great Hall, you can see many costumes such as uniforms and teachers' outfits.  I was surprised as to how small it actually was! 

The rest of the tour was unguided and we got to go around it at our own pace.  The next room has a lot of small sets scattered around and the mirror of erised, Dumbledore's office, the potions classroom and Hagrid's bike amongst other things.

The tour then carried on outside where you're able to taste the famous Butter Beer, take a seat in the car, go on the knight bus, see Privet Drive and at the time we went, we were able to see the owls which played Hedwig.

The tour carried on back indoors where all of the characters were shown including the make up, prosthetics, wigs and masks.  We ventured on to Diagon Alley and saw Flourish and Blotts, Olivanders, the Owlery, Gringotts, and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

The tour finished on a high when we turned round the last corner to see a huge model of the whole of Hogwarts.  The model was so intricate and had every little detail on it and made it seem so real. It was a fantastic way to end the tour!

We then had to go through the shop to get to the exit and I bought a chocolate frog and some Berty Bott's every flavour beans.  We also had lots of fun looking at the many different wands, robes, broomsticks and soft toys.

It was a fantastic trip and I'm so glad I've finally gone and visited.  I'd definitely recommend it to anyone and is a great trip for the Harry Potter geeks amongst us!

Amy x

London Baby!

Last weekend, my boyfriend took me away to London for a couple of nights for my 21st.  Our train was at 9am which was clearly too early for me as I fell asleep at the train station!

We decided to go sight seeing and also to the London Dungeons, using the underground tube to get there.

I'd recommend going to the Dungeons if you're ever stuck for anything to do in London.  It's basically a walk-through story of the past 1000 years in London, ranging from Guy Fawkes, Jack The Ripper, Sweeney Todd, and the Black Plague.  The actors are brilliant and really get into their parts and make you feel like you're actually there.  One in particular, a baker who used human meat, pointed at Michael and told him he was succulent and juicy which had me laughing, and then she turned to me and told me I smelt :(  There were times where I got a bit wimpy though such as on the ride where it goes pitch black, but other than the odd scare, it was hilarious and definitely worth going! Unfortunately, I couldn't get any pictures as they don't allow it inside the Dungeons.

We then went to see Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and The Eye, whilst getting pestered by a man dressed as a cowboy (?) who wanted £20 off us for a picture! 

\

We then went to Bodeans, a BBQ smoke house in which Michael had been to before.  I had a BBQ chicken burger, whilst Michael had pulled pork and burnt ends with a side of onion rings.  The food was delish and we even treated ourselves to a pudding.

After a long and tiring day, we decided to head to Wetherspoons for a drink.  It's nice that everything is within walking distance in London, but our feet were killing us and it was only day 1! Definitely too many staircases in London! We then went back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep for the next day - Harry Potter Studio Tour!!!

Amy x

Pre-Birthday Weekend

This weekend, I went to stay with my boyfriend for my pre-birthday weekend.  I didn't think his family would do anything for my birthday as it isn't til Wednesday but I got a lovely surprise! We went to Nando's and had a lovely meal, and then went to see 'Non Stop' at the cinema (great film!).  When we got back, I was greeted with balloons and banners around the house and it was such a lovely surprise :)

Michael got me a One Direction cake (he knows me well!) and I got some balloons from his mum.

We then took his dog, Fazer, over to the park for a walk and to play fetch with the balls I'd gotten him for Christmas.  It's one of my favourite things to do when I'm visiting as I love playing with the dogs.  Fazer probably thinks I'm a bit of a weirdo as I'm always talking to him and he just gives me a look with his head tilted to one side.  What I love most about walks is seeing Fazer clumsily run after the ball and failing to catch it every time despite his best efforts! This is him guarding his ball:

The weekend was perfect and I can't wait til next weekend where I'm going home to see the family and going out with my friends to celebrate! :)

Love, Amy x

My Valentine

Hey everyone!

This is kinda awkward because I have no followers yet as I've just set up this blog so I'm probably speaking to myself!  I've been reading Zoella's and Sprinkle of Glitter's blogs for a few months now and they have inspired me to start up my own blog.  I'm not the best at writing so bare with me! 

This first post is going to be all about my boyfriend, Michael.  Seemed fitting since it is Valentines day after all! I know a lot of people are against Valentines day and believe you should show how much you love your significant other every single day, but I'm a sucker for it and can't resist buying gifts and a card for my boyfriend.

This is my boyfriend:

We have been together since the 6th January 2013 and it's been the best year of my life.  I've found it a massive struggle being in a long distance relationship but it is definitely worth it.  The times we do have together are more special and cherished.

Apart from the daily 'love you' texts at night, I rarely tell him how much I truely am grateful for him.  I love the way he treats me, how he skypes me for hours when I'm feeling down even though he hates skype, how he'll sit and watch my choice of film with me, how he cuddles me til I fall asleep and the fact that he puts up with my mood swings and still loves me.  

We had to have an early Valentines day as we can't see each other on the day as he works and I'm at university.  We had a nice meal and then went to see The Awkward Moment which is a great RomCom, highly recommend it (especially to all you Zac Efron fans out there!).  We had a great night and I love just spending time with him, even if we aren't doing anything special.

He is truely a gem and I don't know what I'd do without him.  He is my rock, my best friend, my boyfriend and my soul mate and I love him to pieces.

What is everyone doing for Valentines day? Let me know :)

Love, Amy