Review :: Chocolate in the Post.

So, of all things that you can get in the post, chocolate has got to be pretty high up there, particularly when it's dreamy, creamy Lindt chocolate.

Back in August (yes, August) I was lucky enough to receive free samples from Lindt's 'Hello My Name Is...' range, a cute new collection of chocolate sticks and bars in an array of tasty and exciting flavours. Designed for indulging yourself and sharing, it goes without saying that after this little care package, I was stocked up on chocolate for a little while.



Overall, while tasting luxurious, none of the chocolates were as dense or rich as I thought they would be and were really easy to eat. That sounds a bit silly because who doesn't love chocolate, but as someone who doesn't have all that much of a sweet tooth, getting five large bars of chocolate when I probably wouldn't get one that size more than once every six months, it was a bit daunting.

I thought my favourite from the off would be the Salted Caramel and I was right. There was just the right amount of caramel with a slight hit of salt towards the end, I can't get enough of anything salted caramel recently and I know it's pretty trendy but I personally think all the hype is for good reason.


I think the two biggest surprises were the Crunchy Nougat and Caramel Brownie. I think it's generally because these chocolates are so good anyway that any flavour combination was going to be delicious but I did worry that the nougat would be too 'nougatty' and the caramel brownie would be too chocolatey but both flavours were more there to enhance texture while only hinting at what variety they were, something I quite liked.

These were definitely a winner for me, offering a bit more than a bog-standard chocolate bar without having overpowering flavours that take away from the fact you're eating chocolate, I hope that this range is around to stay.

Three Weeks in Oxford.

I can't believe it's been three weeks since I started working in Oxford!


I feel like I'm completely used to the walk - it only took me 20 minutes the other day(!) - and have finally got a hang of my bearings. As someone whose internal compass is wrong almost all of the time, that second part is a pretty nice feeling.

As I mentioned before, we've now changed our route, which means we're less panicked and actually, the walk is much more enjoyable too so everything is just much less stressful than I foresaw it being when I first started coming here.



I'm not sure how strange it is that as well as driving in and then walking to Oxford City Centre, Moon and I are also having lunch together - there's part of me that knows it is a lot of time to spend together, particularly as we live together as well - but it's quite nice to have a lunch-buddy and we haven't run out of things to talk about yet. It will probably all change when winter comes and it's too cold to sit out but it's nice to not do those kind of things alone, despite knowing it's probably something we'll probably get judged for.

As I quite like my own space and time alone, I've been making a bit of an effort to do things apart where we can, which seems like a strange idea but absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that.



As a city, I quite like Oxford, I mean it showed its true colours a couple of weeks ago when I witnessed a busker get both bitten on the face and essentially mugged, but overall it's changed a few of my ideas about where we'll be thinking of buying a house in the next year or so.

It's a great place to have a camera, with every other corner having a picture-perfect scene all laid out for you, and a lot of that's just the architecture!

I was feeling a little overwhelmed towards the middle of my second week, I think because September seemed to rush by and so much has happened in the last few months. It might be a little while before I start to feel completely settled but, as I've said before, it's quite nice to see things piece together and just be able to take things in, even if that part of things is taking a bit of time.

Goals for October.

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September feels like it passed in a blur, it's the first time in ages that I've managed to get so many posts 'out there' though and I'm really pleased with that side of things.

Starting a new job has completely messed with my routine in the last couple of weeks though so the start of a new month, feels like as good a time as any to take stock and plan ahead.
After all, when you're staying home because you're as skint as a mint, all you can really do is make lists and plan... and do housework, too much housework.

• Be a better friend – Take more time catch up and 'be there'
• Manage time better – Spend less time vegetating on the sofa and more time doing things
• Make more me-time – It's not to push Moon away, but I think it's important we pursue our own interests from time to time
• Play with Doll more – We've noticed that Doll actually loves it if we take a few minutes out to properly play with her, with real toys as opposed to just winding her up. When we do this, she'll then sit with us and I mean with us, not near us and generally is much nicer. I know it's a silly cat-owner thing to notice, particularly after almost three years but I want a happy cat and it's such a small thing for her to ask for among the other things she needs
• Embrace the new routine – I don't like change but I didn't like where I was before everything changed so this change can only be good. It will only work if I try to slot it in around things I really want to be doing, did I say change enough?

I'm hoping to not stress myself out quite as much this month and take it all in my stride. Having realised that since my birthday I've been caught in some really unnecessary drama that doesn't concern me, what I've really been needing to do is concentrate on myself and I think sometimes that's how it needs to be.

Hope you have a relaxing, chilled out Sunday.

I've Got Friends, I've Got Family Here.

On Monday, Moon and I went to our first gig in ages, bit of a mistake given that it was on a school night after busy days for both of us but we powered through.

We were at the O2 Academy Oxford to see Eliza & the Bear, a band I discovered back in January when I refused to listen to anything but Xfm. I've mentioned them a couple of times before on here and they've become regulars on my Spotify playlists as time has gone on.

Without meaning to sound too mushy, they're lyrics and sound are just really uplifting and they're a pretty great band to turn to when I need that little lift. After listening to their recordings for the best part of a year, it was the actual best that they were even better live. Opening with 'Friends', I was dancing from the start of their set to the end and despite Moon's scepticism, the fact that they're that bit heavier live, he actually might have fallen for them. So good job, guys, you've won yourself a new fan.

Supported by a local guy called Jack Little and (my bargaining tool for getting Moon to come) Pixel Fix, it was a really enjoyable evening and makes me excited for the live shows we have coming up in the next couple of months, after no festivals and even longer since we've been to an actual gig, I don't know why we left it so long.

Highlights for Jack Little included his song, 'Zombie', about putting your phone away, something I'm probably slightly of guilty of but something that definitely gets annoying when you're at a gig and 'that popular' song comes on, it's the video-takers I hate.

Moon and I also loved Jack's little mate who clearly thought the world of him and was singing along to every word, the cutest ♥.

He might get it a lot but as a 'guy with a 3/4 guitar', it's hard not to make the comparison between him and Ed Sheeran, which I hope works in his favour and doesn't mean that he's missed the boat, you know, since Ed Sheeran is bigshot sellout now.

I knew next to nothing about Pixel Fix other than recognising the name. They're not what I would usually listen to but they put on a good show and their between-song patter was pretty good.

Pretty pleased I managed to get this one. \o/

Film Club | September

I feel like I just haven't managed to find the time for films lately, what with going away, hanging out with friends and generally doing anything but sitting still for two-hours straight, it's just been really difficult.

Still, at least it makes a nice banner for this month's Film Club post, I'm a sucker for even numbers and consistency. I must admit that pretty much all of these films were kind of forgettable and I probably wouldn't watch them again but there's probably a lesson to take from that somewhere - the main one being, don't get suckered in by good-looking posters.

81. To Be Takei
82. The Muppets Most Wanted
83. Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me
84. Would You Rather

Most Favourite: To Be Takei – So, George Takei's Facebook page is a thing and he's actually a pretty interesting guy. This documentary talks about how he's this cult figure but is a little wishy washy, going from him living in the Japanese 'ghettos' in Arkansas and California to him coming out as gay, I just felt like there was so much more to discuss and the surface was barely scratched. That said, out of these four films I think it was the best, and I could just listen to George Takei's voice all damn day.

Least Favourite: The Muppets: Most Wanted – Something few people know about me... I am quite a big Muppets fan, seriously, the right Muppets joke can get me into hysterics. This. Was. Appalling. Like, beyond terrible. So much casual racism, so unfunny (but a lot less Piggy, which is about the one thing I got along with). Ricky Gervais was kind of fun in it but as a film, it just kind of made me feel like a bit of my childhood slipped away. I actually quite enjoyed the last one even though it received mixed reviews, but this didn't live up to my expectations at all. I know neither would be as good as the ones I love from watching as a kid, but I feel like slightly more effort could have been made to... you know, just be better.
Look Back –
Film Club | January
Film Club | February
Film Club | March
Film Club | April
Film Club | May
Film Club | June
Film Club | July
Film Club | August

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