Amy Tinson

As the big V-day is in two days, I thought I'd choose a selection of films to get you in the mood for some lovin', plus one that will make you feel kick ass if you're bah-humbugging the day!

I'm such a sucker for a romantic film and will be getting cosy with one of these this weekend.

What films would you suggest watching on Valentine's day? Hope you all have a lovely one! 

I love a good TV series and, along with my boyfriend, am constantly getting hooked on new ones. Therefore, I have narrowed down my faves to just five (currently running) shows for this week's Five Friday Favourites and let me tell you, this has been no easy task!!

What TV series do you like at the moment? Have you seen any of those mentioned above?

One of my favourite things to do at Christmas time is get the festive decorations up and it couldn’t be truer this season, after moving in with my boyfriend back in October.

Getting ready for Christmas had been at the forefront of our minds since getting in to our place and as the time drew nearer, we found ourselves getting more and more in to the decorating spirit. We managed to pick quite a few nice and fun pieces, but I’ll let the photos primarily speak for themselves!

Do you like decorating your house for Christmas? If so, do you go fun and bright or keep it simple and classy?

Christmas movies can be some of the best in the business and there's nothing quite like settling under a blanket on the sofa to watch a festive favourite. With that said, here are my top five favourites to watch during December.

The Holiday 

Two ladies who are having a tough time in their life (in particular, their love life) swap homes for Christmas, where they meet new people and find the happiness they needed. This sweet rom com will make you fall in love with it's characters (apart from Jasper, ain't nobody got time for him!), it's locations and the warm, fuzzy feeling it leaves you with. 

Elf

How could I make a list without mentioning this hilarious comedy?! Buddy gets accidentally transported to the North Pole as an orphan and grows up thinking he's an elf,  creating all kinds of havoc due to his human size. He then heads to the New York to search for his true identity and ends up meeting his businessman father, before trying to strike up a relationship. Expect plenty of big belly ho-ho-hos, as well as, the more tender moments in one of Will Ferrel's finest films.

Love Actually

Another rom com but this time, this follows the intertwined lives of different people leading up to Christmas Day, with one emotion connecting them all: love. There's loads of famous faces (including Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Kiera Knightley, Alan Rickman; I could go on!), twists, laughs and even a few teary moments; everything you'd want for a truly British Crimbo flick.

The Nightmare Before Christmas
Some people may argue that this film is more for Halloween but it's one of my favourite Christmas films to watch and definitely falls in to my top 5. Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town, stumbles upon Christmas Town and falls in love with it - try not getting 'What is This?' stuck in your head! After kidnapping Santa Claus, he tries to do his own Christmas; until things go completely awry. If you love Tim Burton or slightly obscure movies, you'll certainly love this one and it's a great alternative to watch this Christmas.

Four Christmases
Some people love Christmas and others do not; this film follows how a couple who usually spend Christmas on vacation away from their crazy families, get stranded in the U.S. and have to visit their four divorced parents in one day. This one is a bucket full of emotions, laughs and love and is a definitely easy watch when curled up on the sofa with your loved one.

Highly Recommended

There are a couple of others that didn't quite make my 'top 5' cut but are still very much worth the watch: The Muppet Christmas Carol, Home Alone and Gremlins. All fun, family faves that are easy-to-watch!

What are your favourite Christmas films?

The leaves have changed colour, the nights are getting dark early and it’s rather chilly out there; winter is definitely on it’s way. 

Despite always referring to myself as a sun-worshiper, winter is becoming my favourite season with each year that comes and for today’s post, here are some reasons why.

Right, I’m off to go for a walk…oh, alright then, another Netflix marathon.

What are your favourite things about winter? Let me know in the comments below.

I'm a self-confessed candle addict, much to the annoyance of my boyfriend who has to put up with them dotted all over our place. But the scents, the cosy feeling they give off and the comforting look of the flame flickering are impossible to resist!

One candle brand that stands above a lot of the others is Yankee Candle. These candles are affordable, have great scent pay off and come in a variety of luscious flavours.

Winter time is where they excel the most though, with scents including 'Cosy By The Fire' (rustic woody, ginger and cinnamon based), 'Christmas Eve' (warm hearth, sugared plums and candied fruits) and 'Snowflake Cookie' (sweet, home-baked goodies) to name a few.
My lovely man also bought me the Advent House in the Snow Calendar and it's great! I've opened the little windows to reveal 'Snowflake Cookie', 'Candy Cane Lane', 'Spiced Orange' and 'Winter Glow' (our personal fave so far) tea lights and it's nice to have something to open that's different from chocolate - we all have enough of that leading up to Crimbo, don't we! We've also been burning a tea light every night; it's a fab way to count down to Christmas Day and may well be the start of a yearly tradition for us!

What are your thoughts on Yankee Candle? 

My go-to hot drink when 'oot and aboot' is a Chai Tea Latte - unless I'm at Costa during the festive season, their Christmas drinks are all kinds of delicious! However, with not wanting to spend a lot of my well-earned money on drinking out, I have been making do with a regular cup of tea at home (not that there's anything wrong with that, of course!). That was until I stumbled across Tesco's Finest Vanilla Chai Tea Bags.

Each box houses 50 tea bags, which are brewed much like any other normal tea: in a mug with hot water from the kettle and with or without milk. What makes them so great is the wonderful, aromatic taste; if I close my eyes, it's almost as if I'm in a luxurious café instead of my sofa.

This tea is packed to the brim with black tea, ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, star anise, cloves and vanilla to give it a sweeter edge; it's the perfect relaxing drink to have in the winter and at £1.49 a box, you really can't complain! 

Do you like Chai Tea Latte? Have you tried Tesco's version? 

Long time, no speak!

As you can probably see from the date of the late post, 'Amy's Corner' took an unexpected hiatus and was put on the back burner earlier this year due to one thing and another. But as things started to settle down in my life and I gained free time on my hands again, the blogging itch started creeping back in and it was an itch that needed to be scratched.

With the excitement from Christmas and New Year subsiding, it was time for my body to compute that winter is in fact still upon us and spring is a good couple of months away. This means that the weather in the UK is still pretty bleak, the days are still short and winter comfort food is still my best friend and after whipping up a delicious batch of Broccoli and Stilton Soup - may not sound appealing but I assure you it is! - I thought I'd share my recipe with you.

Hello everyone! 

This is just a very quick update to let you all know - if you haven't seen already, that is - that there are going to be a few improvements to Amy's Corner over the next few days, starting with a new section called 'The Reading Corner' and a whole new layout. 

With so many massive changes already happening to me at the start of 2015 - being made redundant and therefore now in search of a new job, plenty of big New Year's Resolutions to be sticking to, some bits and pieces in my personal life, to name a few - it felt only fitting that my blog should get a new and an improved  look, as well as, some extra content. 

I'm trying to make my little slice of indulgence on the internet look and feel more crisp, clean, professional and easy to read. If you have any suggestions, tips or even constructive criticism, please do leave it in the comments below as I'd love to know your opinion! 

Have a wonderful weekend lovelies.

Amy xx