Film Favourites | A Cosy Christmas Eve

In my family, the run up to Christmas, and especially Christmas Eve, is a time full of cosy movie nights, snuggled up warm on the sofa under duvets and blankets. Over the years we've accumulated quite a number of trusty festive favourites!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)

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Perhaps the most "Christmassy" of all the Harry Potter films? Despite the fact I'm a very lucky girl with an 8-disc box set -that gets frequent use all year around- there's normally a Harry Potter marathon spaced out over a few days around Christmas time and for some reason I always feel like films are more exciting to watch when they're on TV so I normally watch them there. The Philosopher's Stone has become such a classic film over the last decade and there's so many beautiful snowy Christmas scenes that make it especially nice, I think, to watch around Christmas time.

In case you'd also like to tune in, I checked and this year the last 3 Harry Potter films will be shown on ITV1:

The Half Blood Prince: Saturday 20th December, 7pm

The Dealthly Hallows Part 1: Saturday 27th December, 7pm

The Deathly Hallows Part 2: Tuesday 30th December, 8pm

Favourite moment: When Harry receives his first ever Christmas presents- a knitted jumper from Mrs Weasley and the Invisibility Cloak!

The Holiday (2006)

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English newspaper editor, Iris and Amanda, an LA-based workaholic who produces trailers for Hollywood films, both resolve to escape from their respective romantic ruts by swapping homes over the Christmas period.   

Again, over the last few years, 'The Holiday' has also become a Christmas classic. I think the appeal is much to do with the fact that, despite their own personal problems, the two girls appear to otherwise have the most idyllic lifestyles. Plus, who wouldn't want Jude Law just casually showing up at your door and promptly falling in love with you. This film is basically the epitome of every girl's dream, whether that is to live in a quaint English cottage or live the Hollywood high life.

Favourite moment: 'that' scene with the blanket tent- my heart melts every time!

Meet Me in St Louis (1944)

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In the months leading up to the 1904 World Fair, three sisters in St Louis, Missouri try to come to terms with their father's plans to move the family away to New York City.

I come from a family that is pretty obsessed with musicals, especially my little sister who I think is Grade 6 in music theatre now - proud sister!- so a musical is normally also on the cards during Christmastime. 

'Meet Me in St Louis' has been one of my favourites for a long time because it's so sweet and light-hearted and also has some really genuinely funny moments as well. Can you believe how beautiful Judy Garland was? She's an absolute vision of perfection!

Favourite moment: When Esther's getting her flirt on with John after the family Christmas party and he tells her she smells like his granny. Fab.

Love Actually (2003)

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Ten different stories exploring the complexities of love become intertwined as Christmas approaches.

'Love Actually' is by far one of my favourite films of all time. The concept is fantastic and gives such a fascinating and beautiful insight into the intricacies of different romantic relationships. I've said it before but I just love films about people and their stories and I think there's something in here that everyone can relate to at some stage in their lives which is what makes it so special.

Favourite moment: Sam running through the airport to say goodbye to Joanna.

Little Women (1994)

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Based on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, this film follows the lives of the Marsh family growing up in Concord, Massachusetts during the American Civil War.

This has been one of my favourite films ever since I was very little. My mum actually named me after Beth's character because Little Women was one of her favourite books growing up and Beth was her favourite character.

 I remember this was on TV on Christmas Eve a couple of years ago (after the Made In Chelsea Christmas season finale when Gabriella made her dramatic exit) and I guess those Christmas feels got the better of me because I cried the whole way through.

Favourite moment: I have so many! But probably either when Beth gets her piano for Christmas or else when Jo gets her story published for the first time.

What are some of your favourite Christmas films?

The Christmas Tag!

It's only 11 more days til Christmas!! SO, I thought I'd try and get my blog into the Christmas spirit for the first time thus far (whoops) and do the Christmas tag! I haven't been tagged to do this yet but y'all know how much I love a good tag so I guess I just took it upon myself.

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie?

Quite a typical answer but I do absolutely love The Holiday, I normally end up watching it quite a few times over the Christmas period! I also love Love Actually, Little Women, and watching the Harry Potter films (especially the Philosopher's Stone) around Christmas time. I'm not sure if anyone else knows of this but there's normally this film called "the Ghost of Greville Lodge" that's on TV around Christmas time and I watch it every single year.

2. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

When my sister and I were little, we'd be so excited for presents my mum sometimes used to let us open the smallest one on Christmas Eve but as I've gotten older I much prefer waiting until Christmas morning.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

I'm not sure I really have a favourite Christmas memory. I remember one year when I was around 10 or 11 I spent Christmas Eve night at my aunt and uncle's house who are big into Monopoly and the three of us played all night. I'm sure that sounds like an absolute nightmare for anyone who hates Monopoly but I just remember it being so fun.

4. Favourite festive food?

I'm not hugely into festive food really, I don't really like Christmas pudding or mince pies or anything like that, though I do always really really look forward to Christmas dinner!

5. Favourite Christmas gift?

I've gotten loads of lovely presents over the years from friends and family though a present that sticks in my head was the Hunter wellies I got from my mum a couple of years ago.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

This is quite an Irish-y thing I think, but I love the smell of a turf fire! Also, that lovely piney Christmas tree smell.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

I think Christmas Eve is probably my mum's favourite day of the entire year so she always made it really special for us when we were little, leaving notes and food for Santa and his reindeer. Nowadays we normally spend the night in watching films in our pyjamas eating chocolate, I guess that's kind of a tradition!

8. What tops your tree?

A star!

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) you always asked for but never received?

Nothing too extravagant that I can think of, but for some reason I always used to ask for a Sylvanian Family set every single year! Santa never brought it though, I don't know why!

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

There are lots of things I love about Christmas but I think my favourite is just spending time with family and friends and eating lots of lovely food!!

I'd love to read your answers to this tag! If you've done it feel free to leave a link in the comments! :)

My Thoughts on the Zoella "Girl Online" Controversy

Photo by Christopher Pledger from The Telegraph

I'm sure most people are now aware of the recent controversy making waves not only across the blogging/YouTube world but basically all over British media: that YouTuber Zoe Sugg, AKA Zoella, has recently released a fiction book for young teens which, because of her absolutely humongous young fanbase, actually managed to outsell novels by Dan Brown and J.K. Rowling, selling an unbelievable (and apparently record-breaking) 78,000 copies in its first week. Unfortunately, however, at seemingly the very height of Zoe's success the press, who just hours earlier had been singing her praises, changed their tune when Penguin released a statement last week announcing that "To be factually accurate, you would need to say Zoe Sugg did not write the book Girl Online on her own". 

This revelation, which many will say was really quite obvious to begin with, has prompted hugeee debate over the blogging and YouTube scene regarding how much of the book really was Zoe's. Fans are currently divided, some questioning Zoe's integrity, others vowing to support her wholeheartedly through thick and thin. I will say, however, that I personally am one of the former.

The rise of the YouTube celeb is something that's made me feel a little uneasy for quite some time for reasons that for a long time I couldn't quite put my finger on. I've been following Zoe for probably over 3 years now and as anyone can see, and I will certainly vouch for, she's really just a nice, normal girl sharing bits and pieces of her life online; or at least, that was all it was to begin with. Over the last year or so YouTubers have taken off astronomically, shooting people like Zoella et al to legitimate superstar status (to get a better idea skip to about 4 minutes into the video below). Of course, Zoe could never have predicted when she first starting blogging and vlogging that she'd ever become as big as she is today but even so, what I'd like to say to Zoe is that with great power comes great responsibility, whether you like it or not.

The reason I'm rambling on about the whole general YouTube craze is because it's something that's helped form my overall opinion in light of the 'Girl Online' controversy. I loved Zoe, I listened to her and respected her opinion, tuning in to each and every vlog and main channel video religiously. Any time I was feeling down her videos would cheer me right up which I know is also the case for her millions of other fans. However somewhere in the midst of Zoe and her boyfriend, Alfie's unimaginable success this past year, (somewhere, I'd say, around the time young teens were being charged £75 to meet their idols at Amity Fest) something changed. 

I'll be the first to validate blogging as being extremely hard work. Even though I only post twice a week at most, it still manages to take up a huge portion of my free time so I can only imagine how much of their whole lives Zoe and Alfie put into YouTube. I will also say I certainly don't have an issue with people monetising on hard-earned success. However, I feel like we need to remember that Zoe, and the rest of us as bloggers, are in the business of influencing people. Anyone who makes money from blogging/vlogging are marketers, endorsing products with their faces, their words, making use of the confidence of a loyal readership/following who trusts in their opinion. I feel like this is probably the reason why I've seen so many bloggers respond negatively to the whole 'Girl Online' situation since I believe most people who are familiar with the blogging world can see how easily this sort of influence could lead to exploitation.

I bought 'Girl Online' because I was a fan of Zoe's and I was proud of her achievement. I also bought it believing I was getting something that was authentically hers because she never really said otherwise- I mean why else would I have any interest in reading a book aimed at a demographic much younger than me? I always knew she'd had help because that's what she'd said from the beginning but I in no way thought it would have been to the extent that it now appears to be. I mean really, the whole premise of ghostwriting is simply for publishers to cash in on a big name and not much else so I have difficulty understanding which part of this whole book deal was to to celebrate Zoe's ability or creativity and not to do with $$$.

Anyway, I think that's all I have to say on this for now. I really hope my opinion doesn't seriously offend anyone but I felt like I just had to say it, if anything just to work out how I really felt about the whole thing myself. I'd really love to hear your opinions in the comments as well.