Gilmore Girls is FINALLY back!

You may know from my other blog posts how much I love Gilmore Girls, and with that I knew I had to write about it coming back. Due to the move, I've not managed to binge on the latest episodes (I've only seen the first episode of  A Year in the Life: Winter). Gutted! That being said, on the run-up I've been watching a lot of the old episodes and fell in love all over again. My Mum jokes that she thought it was finished. Oh how wrong she was!

I've also watched lots of clips on YouTube and know about the ending. The cliffhanger. The four words that leave you with more questions and wanting more. I was so upset to know the ending before seeing, so will not spill like I've seen some bloggers, Youtubers and fans already have. I was thinking of further reviewing the new episodes, but will see about that...I'm not good at keeping quiet!

This post will be my hopes for the upcoming episodes and my predictions:

Team Logan

When I left it originally, I was Team Jesse all the way. I disliked Dean a lot. He made her feel bad about herself. The way he dumped her when she didn't say "I love you" right away, the way she messed with her head after he said he still loved her despite being married and of course how he never challenged her. I also find it unrealistic to have someone falling for their first love; he live and move on. He has no ambition and has little in common with Rory.

Rory had been instantly attracted to Jesse; there is obvious chemistry and they share a love of books. They have grown a lot since they first started dating. They got on at an intellicental level, and made each other better in some way. Rory trusted Jesse, and became more interesting with him. I think he might have done as well without Rory's influence.

Initially, I found Logan spoilt, entitled and very different to Rory, but upon watching it again I have found that out of the three he is the most perfect for her. He was hard-working to make his own way in the world outside of his family riches, loved Rory and she loved him back. They met during university, and out of the three she was with him longest and from that I noticed they went through the most. He was instantly there when her grandfather had a heart attack, he saw her during her graduation, he supported her through falling out with her mother and quitting Yale (although brief) and most of all they made it through the brief long-distance. Therefore I hope they do make it back together. I feel Rory was right to refuse his proposal as she had more to achieve than just becoming Logan's wife. That being said, he has supported her through any decisions and I hope they make it.

Obama Campaign

I hope to hear how Rory got on during the following of the Obama elections, and the relationship there. I loved the clip with her and Michelle. Typical Rory with the books! It would have also been entertaining if it had been filmed after finding out that Trump is president. I know she was a big fan of Hilary Clinton after all. Remember, how she wanted to say she'd be the person she'd most like to eat with, when applying for university (or college).

As someone who wanted to go into journalism, I will adore hearing all the opportunities that came her way. Will she make it to New York Times?

Rory & Lorelai's lives

I've seen hints that Rory is out of work, and even starts working at Chilton. This would be an interesting one as this is where it all began. Stars Hollow is where we fell in love with the mother-daughter relationship, and it brings it all back now that Rory is coming back to the small town. I can't wait to see their antics, witty comebacks and fast-talking! Will Lorelai still be running the Dragonfly inn or does she have more ambitions in the eccentric town?

Lorelai & Luke

I always wanted the other Lorelai to marry Luke and have his babies. However I feel since we don't see this in the trailers and she's likely to be 48, the likelihood of children might be off. I'm still hopeful for the right wedding this time. Christopher was always unsure, immature and too spontaneous for Lorelai. Luke was always right for her. He argued, challenged her funny ways, loved her, appreciated her and always wanted what was best for her. He supported her where she needed, but never told her what to do. He helped with her crazy ways - when her car broke down, he made sure she got the same exact model (helping get it fixed), and organised the entire party for Rory leaving in the final episode. What more can be said? He's perfect! Who doesn't love a happy ending?

Sookie

Sookie is one of my favourite characters despite Lorelai and Rory of course. I can't wait to see how the kids have grown 7 years on (I can't remember how old the first one, Davy was, so wonder whether there will be a teen?) Anything with Sookie is always funny though. Especially her and Jackson arguing. I also hope she's still showing her passion for cooking, and can't wait to see what they named the youngest. Yes, I'm that sad!

Lane and Zac 

Oh how I loved that rock star couple so much! I hope they're settling into parenthood, and Lane hasn't given up on drumming. Are they still working in Luke's? I was gutted to see so many fans who disliked Zac for Lane; I thought he was perfect. He adored her and was always there, quirky and managed to find ways to relate her scary mother.

There is one mystery that eludes me though. Where is Lane's father? Did he die? They always mention it in the plural - parents, but never has he appeared. They have had many Korean family occasions, even her wedding and still to see him...

Taylor madness

Are Taylor's town meetings still crazy? No doubt. The comebacks of Taylor and Lorelai were well-worth it. I also love how he managed to encourage the townspeople to do things they totally disagreed with. Remember, when Jackson did his job for a while? Yeah, it didn't last long...

Kirk

What jobs is Kirk doing now? Has he married Lulu? I've seen him attend the traditional Friday night dinner, so can't wait to see the comedy at that one! I also like the hints of his advice column which have circled around on facebook pages. See below:

The "Gilmore Girls" 

So many good pictures for these 3!

Richard passes away like the actor did unfortunately. I loved him! The fiercely loyal and protective father, mentoring and supporting nature to Rory and the way he proved to be Emily's solemate. It will be interesting to see how Emily copes. I saw a clip where she gets a wall-sized picture of him, which made me chuckle. It sums up Emily's quirky character. Friday family dinners are still on too!

Stars Hollow

It's exciting to see what all the townspeople of Stars Hollow are up to, and what unusual events will be on! I honestly can't wait to get back to it.

To finish this post, here are a few screenshots of Gilmore Girls quizzes I've done (sad I know):

Always get different ones - had Sookie before!

Hope you enjoyed the post, and love to hear your comments especially if you like the show as much as me!

Still unsure whether to review the new episodes, when I've finished watching.

Festive Gift Ideas - for her *

How exciting! This is my first festive post. Working in retail for approximately 4 years; listening to christmas songs on repeat for two months and listening to moody shoppers in the festive period slowly sucked the christmas spirit out of me. That being said, I feel like it might be coming back! This year I look forward to drinking a snowball, eating, opening presents, more eating, dressing up, more eating and obviously giving something.

This year, I've realised I don't have too many to buy for - my mum, dad, a few friends and my grandparents. I can't complain at that! That is not to say that I find christmas shopping to be plain sailing. This year, I plan on getting most things online. So far, I've bought a small personalised gift for my friends from a local seller on the island, who I might discuss in a future post.

Discovering Ezebee was a fun one, it has unique things that you don't find often around with lots of handmade gifts similar to things you might find on sites like Etsy. It's not something you find in your usual shops or typical to marketplaces like Amazon. It's so lovely to find gifts with that personal, handmade touch. This posts show 10 gift ideas for her (whether that is a friend, family member or even girlfriend/fiancée/wife):

1. Personalised Cushion, £35

This is a wonderful present for an older relative who you struggle to buy for, and feel has everything. Get personal family pictures on and it will mean the world to them!

2. Flirty Berry Soap Gift Set, £5.36

I sometimes find it so hard to find something decent for under £10, sometimes even under £20. It might even serve as a fab secret santa gift at work! This amazing gift set includes: bath salt, a strawberry cupcake soap, oats & honey cupcake soap, 2 strawberry hearts and a loofah. Perfect for those friends who loves beauty products or a nice bath!

3. Liberty Make-up Bag, £12

Crafted Chic design a few lovely print designed makeup bags. This was one of my favourite ones! Lovely for friends, mums and any woman in your life!

4. Personalised Hanging Heart Duo, £8

Similar to gift number 1, it is a lovely personalised gift for older family members. It would also be lovely for mums to have with cute pictures of their little ones, engaged or newly married couples.

5. Ring Made Con Austrian Crystal, £6.08

I find it so rare to find beautiful jewellery at reasonable prices. I noticed a lot of lovely Austrian crystal jewellery items to choose from. This was one of them! Only problem is this one I'd rather have for myself...

6. Contentment Jars (Spa day in a jar), £9.57

Similar to number 2, I believe this would make a great secret santa gift. It is perfect for those that love beauty items.

7. Elegant Tree Pendant, £17.36

This gorgeous pendant comes in many different colours; this was just one of my favourite. The tree connotation reminds me of family, and the family tree.

8. Silver Leaf Filigree Statement Necklace, £12.72

Again, this might be more of one that I'd like to receive. That being said, no girl can be without a statement necklace to brighten up an all-black outfit or make a day outfit into night! I firmly believe that jewellery makes an outfit so much better and more fun.

9. Trinket Heart Box, £5.21

Another low-cost gift that can have many uses. You can pop other gifts in, and it would make a lovely ornament, keepsake or trinket box. I also love that it reminds me of asian art. I've always loved items from China and something about it has that vibe.

10. Be your own hero frames, £7.14

I love this picture frame and with so many friends moving into a new home recently, I love it as a gift. I don't think you can go wrong with a home-related gift. This is so quirky too!

This concludes my list. In summary, I think the best gifts are those that are personal and make the person feel like you've really shopped for them. Buy them something they asked for, talked about or something that shows you take interest in the things they care about. If that fails, get those women close to you, some lovely jewellery, something personalised or something beauty-related.

What do you like to buy for gifts? I'm keen to get started properly buying for christmas once November starts! This year I've already got started for my friends. How are you doing with your purchases? Are you more last minute?

*For full disclosure this is my first sponsored post, which I hope will increase my visibility online. I was asked to pick out gift ideas for Ezebee.com. However I hope you can tell that I found this fun to write, and helped me find another great online marketplace, which I can honestly say I will buy from this christmas!

27 reasons I'd rather be an OAP right now

For a bit of full, I've written a bit of a list of things that I think will make growing old - great!

1. You've made your mistakes and not much that young people do will shock you (you've seen it all before).
2. The bus pass! Of course the bus pass. The best thing about turning 60 after enduring menopause, wrinkling and everything sagging... travel can be so expensive, and now you have a cop out.
3. You don't need to work unless you want to.
4. Your children are grown up, so you no longer need to "parent". What they do is up to them at this stage! They have their own children.
5. Nobody cares what you look like. Nobody ever says: "Ew, look at that ugly old lady" or "That is one fat old lady!"
6. You can travel whenever you want with no obligations.
7. It is your family's job to look after you instead.
8. Your mortgage is likely to be paid off.
9. Every wrinkle, scar, freckle, tattoo or mark on your body has a story.
10. You don't need to be a slave to fashion and likely to know what suits you best.

11. You're an encyclopedia of knowledge.
12. You don't need to worry about being 'cool' and can be your true self. 
13. The friends you have you've had for years, and stay loyal.
14. You're not likely to be made a fool of.
15. If you want to slob in your pjs all day, you don't have parents to tell you not to (your kids might, but how will they stop you?) 
16. You are likely to know the healthy habits you enjoy.
17. The young people you know come to you for advice and wisdom.
18. You've seen your fair share of good and happy occasions including weddings, births and parties.
19. You will have taken risks in your youth that you don't need to do anymore.
20. You will have the best life stories to tell.
21. You can spoil your grandchildren and babysit when you choose.
22. You have no issue with spending your money. YOLO and all!
23. From going to many restaurants in your life, you probably by now which are the right knives, forks or spoons to use.
24. You'll have many achievements to reflect on.
25. Your bucket list will be shorter than a list of over 300.
26. You know what is important.
27. You make your own rules.

The Netflix Film Review: Still Alice

Anyone who knows me will know I mostly watch Netflix whether it is my favourite TV shows: Orange is the new black, Pretty little liars and I've even discovered old series' like Full House. I've always loved films as you will know with an ever-growing list of 740 films I wish to see.

As soon as it came out, I wanted to see Still Alice, but with the difficult topic of Alzheimer's, I kept putting it off - thinking it would be too emotional or depressing, but I just found it to be so realistic and valuable to watch.

WARNING! There are a few spoilers if you haven't seen it.

Plot Summary
It tells the story of Alice Howland, a respected and successful linguistics professor, who is happily married with three grown children. Her life seems perfect at 50, but this changes when she begins to forget words and much more things in her life. When her doctor diagnoses her with the rarer early-onset- Alzheimer's Disease, Alice and her family come under the challenge of dealing with the terminal degenerative neurological condition as it continues to progress slowly.

What is Alzheimer's?
If like me, you didn't know much about Alzheimer's, according to Alzheimer's Association, it is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behaviour. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. The majority of people who are diagnosed are over the age of 65, but 5% of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer's like the character of Alice; this will appear in someone who is in their forties or fifties.

The Review
Julianne Moore was incredible, and went on to win a few awards for her role as Alice. Most notably Academic Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA - all for best actress. It was hardly surprising as she realistically portrays a woman fighting to keep her identity as she effectively forgets who she is, the names of her family members and all the things she is good at. It is hard to warm to some of her family members who appear to make the diagnosis about them instead of enjoying the time they do have.

Kirsten Stewart plays her youngest, Lydia, who is fantastically played. Alice's character before her diagnosis struggles to understand why her daughter won't study, as a back-up for her acting career. They go to log-heads with this, but in a way it shows the love of a mother and daughter, as her daughter goes on to be the one who can get through to her. Lydia ends up coming to care for her mother in the end, and helps her with things such as writing her speech to talk for the Alzheimer's society. I couldn't help warming to Lydia too who was supportive without burdening her with how she felt about it. She was the only one to ask how her mother felt about it.

Her husband (played by Alec Baldwin) almost comes across as 'selfish' throughout her illness. Like any husband, I think he proves that he is there 'death do us part'. However, when he is offered a new job in another state, he thinks of the money rather than the time he has left with Alice. She heartbreakingly begs him to delay the job and spend the year with her. He tries his best to care for her at home, but it seems he just isn't equipped to deal with it mentally. Considering taking her to a home as she deteriorates, Lydia steps in.

There is only a few lines for the character of the only son, Tom, which is a shame, but Kate Bosworth's character, Anna more than makes up for it. As the oldest daughter, Anna is the first to cry when she hears of her mother's diagnosis. She is about to start trying for a baby, and with the shocking news that there is a 50/50 chance that kids can inherit the gene, Anna is tested. Her and Tom both get tested, and unfortunately one is positive for the gene; Lydia opts to not find out.

This truly explores all areas of the condition from Alice's mental state of the condition quoting that she'd prefer cancer with "something to fight", the vulnerability of a strong woman who has made her own success in career and the way she slowly deteriorates as Alzheimer's takes hold. There is no hollywood happy ending like most films, and there isn't an optimistic end; it would be a cheat because there is no cure for Alzheimer's and the effects are irreversible. That being said, the film illustrates the good life she had and it often said what great things she achieved all while raising three kids. The theme of love runs through and I believe it is the saviour for Alice. You see she loves her family even at her most ill; she might not know who she is, but feels a sense of warmth for them.

My curious nature wishes it had more about the condition (from the doctor's angle), but I feel this might not have translated well (hence why it's not been done).  Even so, I promise this film won't disappoint and will stir your emotions as you learn how Alzheimer's might be for the person and their family.

To compare to
I haven't seen any other film on Alzheimer's, but it vaguely reminded me of The Theory of Everything. It had the same feeling that the main character had a shock diagnosis that would potentially affect their career and family life. Hopefully the film will inspire more realistic reputations of the terrible illness that affects so many.

Rating: 9/10
It is an amazing film that seems to sum up Alzheimer's through the eyes of the person. Obviously I don't know how realistic it is as I have no experience of Dementia or Alzheimer's, but I believe it to at least raise awareness to those who have no idea about the disease like me. It isn't a film I'd repeatedly watch, but it is a definite must-see. Julianne Moore is incredible in this, and I believe the parts of Kate Bosworth and Kristen Stewart are underrated.

From watching the film, I know I will definitely go and read the book. I will probably review that too when I get round to buying it!