Reviewing Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!

So I feel like I'm finally emotionally stable enough to talk about Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. And I have A LOT to say!

Synopsis:

In 1979 young Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduate from Oxford University -- leaving Donna free to embark on a series of adventures throughout Europe. On her journeys, she makes the acquaintances of Harry, Bill and Sam -- the latter whom she falls in love with, but he's also the man who breaks her heart. In the present day, Donna's pregnant daughter, Sophie, dreams of renovating a taverna while reuniting with her mother's old friends and boyfriends on the Greek island of Kalokairi.

I went into the cinema with my mum both excited and nervous. With the realisation that the weeks of questioning IS DONNA ALIVE?! was finally going to be answered. I was waiting to see this a second time, but with my new work schedule, I haven't managed to see it again yet. But on Monday (20th August) I'm off to see it again, and I CANNOT WAIT!



For me, there was a few difference between the 1st film and the 2nd film. Some bugged me a little bit, just with the continuity of it, and how it changed a lot from the two different films. One of the big ones for me was the dads. Let's look at the differences:

So in the first film, Harry was known as Harry Headbanger. This rock-punk kind of dude with the eyeliner, spiked hair and edgy look to him. In the second film, the only thing that's actually the same, is that he wears a leather jacket. They made the personalities the same; aka awkward, camp, and hilarious. I loved getting to know Harry through Donna, and how they met, etc. But I must I was a little disappointed that he wasn't how he was perceived in the first film at this age.

Sam Carmichael. He's made out to be a "hippie" type of character with long hair, weird facial hair and extremely old school. But the Sam from the second film had medium-length hair, wore a leather jacket, and drove a motorcycle. And with Bill Anderson's character. I feel is the only one that got represented similarly. Josh Dylan played Bill very well, I feel. The hair was a little shorter for Young Bill, and he wasn't as "hippie" as he was made out to be in the first film, but I felt like he was the most realistically and similar in both films. 


Another thing that really confused me was Donna's mum. In the first film, after Super Trooper, she states that she's dead. "Somebody up there, has got it in for me. I bet it's my mother." So when she appears in the second film and I was like ?????

Now moving onto the music. THE. MUSIC!!!! I AM OBSESSED! I listen to the music CONSTANTLY and I'm writing in caps because that's how excited I am!!!!

My favourite songs are When I Kissed The Teacher, Why Did It Have To Be Me? and Andante, Andante. I love the vibe of this album and it's such a feel-good album.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you which film I prefer because I love them both for different reasons. So if you haven't seen it, 1 are you crazy?! Go see it and let me know what you think!!

What I Ate Wednesday

I must admit, I can be very lazy with what I eat on an evening. Pre-made meals from M&S are something that I live off. And they’re the balanced ones. But, let’s be real. They ain’t doing me any good. So instead, last week I decided to make my own meals and see how I felt afterwards. Honestly? 10 times better!! I think it’s because I was aware of what ingredients was in every meal, and if I wanted to, I could have counted the calories too.

So I took images of the first 4 days, as this is when I was at my dad’s and prepared it all myself. Here they are:

Monday: Pesto Fish with boiled potatoes, peppers and veg. 

Not gonna lie, I was so excited to make this. No idea why. I saw an image online and ever since, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I decided to get the ingredients and just make it. 

Ingredients:

• Fish (of your choice)
• Pesto
• Boiled Potatoes
• Red Peppers
• Carrots

Making this meal was actually kind of a "risk" because I wasn't sure how pesto on fish would actually taste to me. I can be known to be quite picky when it comes to food. Only because I only liked a small amount of food when I was young, and now as I'm an adult, I love experimenting. Not gonna lie, my taste buds were a little confused, because usually when I have pesto, it's on chicken. And eating this, I expected it to taste the same (don't know why). But I really enjoyed it, and it was really filling.

Tuesday: Chicken Stir-fry.

Okay I confess! I attempted to make my Mum's Famous Stir Fry and I FAILED!!! No one can make the stir fry like her, and I will HATE anyone else's. Including my own. I was so gutted as well, because I had been looking forward to this all day, and it just wasn't good.

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast
• Mixed Pepper Stir Fry Mix
• Light Soy Sauce

I was all ready to be proper smug with my mum, and prove that I could make a better stir fry than hers, and it completely flopped. Honestly have no idea where it went wrong! Might be because my mum uses Birdseye Chicken Breasts and I used regular???? Not a clue! But I sent her a picture and even she admitted, it looked pretty shit. So note to self: just leave it to the expert.

Wednesday: Homemade Prawn Linguine

I decided to put the two pictures up so it kind of made sense why it looks so weird and maybe gross???? Basically on a Wednesday, if I have the day off on Thursday, I go to my Nana and Grandad's house and we eat there for tea. 

Ingredients:

• Prawns
• Tagliatelle 
• Garlic
• Dry White Wine
• Double Thick Cream
• Parmesan 

I found this recipe online and I LOVE IT! This is a brand new thing I'm obsessed with making. My best friend Phoebe has asked if I'll make it on holiday as well, so looks like we have one meal sorted LOL. I made a big batch for my dad and I, and honestly it's so DELISH! This is deffo one where I'd make a side post/video on how to make this. Although, I get stressed halfway through.

Thursday: Steak with diane sauce and veg.

😂😂😂😂😂 I'm aware there's A LOT of sauce on there. In fact, here's the conversation I had with Phoebe:

I'm a follow the instructions, kind of gal. And that's what it told me to put in! I realised, as I poured it out, that it was a bit too much. But OH WELL!

Ingredients:

• Sirloin Steak
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• SA Sauces; Diane Sauce

SA Sauces is a brand that I came across at The North Leeds Food Festival. The owner had a stall, and we tried some of her sauces, and I bought some. I've been meaning to try a new one for weeks, and decided to use the Diane Sauce with my steak. And it didn't disappoint! Loved it! Check them out because they're super cheap and affordable!

But anyway, the meal. I thought the Diane sauce had a lovely kick to it! It was thick and creamy (sounds gross), and I really liked it. Highly recommend.

Overall, I loved making the food. I felt more in control, and I loved knowing what was being put into the meals. If you're feeling like you're in a slum and want to try out any of the meals, go for it and let me know. And if you want a recipe of any of the meals I made, leave me a comment or a tweet, and I'll do it!

FITNESS FRIDAY

Happy Friday everybody! I thought I would post a brand new workout for you all to give it a try. I've tested this myself and can confirm that it's brutal, and you definitely feel it the next day.

Let me know how you get on with this one!

Can’t Win.

There’s been an almost revelation in my head,

That maybe it’s time to make this bed. 

Because what I thought was real,

Isn’t what you feel.

And maybe now, it’s time to say goodbye. 

I realise that what I was thinking was wrong,

That maybe you’d change, and I’d belong.

But I feel like a naive child,

For allowing my head to be wild. 

Now it’s time to let the thoughts die. 

GETTING SHIT DONE!

So if you don't know by now that I'm writing a book, then you seriously must be new around here. And I've been writing it since April 2018, and nope! Still not finished - I'm a perfectionist, okay?! BUT I have decided that I can't be writing this book forever. I need to finish it THIS YEAR. Yep. Guess whose finally given their self a deadline. And this time, I'm gonna stick to it! And this is how I'm going to do it... (Also soz for the lack of photos. My laptop has decided it doesn't recognise my memory card anymore. So... 🤷🏼‍♀️)

Set myself deadlines a day

A little like Jane Villanueva from Jane The Virgin, I've set myself daily goals of how many words I want to achieve. I've written this in my daily organiser. I've done this before and found it was a very effective tool to work with. Usually I go for 1000 words a day, however if I've got nothing else that day (i.e not visiting friends or going to the gym), I can write for longer.

Creating a spreadsheet

Okay so this one is slightly nerdy. Technically unnecessary, but this stuff really helps me look at things from a different point of view. It helps me see how many pages I'm at, how many words I've written altogether, and also which were the better days for me. Okay, I'm also an organised freak that requires order. Don't judge me.


This is what I've started with as of right now, however in September, I'll update you on how well I've progressed with the book, thanks to these little tools. Sorry this is a short and sweet one, however I really wanted to get a post up about my book. 

If you have any tips and tricks on what works with your writing, please let me know in the comments below!

An Open Letter To My Teenage Self.

Based on the age of 15/16.

I know right now, you feel nothing but guilt inside, and everything feels dark. And sometimes numb. Unfortunately, I can't promise you that disappears. It's going to stick with you, and it's going to change you as a person. But it's okay, you're going to meet someone that's going to be your rock through all of it. It's not a boy, or a romantic relationship. It's a best friend. And trust me, I know you feel like that girl you're best friends with now is there with you for the long run, but she's going to turn toxic. This best friend won't judge you, or ever make you feel idiotic. 

I know the voices are taking over your thought process right now, and you're feeling a little lost. I know you're being quiet, because you think it's going to help, but unfortunately it's all going to blow up in your face before you know it. Your brother's going to hate you and your dad's going to be disappointed. But eventually, everyone moves on and everyone's happy. I promise you.

You keep feeling like there's something not quite right with you. And every time you try to open up with mum and dad, they brush you off like you're being silly. But stick with it. You're right, and we're trying to work through it even now. Just don't forget to keep being you. Losing yourself isn't worth it. 

Overall, if I were to tell you anything, I'd tell you you're doing fine. Everything gets better than where you are right now. Wait until you meet the two little people that you're going to love forever. 

Smile of delight.

Ocean blue eyes,
And a smile of delight.
This is what I think about all the time.