December is the month of favourites with my yearly round-ups of books and theatre having already gone up on the blog this week, and my 2016 in review to follow next week. That doesn't mean that I'll skip my monthly round-up though as there has been lots I've enjoyed this month and I want to share with you guys, including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, RENT the Musical, Hygge, Vlogmas, The Netherlands, and Boxing Day sales!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
First of all a quick mention for the magical Harry Potter and the Cursed Child plays at the Palace Theatre (which, yes, made my 2016 theatre favourites too). I saw these at the very start of the month and yet I'm still buzzing about them, it was such a cool experience. I also feel that by rereading the entire book series, seeing the Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them premiere, going to the Harry Potter Studio Tour, and watching The Cursed Child in quick succession my inner Potterhead has come out in full force and I'm more geeky about the franchise than I've been in years!
RENT the Musical
This is another one that made my favourite theatre shows of 2016 (even though I didn't see much theatre this month, the outings I did have were amazing) and just wow. The 20th anniversary production of RENT is perhaps not the most obvious Christmas show but it's the one you need to see this year. The raw and honest story of poverty, AIDS, and prejudice in contemporary New York City packs a powerful punch inside the intimate St James Theatre, and I will guarantee that you'll end up listening to the kick-ass music on repeat for days, possible even weeks, after (I have been). While, heart-breakingly, RENT was writer Jonathan Larson's last work as he died unexpectedly of an aortic aneurysm the night before the show's opening in 1996, what a legacy to leave behind. After winning a slew of Tonys and Drama Desk Awards during its original run, and even the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this show, and the latest revival, have proven RENT is definitely not a One Song Glory.Vlogmas
No, I haven't started a YouTube channel (I'd love to but I am too much of a chicken about it, I don't have a good camera or space to film, and already too few hours in my day), but I have been loving the content the creators on YouTube have been putting out at a tremendous pace for Vlogmas (where they publish a new video every day in December in the lead up to Christmas). Two of my favourites this month have been Zoella (I love her sweet, honest, and bubbly personality and she has very similar tastes to me so all her hauls and favourite videos are right up my street) and Fabulous Book Fiend (my friend Catriona who only recently started her channel but the quality of her videos is already so good. A must to check out for book lovers).The Netherlands
If you don't follow me on Twitter you probably didn't realise, but I'm in the Netherlands at the moment, visiting my family for the holidays. I typically visit only twice a year nowadays because I just don't have enough days of leave from work to go any more than that and so each time I go it feels like a wonderful special treat, and a holiday in its own right. Just chilling with the family, eating my favourite foods and popping into my favourite shops, makes me tremendously happy and I also take a bit of a break from the Internet while I'm at it (most of my blogs for this month were written weeks ago), which is always a good way to refuel.A Hygge December
Another thing I've been absolutely loving this month is hygge. I'm sure you've all heard of this buzzword of the year by now, but this Danish concept reminds me of all the goodness of gezelligheid back home and I've embraced it in all its glory. I'm determined to make the new year more hygge and I have a stack of great reads to help me achieve this. If you too want to learn more about the Danish way of becoming more relaxed and happy in your life, watch out for my blog post on a Hygge 2017 in early January.
Boxing Day Sales
One thing I always love doing just after Christmas is hitting the Boxing Day sales... online! Being in the Netherlands for the holidays I unfortunately can't go to the UK shops in person, but there is plenty of fun to be had in the digital variety too (plus I avoid the massive queues and don't have to go out in the cold, win/win). This time around I scored some really awesome stuff at Paperchase, Boots, M&S, Fat Face, The Body Shop (ALL of the Spiced Apple products 'cause they smell soooo good) and Accessorize, and I'll do a proper haul when everything has arrived (at least I have something fun to look forward to during those first dreary weeks in January). They include scented candles, new boots, lots of socks ('cause hello addiction), body products, a weekly meal planner, a handbag, and lots of other awesome stuff ♥
What were your favourite things in December? Do let me know in the comments below!
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