Oscar Nominated Movies That I've Watched

The Oscar's are only a few days away and I'm super excited! I love to watch movies but I especially love to watch Oscar nominated movies to guess the winners and losers! I wish I had the chance to watch all of the films nominated for Best Picture. Instead I only got down to watching a few. Today I'm talking about what I've watched and what I thought.

Imitation Game
This is a movie that has really opened up my eyes to world history. It's about the gifted mathematician Alan Turing and his mission to crack the Enigma Code - the highly intricate Nazi code, used to communicate throughout World War Two. As the war goes on and many lives are lost, Alan and his team desperately try everyday to break the code, until Alan creates a machine that would change everything. The movie also depicts Alan's journey through homosexuality at a time when it wasn't accepted. I loved this movie and highly recommend it!

The Theory of Everything
A movie that has really educated me about a major contributor to the world of science - Stephen Hawking. I have to admit that before watching this movie, I have heard of his name but didn't know exactly what he was famous for. The film goes through the life of Hawking from his days at University where he meets Jane, the love of his life, to his diagnosis, discoveries and personal ups and downs. Very real, superb acting and fascinating!

Interstellar
I was really excited to watch this one as it looked similar in theme to Gravity, which I loved! It's much more complicated than that. Due to deteriorating conditions on Earth, the crops are slowly becoming extinct with not enough food to feed the human race. Scientists and astronauts, played by Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, travel through space to discover either how they can save the human race on earth or repopulate humanity on another planet. It wasn't my favourite film and I was very confused throughout. Nevertheless, it was an interesting concept to explore.

Birdman
In this black comedy, Michael Keaton plays the role of Riggan Thompson. Riggan started out his career by playing the ever so famous Birdman comic superhero. Due to the huge success that Birdman evolved into, Riggan, the actor is forgotten. Later on in his career, to reclaim the attention he desired as an actor in Birdman, he decides to wear multiple hats by producing, writing, and playing in a Broadway musical. The film explores his mental thought process, family life, love life and personal decisions. It's definitely a different movie. I thought it was highly entertaining to watch the film being shot in what looked like one continuous take.

Wild
I read the book and loved it! Very inspiring and uplifting to the soul! The movie was just as great! It's very true to the book. Wild is about Cheryl Strayed who goes through a divorce, her mother passing away and ends up in a relationship with drugs, and ultimately decides to leave everything behind to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. She has no experience in this area but she decides to go along for the journey. Along the way she discovers herself and many aspects of her life. In the end, she turns around her life and starts from a new beginning.

Big Hero 6
It's a Disney movie, so of course I had to watch it, plus it's nominated for Best Animated Film. Loved the creativity of Sanfransokyo! I thought it was interesting that they played on many major emotions such as loss and grief. Hiro, a robotics genius, enters a contest to earn a scholarship at the top robotics institute in the city, for which his older brother, Tadashi, attends. His entry consisted of thousands of tiny robots that are controlled with the mind, which wows the crowd and ultimately grants him his scholarship. An accident at the venue results in Tadashi's death, leaving Hiro to deal with the loss of his brother. He is helped in this difficult time by his brother's final invention - a personal care robot called Baymax. Buckle up, because this is a real emotional roller-coaster!

How To Train Your Dragon 2
I loved the first movie and loved this one even better! In this sequel, we are introduced to Hiccup's mother, who he thought was dead. Together with his father, they try to overthrow Drago Bludvist, who has been capturing the dragons to create an army. Very entertaining, creative, funny and appealing to all audiences! I highly recommend watching this one.

Boxtrolls
I wasn't too keen on watching this one but decided to as there wasn't much option at the time. We learn of a boy who ends up living with the Boxtrolls due to unforeseen circumstances. He learns to live his life the way the Boxtrolls do. However, one day he is discovered living with the Boxtrolls by the humans. The humans and Boxtrolls aren't friends as the Boxtrolls are believed to eat human beings. The boy ends up showing the humans that Boxtrolls are indeed the most kind, loving and caring creatures to live.

What have been your favourite Oscar nominated movies to watch this season?

~RANDOMiss

Menu Planning

Menu planning can be such a bore and also a really big pain! Sometimes its like a chore but after I'm done, I'm so glad that I did! Many of you may have resolutions to eat better, save money on groceries or just plan your week in advance on what to eat so you're not stressing. Whatever your goal is, I hope I can share my tips and tricks on what I do for menu planning to make it quick, fun and easy!

Some of the benefits that I have found by menu planning are:

-I buy what I need - not more, not less. This helps me to save money by not overspending.

-By planning what meals I'm going to prepare for dinner, it saves me the stress of thinking, "What should I cook tonight?" Instead, I can go home and get started on dinner right away!

-I personally think meals made at home are healthier and they save you money in the long run!
-It helps with maintaining healthy eating habits
-Encourages you to try new recipes and improve on your cooking skills

Here's how I menu plan:
-Every Thursday my husband and I sit down and think of dishes we would like to eat for the upcoming week. We write down our ideas and include what day of the week we want to eat a specific dish. Of course if you menu plan, you can always switch up what you cook on what day since you already have all the ingredients on hand.
-To make it seem as if our entire evening is not spent menu planning, we do this on commercial breaks in between watching Scandal!
-We get our ideas from cook books, recipes online and bookmarks on my iPad. If I cook something we really like I take a picture of it. That way, when menu planning, I can look back at my phone and pick something to make.
-After we decide what recipes we're going to make, we make a grocery list based on this. I divide my grocery list by fruits and vegetables, meat, diary and packaged items. The categories are completely customized. Do what works for you!
-We go through each recipe and write down the ingredients we need.
-Next, we take a visit to the fridge and pantry and decide what items are expired and need replenishing. We decide on breakfast items, our green juice ingredients and snack items. That's pretty much what our grocery list consist of.
-If I have the opportunity to price match I will take a look at the grocery flyers and see what I can take advantage of. I won't lie in saying that most of the time I skip this step because of time. But I definitely encourage it!
-Another tip: if I run out of a specific item during the week, then I keep a running list on the fridge. That way when I am making my grocery list I can remember what that item is.

That's it! If this has been a really big stress point in your life, I hope these tips can offer a little relief!

Do you have any tips for menu planning?

~RANDOMiss

DIY Lollipop Bouquet

As a follow up to my previous post on the DIY candy bouquet, I thought I would share my DIY lollipop bouquet. Another great idea for a homemade gift on Valentine`s Day! Similar to the candy bouquet, this gift can be used for birthdays, anniversaries, thank you, get well soon, retirement, just thinking of you, bridal/baby shower etc. There is no limit! If the person loves lollipops specifically, this would be a great gift for them!

Materials you will need:

• Lots of lollipops! It helps to find out what kind of lollipops or brand the person likes. My favourite are Chupa Chups!
• A mug, vase or container for the bottom. I used a mug as it doubles as vase but the person can also use it as well. Pick something you know the person might like. If they like ice cream, maybe use an ice cream glass. If they like gardening, maybe a watering can?! Think outside the box!
• Styrofoam
• Cellophane
• Ribbon

Steps:

1. Cut your Styrofoam to fit inside your base. I found that using a sphere shaped Styrofoam helped as you want to create a dome shape with the lollipops. If you have another shape of Styrofoam simply shape it to a dome. 

2. Start inserting your lollipops into the Styrofoam along the bottom edges. Go all around until you've created the first layer. Be sure to place your lollipops close enough that the Styrofoam does not show.

3. Next, start placing the lollipops in another layer above the bottom layer you've created. Keep placing lollipops in layers until the Styrofoam is completely covered. If there are any gaps fill those in with any remaining lollipops. Remember, you don't want the Styrofoam to show.

4. Wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon. You can attach stickers, tags, bows, anything that you like to make it unique!

You're done! It's very simple and easy. You also don't need a whole lot of materials to recreate this DIY.

Try it out and let me know!

~RANDOMiss

DIY Candy Bouquet

With all things Valentine's, I thought I would share my DIY candy bouquet that can be the perfect gift for that special someone in your life! This is a gift that could not only be used for Valentine's Day, but for many other occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, congratulations, get well soon, just thinking of you, farewell and retirement to name a few. As long as the person loves candy, you can't go wrong! Plus, it can't hurt to gift something made by you!

The materials you will need:

• Lots of candy! Get at least four large boxes of candy to make the base. You're not just limited to candy. You could use anything the person likes (chocolate, tea, gummies, gum, etc.). Be creative!
• Wooden sticks. Try to get the kind that have a pointy side on one end. 
• Hot glue gun
• Styrofoam
• Wrapping/tissue paper
• Ribbon

Let's get started!

1. Assemble your four largest boxes of candy to form a rectangle. This will be your vase for the candy bouquet. Apply hot glue on the sides of the boxes to stick.

2. Get a smaller pack of candy to glue on the bottom of your vase. This will make sure that whatever you put inside will not fall out. I used a pack of gum and found that this was the perfect size for the bottom.

3. Cut your piece of Styrofoam to fit inside of the vase. I bought a sphere and cut mine into a quarter of the original size. This size fit perfectly inside of the vase. When you're happy with the size push the Styrofoam inside the vase all the way to the bottom.

4. Apply hot glue on the back of your candy and place a wooden stick on each candy with the pointy end of the stick on the bottom. These will form the candy 'flowers' for the bouquet. There is no perfect number on how many you should include. Play around and do as many or as little as you would like. Let the glue completely dry.

5. When the glue has dried completely, insert your wooden sticks with the candy into the Styrofoam. This is where having a pointy end of the stick makes things a whole lot easier! Play around with how you want the bouquet to look like. You can always rearrange if you are not happy with how it looks. It might take a few tries to make it look perfect!

6. Take a piece of wrapping paper or tissue paper and stuff this on top of the Styrofoam in between the sticks. This will hide the Styrofoam as well as keep the sticks secure. Put as much or as little as you would like.

7. You can attach a piece of ribbon or any other decorative piece such as tags, sticks, pictures etc. Make it look unique!

As you can see I also add Fun Dip. Instead of attaching this to a wooden stick I inserted it in between the sticks to hold. It was a little too large to be supported by the sticks. However, the person I made this for loves Fun Dip and I had to include it!

You're done! You can wrap it in clear cellophane if you would like or simply leave it as is! Super fun, super easy and very tasty! You can't go wrong with gifting a candy bouquet! Stay tuned on the blog as I got another exciting DIY candy gift coming up!

Have fun!

~RANDOMiss

January Favourites!

Where did the time go and how is it February already!? Hope everyone is staying warm and safe. At least where I am, we have a major winter storm. Can't go anywhere... so it's the perfect time to work on the blog today! Today I bring you... my January favourites!

Body
This month's favourite is The Body Shop's Body Butter in in Shea Butter. I got this as a gift from my co-worker (she's so nice!). I don't really try a lot of The Body Shop's products but loved this body butter! Its really good for the cold, dry winter months we have up here in Canada as it is very moisturizing. One application of this body butter and you are good to go! I would definitely purchase this as well as try other products and scents as well.

My other favourite is the Bath and Body Works hand soap in Black Cherry Merlot. I bought this awhile back in the Fall months. At the time, I never heard of the scent or tried it. So I decided to give it a try and it was well worth the impulse decision! It smells sooooo good! To me, it smells like the cherry Kool-Aid mix (or I could just be crazy!). It doesn't actually smell like wine but more of a sweet scent. Since I've tried this I'm totally going to try other products in this scent. It is such an underrated scent and it definitely does not get enough praise. My verdict, go buy it!

Makeup

If you follow my blog you'll know that I recently purchased the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Blushing Bride. I absolutely love this blush! I've been wearing it every day since! Its pigmented, which is good for me since I feel as if blush doesn't exactly show up on my skin tone very easily. It's also long lasting. While I haven't tested out the 12 hour claim on the product, I know it lasts a work day for me. I wonder why I hadn't tried this product sooner!? Yet again, another Tarte product does not cease to amaze me. I would be more than okay to purchase some other shades in their blush collection.

I also recently purchased Revlon's Colourburst Matte Balm in the shade Sultry. I purchased it on Essie Button's recommendation of one of the best makeup products for 2014. I love it! I'm a sucker and loyal fan of MAC Cosmetics lipstick. So I haven't really ventured into the world of tinted lip balm. I can safely say this was probably my first purchase. There are many shades and colours available to choose from. I went with a very neutral, skin toned colour. It's easy to use, glides on great and it smells like mint! You might have to re-apply throughout the day but for the cost (which was very minimal) you can't go wrong with this purchase! There is also a lot of product in one tube so it will probably last you a long time. My favourite way to wear this is with a light purple lip liner where I only fill in the corners of my lips. The rest if filled in with Sultry! 

Fashion

I have been loving my new 'anchor' portofino top that I got as a gift for Christmas! This top is from Express. Funny thing is, I was looking at this shirt for the longest time to buy from Express. It so happens that my family got it for me (I think they know me way to well!). I love the style of the portofino top. I will pretty much love any design of the portofino top that you throw at me. However, I love this particular design for it's deep blue colour and the white anchors. I love to be on water and absolutely love to sail (cruising is my all time favourite vacation to go on). The design reminds of all the fun times I've had cruising and all those hours at the lake fishing and spending time with family. I think it's a pretty good combo to wear during these cold months. It gives me something nice and warm to look forward to!

Book

Many of you know that I came back from a trip to Disney World a little over a week ago. It was amazing! What was also amazing, were the Harry Potter theme parks at Universal Studios! I've always been a HUGE Harry Potter fan since the book came out (I was about 10 years old then). I've been a dedicated reader since. I will do a post on the Harry Potter theme parks sometime soon. But it was simply amazing, incredible and just jaw dropping! Anyways the point is that I fell in love with Harry Potter on a whole new level! When I returned from my trip I just had to start re-reading the books again. I'm only on the first one so far, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. However, re-reading this series is kind of eye opening in the sense that there are so many little details that I missed while reading it the first two times!

TV Show

By far it's Downton Abbey! I was a bit hesitant deciding to watch this TV drama as I didn't think I would get into the whole early 1900s era. I was totally wrong! It's sooo good, even my husband likes it! You can check out what other TV shows I've been watching on this post. Currently I'm on Season 3, so I still have a lot of catching up to do. It's also very addicting! I have to tell myself to stick to watching only one episode at a time but it's very hard. The characters, plot, lifestyle, and drama is well written and carried out well on screen. It makes me want to go back to this time period and experience it all!

Place

How could I forget my time spent at Disney World! It was a really good trip, with lots of walking. I went with my husband and we saw and did everything we wanted! I will do a detailed post of Disney World and different aspects of the park. However, if I had to choose the one thing that I absolutely loved the most, it would have to be the Dole Whip Float! It's basically pineapple juice with your choice of vanilla, pineapple or orange soft serve on top. It's the most simple/basic thing but it's about the best thing man has ever created! In the picture below I got pineapple and orange soft serve. It was so good I've been day dreaming and actually dreaming of this ever since I got back! If anyone is from Ontario and knows where I can find a similar product, let me know!

And that's it! What have been your favourites for January?

~RANDOMiss

TV Shows I've Been Watching

It's been awhile everyone! I actually went away on vacation to Disney World (hence lack of presence on the blog and Instagram)! I do plan on doing a pretty detailed post of our travels and adventures at Disney World soon. But in the meantime I thought I would share with you this post on TV shows I've been watching!

I've been watching some new TV shows as well as finishing some seasons on others. I thought I would share what those are and write a mini review on what I think so far.
 

Suits
I've been watching this for a few months but I can finally say that I am all caught up! I really like Suits because of all its cutthroat action. It's also very interesting to learn about the inner workings of the corporate law world. Essentially, if you haven't watch this show yet, it's about a character named Mike who claims he is a law school graduate from Harvard, when he never went to law school. He ends up working for one of the biggest law firms in New York City. However, his lie catches up to him and presents him with many obstacles along the way. I also enjoy all of the swanky wardrobe pieces that the female actors wear. My favourite characters are Louis, Mike, Harvey and Donna.

How To Get Away With Murder
I'm a definite lover of the show Scandal by Shonda Rhimes. After all the hype of How To Get Away With Murder, I had to watch it! Plus its made by the same producer, so I knew it would be good and boy it did not disappoint! There is only half of season one that has shown so far but it has definitely been good! It's full of twists, unexpected turns and moments where you're saying 'what just happened....". I'm looking forward to it starting again at the end of January.

Downton Abbey
Since I watched all of the TV shows on my list, I had to find something new to watch. I've heard great things about Downtown Abbey and thought I would give it a shot. I don't normally watch shows dating back to the 1900s but I do like this era. I've only watched until the end of season two and there are a total of five seasons. It's really good! I didn't think there was so much drama during this time period! I like the overall feel of the show, the era, the characters, the clothing, the way of life they lived. It's so interesting and I've learned a lot! My favourite character is the Countess.

What are your favourite TV shows? What would you recommend?

~RANDOMiss

How To Get Away With Budgeting!

That's right - how to get away with budgeting! (Clearly I've been watching way too much How To get Away With Murder). Budgeting is always a topic that can be hard to talk about, especially at the beginning of the year after the holidays. If your goal this year is to either save up to go on vacation, plan for emergencies down the road, stay on top of your finances, or just have a little bit of money for treating yourself, then this is the post for you. By all means, I am not an expert on this topic. However, I hope that what I have learned myself can assist you in achieving your financial goals as well!

1.Track Your Spending
You've probably heard it so many times, but it's true! It is so important to keep track of your spending to see where your money is going. Without these trends, you don't really have an indication of what you're really spending or saving. Tracking itself sounds like a difficult task for sure, but there are so many apps out there that will help make the process a lot easier. I personally like to use You Need A Budget  (YNAB). It does have a slight cost, but it's a one time fee for life! You can also start a free trial as well before purchasing, just to feel it out. Another tool that you can use is a spreadsheet, which is what I did before using YNAB. When budgeting be sure to include categories according to your situation (ie. phone bill, water bill, food, gas, entertainment etc...Include items that are expenses but also categories that require you to save. This could include vacation, rainy day, car maintenance etc..). However you decide to track your spending and whatever tools you choose to use, just get it done! Even if it means spending 5 minutes everyday to update your spreadsheet, it's a good habit to build - it will cause less stress, keep you on track and probably make you sleep better. Some apps allow you to scan receipts or to enter in the information through your phone. Get creative!

2. Estimate All Of Your Expenses Ahead of Time
I know you've probably heard this from other people, but estimate all of your expenses well ahead of time. It's the beginning of the year and you can take some time to think about what your weekly, monthly and yearly expenses are. Write down everything from bills, insurance, RSP's, car payments, mortgage, rent, etc. and incorporate this into your budget categories as mentioned above. Once you get into the habit of tracking your spending and expenses, you will be able to estimate your expenses well ahead of time and plan for them accordingly. Don't be too tough on yourself. If you forget to estimate it, just roll with the punches! Sometimes, we can't predict the unexpected.

For example, if your car insurance comes out once a year, you know that you will have time beforehand to save up. Take the total amount of your car insurance ($1200) and divide it by the number of months you have to save (8 months). This amount tells you how much you should be saving each month towards that expense ($150). You can create a specific category in your budget specifically for car insurance and add $150 to that category every month. Or if your mortgage comes out bi-weekly, you know that with every paycheck you must allocate that amount to your mortgage.

3. Estimate What Unexpected Expenses Might Occur For The Year
Make a list of expenses that occur out of nowhere! Car and home maintenance, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, vacation, an unexpected road trip, clothing splurge and home decor are just a few examples that happen to me. The easiest way for me to save up for these specific expenses is by having a bank account for each major unexpected expense. I then transfer money into each of these accounts every paycheck. Even if it's $5 or $50, every dollar you allocate to those accounts will help you in the long run. For example, start saving for Christmas from now! I did this last year and for once, Christmas didn't break the bank! It might be easier to set this up as an automatic transfer into different bank accounts if this helps. Some examples of what I do include the following.

I'm always busy with social obligations like birthdays, anniversaries, wedding etc....so I have an Occasions account that I always put money into. When that time comes, I have the money to spend rather than saying "Oh here goes another $200..."

I don't know about you, but I get these shopping urges where I want to buy something new for my wardrobe. It could be shoes, a dress, a jacket-- whatever it is, I can afford it by putting money away into a clothing category. Especially if you are in a profession that demands you dress professionally, clothing can be expensive. This is one way to off set this.

I also like to buy new things for the house - who doesn't! It can become an expensive hobby and your spending can get out of hand very fast. Instead, I put money away every pay check and save up for an item I really want. Once I have enough saved, I don't feel guilty about spending!

4. Needs Versus Want
How much you spend really does come down to needs versus wants. Things like food, gas, rent, a mortgage and your bills are things you MUST accommodate for in your budget. If there's a new lipstick you want, but the budget can't accommodate, push it until you get paid next or the next month's budget. Don't give into impulse buying. Think about it for a few days. If it's still on your mind, then buy it. Just be sure to make room for it in your budget. Don't spend any money that you don't have.

5. Put Money Into Random Categories Like a Miscellaneous Category
Always put some money away for random things, like that lotto ticket, a gooey slice of pizza, or your favourite chocolate bar. If you have $5 or $20 put away for miscellaneous items, you won't have to try to scrounge up money or pull from another important category.

6. Save!
Save, save, save! Save whatever amount you can every paycheck, every month. Even if's $100 or $500 every month, it's something. You never know when a rainy day can start showering.

7. Use Credit Cards Like Cash
Easier said than done but don't put something on your credit card that you don't have the money for. Don't risk being charged those extremely high interest rates. It's not worth it. In fact I got into the habit very early on but paying off my credit card as soon as I make a purchase so my balance is always zero. Once you get into the habit you will start to really think about what you put on your credit card and you'll get so used to seeing a zero balance, that any other number won't sit well with you.

8. Get a Credit Card Where You Can Collect Points and Redeem
There are some really good credit card reward programs. I have a credit card that collects travel points. Due to this, I put all of my expenses through my credit card to collect as much points as possible. Since I've had this credit card, I've redeemed close to $2000 in travel in about two years. That's pretty awesome if you ask me! If travel isn't your thing there are a lot of other reward programs in movies, gas, groceries. Get something that you know you will benefit from.

9. Fun Money!
This is something my co-worker mentioned to me last year. Basically, you save $2 a day every day of the year and put it into a bank account. At the end of the year you have all this money to spend on yourself! My husband and I did this last year and loved it! We're definitely going to keep going with it this year! Instead of buying a chocolate bar at the vending machine or an afternoon coffee, save $2 and add it to your fun money account! Saving $2 a day is not a hard thing to commit to, in the grand scheme of things.

10. Give It Some Time
When trying out new financial habits, give it some time. You may not see the benefit in a month or 5 months. It may take a year to fully develop your habit and learn what works and what doesn't work for you. After a year of seriously committing to tracking all of my spending, I think have a better handle on my expenses. Nothing has changed over the year. I still bring home the same amount and I still have the same expenses, but I feel as if I have more money in the bank.

I hope this was helpful! If you would like me to expand on a particular point or do another post on other aspects of budgeting, please let me know below.

Do you have any budgeting tips?

~RANDOMiss