Update - My 2015 TV Resolutions!

Hello all, hope you're having a lovely weekend and enjoying the bank holiday.

At that start of the year, I made a video which I called "My 2015 TV Resolutions" - basically, it was a list of TV shows I planned to start and/or continue watching, and rewatch! So I decided today that I'd turn this into a blog post, where I can update myself on my progress!

TV Shows To Start Watching in 2015

Mad Men

House (Completed Seasons 1-3/8 in February, 4-6/8 in June, currently watching 7/8)

Pretty Little Liars (Completed Seasons 1-5/5 in March, currently watching 6/6)

Arrow

The Leftovers

Sons of Anarchy

The Mindy Project

Breaking Bad

Grimm

Parks and Recreation (July - currently watching Season 3/7)

TV Shows To Continue Watching in 2015

Once Upon A Time (Completed Season 4/4 in May)

The Vampire Diaries (Finished Season 5 in January)

Orphan Black (Completed Season 2/3 in April)

The 100

The Office (Completed Seasons 7-9/9 in April)

The Originals (Started Season 2 in July)

How I Met Your Mother

Awkward (Completed Season 2/5 in April, currently watching Season 3/5)

TV Shows To Rewatch in 2015

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Green Wing

Gilmore Girls (Completed Season 1/7 in January)

Shows Which Weren't On The List in January, but I've Watched!

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Completed Season 1/1 in March)

Grace and Frankie (Completed Season 1/1 in May)

Outlander (Currently watching Season 1/1)


So, I'm going to come back to this page every now and again and update it, and hopefully by the end of the year there will be something in brackets at the side of every show!

What TV Shows have you been binging on so far in 2015? I'd love your recommendations!

Thanks for reading!

5 Reasons To Watch The Office

Hello all :)

Today I decided to write a "5 Reasons to Watch" post for a show I took far too long to get in to. This time last year, I had only recently started watching the US version of The Office, despite being told by so many friends that I just had to give it a shot. When I did, I realised what a mistake it had been to put off watching it for as long as I had! I finally watched the finale a couple of weeks ago and cried my eyes out, both because it was utterly perfect, and because I was so sad it was over!!

So here are 5 reasons to watch The Office - if you've never seen the show before, I hope this inspires you to watch it, and if you're already a fan, I hope you enjoy reliving some of the best (spoiler free, obviously!) aspects of this nine season comedic masterpiece!

The Acting

First and foremost, the acting in this show is incredible. Honestly, the entire cast just make the show a joy to watch, and as the seasons go on it just gets better and better. For me, Steve Carell as Michael Scott is one of the most perfect casting choices ever made - in the original British version of the show, David Brent was not a particularly likeable character, while you can't help but love Michael. Carell strikes the perfect balance, and while Michael still says plenty of stupid things, he has a vulnerability that just leaves you absolutely rooting for him. But it's not just about Michael - the acting from everyone is amazing, and they created some of my favourite characters of all time.

The Writing

The writing on the show is also incredible. Not only is it really sharp and funny, but because we have nine seasons to spend with these characters, we get to know them so well. They are all so well developed that there are genuine moments towards the end of the later seasons (keeping it spoiler free, I promise!) when you find yourself saying "But X situation would never happen because I know that character so well". The relationships they build up feel so genuine, and while not an episode goes by without a lot of laughs, there are plenty absolutely heart-breaking moments thrown in there too. We experience so much with these people, and that's all thanks to the clever writing.

The Short Episodes

It sounds like a daft reason, but since the majority of the episodes are only 20 minutes long, it's so easy to watch. If you have 20 minutes to spare, it's the perfect thing to stick on. It does, however, lend itself extremely well to binge watching for the same reason. You may find yourself having watched six and going, "but one more is just another twenty minutes..."!

The Romance

The search for love is a big deal in this show, for a lot of the characters, and they write their romances so cleverly. Some of my favourite TV pairings exist in this little world, and some of my favourite moments in the show are tied to characters trying to meet the right person. SO CUTE.

Threat Level Midnight

Again, I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but Threat Level Midnight is one of my favourite episodes of television ever. And I have a lot of favourites episodes. It doesn't arrive until season 7, but seriously, it's worth the wait. I've lost track of the number of times I've watched it now, and I genuinely laugh till I cry every single time. It's just one of those perfectly put together, absolutely hilarious moments in television that I'll never get tired of.

So if you haven't watched The Office yet, please give it a shot - you will not regret it! My parents have just started watching it from the beginning for the first time, and I'm so jealous of all the brilliant storylines they have to look forward to!

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Thanks for reading!

Eating Out: Dinner at Chiquito*

One of my favourite things to do is eat out - I was discussing this with some blogging pals just last night. These days, while I still love the odd night out on the town dancing, I'm far more likely to look forward to a nice meal with my friends, with good food, good company and usually a cocktail or two!

So last week, I treated my bestie Emma to just that. We headed over to Chiquito at The Fort* (Glasgow) for dinner on Friday, and it was amazing.

I've only been to Chiquito once or twice before, and never to this branch, but I am a big fan of Mexican food! This made making a decision on what to eat somewhat difficult - there were so many dishes on the menu that tempted me... In the style of Blind Date, I'll give you a run down of a couple of the contenders...

BBQ Chicken Fajitas: "Served over a bed of spiced fajita onions and mixed peppers, with warm, soft flour tortillas, grated cheese, homemade salsa, sour cream and guacamole."

Philly Steak Hot Baked Wrap: "Strips of juicy steak, Texan style cheese sauce, fajita vegetables and cheese, baked in a soft flour tortilla served with skin-on-fries, our homemade slaw and a fresh house salad."

The Whole Hog Burger: "The classic topped with tasty BBQ pulled pork covered in melted cheese. Served in a soft brioche bun with baby gem lettuce, red onion, beef tomato, mayo and topped with pickle. Served with homemade slaw and your choice of skin-on-fries, fresh house salad or Mexican spiced rice."

When it finally came time to make a choice, I decided to go for contender number three - try as I may, I just cannot resist a burger. Especially when pulled pork is involved.

On this occasion, I was driving, so alcohol was off the table, but Chiquito does have a very enticing drinks menu full of interesting cocktails, which I'll definitely be tempted to try next time! Instead, I relaxed with a cup of tea after my meal, and it was lovely. You can't beat a good cup of tea.

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Chiquito's at The Fort. We just headed over for dinner, but the location right beside the cinema and the main shopping centre makes it the perfect place to stop for something to eat if you're spending the day browsing the shops. The atmosphere was chilled out, the staff were friendly, and the food was good - and reasonably priced! What more could you ask for?!

Have you eaten out anywhere new lately? Let me know in the comments below! :)

Thanks for reading!

Lynsey x

*Disclaimer: I was very kindly sent a voucher for Chiquito at The Fort, which I put towards the meal on Friday. All thoughts and opinions in this post, however, are completely my own.

YouTube Giveaway! Smart Pop Books

Hello lovelies!

I just wanted to give you a wee head's up about the giveaway I'm hosting over on my YouTube channel at the moment! I uploaded the video yesterday, but wanted to make sure I shared it with the readers of my blog too.

As a film and television addict, I discovered the Smart Pop books back when I was at uni. These are books of fun, chatty essays on a wide range of films, TV shows, comics and books, and I absolutely love them! I bought the books on Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls years ago, and since then have added books on Lost, 24, The Vampire Diaries and Harry Potter to my collection. Covering everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Hunger Games, to Star Wars and The Simpsons, and everything in between, these books are amazing.

So I got in touch with the folks at Smart Pop to tell them how much I loved their books, and I now have the opportunity to give some away!! I'm giving away a grand prize pack, including six of my favourite titles, and two extra prizes where the winners will receive a Smart Pop title of their choice! I'm so excited about this, and I'm so grateful to Smart Pop for giving me the opportunity to do this!

This is a YouTube giveaway, so head on over to the video linked below for details on entering, and good luck!! To see the full range of Smart Pop books, check out their website here!

Thanks for reading!!