Christmas month... Couldn't be happier!

December has arrived and I couldn't be happier. 

It's the perfect time to be jolly, to grab hot wine, hot chocolate with Baileys, Christmas songs and movies, the Christmas shopping and the obvious Christmas market...

Edinburgh Christmas Market 2018

Since it's December and we all have to wait for Christmas Day to arrive, I went through the list of my favourite Christmas films. One for each day... I started with my all times favourite which I'm sure is a classic....

Day 1- Love Actually! 
A classic that will always take everyone into a loving, joyful mood, and how can we forget the famous dance of Hugh Grant. 

Day 2- The Nightmare Before Christmas!
Famous Tim Burton's got it right with this film. Perfect for a family film... After Halloween... It's just perfect!

Day 3- Elf!
This one is most likely to be a favourite with the humour and Will Ferrell's acting is brilliant, everyone falls for the cuteness.

Day 4- How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
If you want to fall in love with a cute movie with an adorable child who saves Christmas then this movie is for you!

Day 5- The Santa Claus!
Growing up with this film made me fall in love with Christmas and the hot chocolate! 

Day 6- The Santa Claus 2!
If you watch the first might as well continue!

Day 7- The Santa Claus 3!
After two movies, let's finish the trilogy!

Day 8- Home Alone!
Full of laughs and cute moments, it's one of the classics...

Day 9- Miracle on 34th Street!
One more classic, many versions, and all of them are just amazingly cute! A family film for sure!

Day 10- Scrooged!
The story is beautiful, the lessons are powerful!

Day 11- Angela's Christmas!
A 2018 Irish Christmas film which is beyond adorable! How can I not put an Irish film on the list? It's adorable and everyone is falling hard for it. How can you not?

Day 12- The Polar Express!
I remember watching it with my brothers when I was younger and each year we had to watch the film and read the book!

Day 13- A Charlie Brown Christmas!
An American classic, one I will surely watch for the first time... I needed to add it to the list because I found it pointless not to put it. 

Day 14- White Christmas!
Classics are always best especially during this season! 

Day 15- Home Alone 2!
Another great movie, one you cannot skip!

Day 16- The Grinch!
A 2018 movie, Dr.Seuss always had wonderful books, and the film will be just as delightful to watch. 

Day 17- A Christmas Carol!
Same as Scrooged, but more a family style film. 

Day 18- Bad Santa!
If you are looking for more adult fun, go for it!

Day 19- It's a Wonderful Life!
One classic at a time, this one deserves more credit!

Day 20- Frozen!
I mean it's not specifically Christmas but it has snow and long lasting songs. We all know how 'Let It Go' get stuck in your head for days.

Day 21- Rudolph, the Red-Nose Reindeer!
Used to watch it when I was a kid, cute cartoon that made me think about my red nose when I was sick. 

Day 22- One Magic Christmas!
It's been a while since this movie, but a Disney film nonetheless!

Day 23- Gremlins!
If you want a spooky Christmas film, this one will be perfect! 

Day 24- 
Anything you want... I know I'll probably end up watching 'Love Actually', 'Angela's Christmas', ' Angela's Ashes' or 'The Snapper', an Irish classic which if it comes on the tele, you will end up watching it again no matter.

This year, Netflix is taking down Love Actually so if you are a fan, watch it sooner than later!  But it does reserve us amazing new films, and I cannot wait to get through the list of films and songs myself... After all, even if you are an adult, you will watch cartoons and family films because Christmas has the power to let everyone become a child all over again!

~Bella

Come on, let's get ready to ...

To watch some movies...

I'm quite the little film fan, and my taste is quite odd, uncommon... I mean my favourite movies are Amelie and The Beautiful Fantastic so you may already know how odd I can be!

Since 2018 has started, I went back in my little routine of watching films, Disneys, and even new shows.

I wanted to share the films that have marked me, the ones who touched me a little deeper than the other ones. Do not expect to see any recent except maybe a few from last year, but nothing from this year!

To start off the little list, I want to share the one which I personally adore...


Ondine!
You may have heard about the movie if you have read http://onemorecupidtothelist.blogspot.com/2018/02/lisa-hannigan.html
An Irish romantic drama based on a stranger rescued in a fishnet by an ex-alcoholic father/fisherman.
I won't get into details about this movie, but being Celt myself and part Irish, I felt like home, I felt like it was talking to me in many ways. This film mixed legends, reality and amazing thoughtful life lessons. Expect to cry, to be confused and touched! This isn't just your ordinary romantic film, it shows how someone can impact your life deeper than you may expect, shows how love can be powerful, and how your past can resurface at any time. Top of my five favourite! If you are into romantic drama (not too romantic as it is quite mythical), this is the right movie for you. Do not stop watching it even if you are not into it at first!


To the next stop...


Coco!
A cute Disney/Pixar movie based on the day of the dead in Mexico. A little boy who cannot play music because of some family issues. He wants to become a musician despite his family's wishes and ends up going in the world of the dead where many adventures and truths come to life.

This adorable family movie might be for children, but I couldn't miss the opportunity of seeing it. I'm a sucker for Disney! Whoever, my concern was the Mexican tradition that I was not into, not going to appreciate as it is not my own tradition, and despite my absurd concerns, the tradition they filmed was beyond any of my expectations. It was well up, well described and I couldn't hold tears even after watching it four times. A river came down my cheeks! If you haven't watched it, concerned because it's a children's movie, get over it, and watch it under warm blankets, tea, and chocolate! You will not regret any of it!


Let's continue with...

Shetland!

Not a film, but a TV series. Not your typical one as this one is based at the Shetland Isles. Also based on the famous books written by Ann Cleeves also the writer of the Vera Stanhope series which I started reading and watching as well. Clever, mysterious, and well the accent is beyond fun to hear! I love it, feels like "home" in a way even though I pick up the accent myself right after, not so funny anymore.  Murders, family secrets, great investigations, and twists, I mean, it's for everyone! You like some family drama, a twist of unexpected murder mysteries, and an amazing plot, you can't go wrong with this show. You will have to adjust to the accent though; like I said, there's quite an accent, not the typical one!


To the fourth stop... We've got...

When We First Met!
This romantic comedy had me and my housemate laugh our asses off. The actors are hilarious and the plot, despite being very cheesy in many ways has everyone hooked up. Summary wise, it's about a magical photo booth that sends Noah (funny romantic cheeseball of guy who has a massive crush on a girl he met at a party, back into time when he wished to. He has the opportunity to change whatever mistakes, whatever he wants. Will he persuade the girl of his dream to love him back? I'll let you discover what is in store for him. This movie is on Netflix if you really want to enjoy this comedy, I know I enjoyed every bit of it with my housemate. A nice movie to watch with another friend, cozy on the couch.

And to the next one...


Babylon Berlin!
Another TV show, also on Netflix, new one actually... I only started not too long ago, not interested in the subject at all, but I gave in... An inspector from Cologne transfers to Berlin to investigate a ring of pornography during 1929. But that also means the war is right there as well, and the Soviets are around... Not a disappointing show at all, and I would recommend it!

For the final one...

Leap Year!

Not a recent movie and I have talked about it before in a previous post. A young American is traveling to Ireland to see her charming boyfriend and surprise him on leap year, February 29th, to propose to him... Sounds like another cheesy movie, but since I've been homesick, the movie reminds me of everything I miss! You must see it if you want to have a night in, comfortable in bed after a warm bubble bath. Each time I watch it, I cry, I laugh, I get all emotional at the same time as before.  


Films have a way to escape you from reality, from issues by transporting you to a new adventure, to someone else's life. This new year will be full of new movies, and I'm excited to see the new comings. Despite the obvious fact that I do love my books, films are also another little guilty pleasure of mine... 
So instead of going out every night, just have a nice bath or shower, get cozy with a cup of hot cocoa, tea, blanket on you in bed, and voila, a nice evening in with a good movie...

"If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person?" -Fight Club.

~Bella

New schedule

I know I changed my schedule around, but since two jobs and having a social life is quite difficult to balance, writing blog posts are becoming harder.

You can comprehend how difficult it is to be a responsible adult who balances social life, work life, and some alone time until you live it yourself. I never understood until I started doing it myself.

Since I'm struggling to write, to keep up with my writing, and my ideas for a second novel, I decided that only one day a week would be best, each Wednesday. It sounds pathetic, and I apologize in advance, but like I said, balancing life itself is tough so don't blame me for wanting to write less on the blog. I'll post each week, try to make better content and hopefully, I'll be able to get back to my normal schedule, two days a week.

So I'll see you all next Wednesday for a new post!

~Bella

Phobias To Say The Least...

Phobias... 

The meaning of phobias, according to the dictionary is a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.

After studying psychology, reading the books that talked about the subject, I realized that I developed a lot more phobias than I thought I had. Most phobias originate from extreme past traumatic experiences. Highly sensitive people are more prone to get phobias...

Here are the ones I have and maybe that you have as well.

*Agliophobia*

Fear of pain, Unwarranted, persistent irrational fear of pain.  

*Thantophobia*

Fear of death or dying. In my case, it's more losing someone because of death. 

*Kainotophobia*

The morbid fear of anything new and changes. Not knowing how to deal with anything uncommon. 

*Eremophobia*

Fear of being alone or of loneliness. 

*Altophobia*

Fear of heights.

*Pistanthrophobia* 

The fear of trusting people due to bad experiences with prior lovers. 

*Bathophobia* 

Fear of depths, associated with the sea or water bodies of various type. Bathophobics are also known to fear mountain valleys, cave or even tunnels. My phobia mostly consists of bodies of water like the sea and caves. 

*Atychiphobia*

The abnormal, unwarranted, and persistent fear of failure.

*Atelophobia* 

Fear of not being good enough. An anxiety disorder where the afflicted person feels like all they do is wrong. 

*Hemophobia*

Irrational fear of blood. Which may cause physical reactions that are uncommon in other fears, fainting.

*Autophobia*

Fear of abandonment and issues related to it. It may be extreme in some cases. Some will live in constant fear that their 'world will collapse' if their protectors or loved ones abandon them. In my case, it isn't extreme, but it is a phobia that I developed at a young age. 

The last one isn't considered a phobia, but more a fear...

*FOMO*

Fear of missing out. 

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, that build up quickly caused mostly by traumatic experiences, panic attacks may be frequent. Children who have a close relative that developed anxiety will most likely develop some type of phobia. A traumatic event like drowning experience may cause the person to fear water, deep water. 

There are many phobias, over 100, and every single one of them may impact your life. The common ones are:
Social Phobias which is also referred to as "social anxiety disorder." This is extreme worry about social situations that can lead to self-isolation. ( I went through it and to get out of it, it's impossible by yourself, you need others to be better).
Specific Phobias which mean that people dislike certain situations or objects, but to be a true phobia, the fear must interfere with your daily life. 
Agoraphobia which is a fear of places or situations that you can't escape from. Some fear of being in large crowds or trapped outside the home.
Substance abuse and depression may also be the cause of many phobias. I had a close friend who became an addict of a certain drug, and he developed a few phobias because he was using. He would always look behind him in fear someone would come up from behind to kill him. He has help now, but at the time, it was impossible to talk to him without him freaking out about the government listening to our conversations. Imagine how difficult it must be to live with these phobias, to be fair he didn't have much of a life, he was always afraid, always on his guard, always seeing the worse in people. 


If you have a phobia that keeps you from living, from going outside, I suggest you talk to someone close to you or get help with a stranger. I don't recommend you stay in these fears. 

"Having a phobia has changed me." - Willard Scott

~Bella

Short indeed...

Last time I had long hair, a couple of weeks ago. My dear mum decided to play around with my hair, trying to do something different, she succeeded, but sadly, it failed on letting my long hair be. I wanted to keep my beautiful, wavy hair at the same length. It's all short NOW!

I don't remember the time when my hair was that short, I must have been in my toddler years. 

Come on now, long hair has been my little thing, not short hair! Never have been and never will! 

Long, wavy hair has been a part of me since I could remember. 

So let's get into the juicy details. After feeling like I should cut my hair, I asked my mum like always, and let her cut them. I could feel something different, I could feel the air on my back, that wasn't normal! Not at all! I began to tear up, to the point where I was feeling guilty for asking a haircut. Breaking down completely, thinking of the worse possible outcome. In other words, I was in shock. You have to know what it feels to understand how difficult and shocking it was for me. A disaster, the world ending... To make it quicker I broke down crying, making my mum feel bad, guilty for playing around and make it short. She was feeling so horribly for it, I couldn't keep on being mad, but I was frustrated to the point of not talking to her or even let her kiss my head. I wanted her to feel terrible, but she is still my mum and I can't stay mad at her forever. 

I've been living with the short hair for a while now, and to be fair I'm getting used to it, slowly but surely! Baby steps into the short hair world! I do miss my braid, long ponytail, or even messy bump I would have on most the time, I can't lie about that! Although, I miss all these little things, having short hair is amazingly nice! Less time on washing it, dry fast, easy to brush (I don't bother brushing it), and no need of a ponytail just have clips and you are good to go! 

They needed to be cut to grow faster, stronger, healthier! It's always good to cut them short once in a while. So I've heard! Now it's your choice if you want to believe it or not, suit yourself to your own opinion! It's my first time, but I'll make sure to keep you posted about my terrible short hair experience. I'm exaggerating! It's not that terrible. Many people have liked it, and complimented me on it. Compliments are appreciated and build me some confidence about the hair style. Then I think about how Rapunzel had the longest hair, difficult to keep it healthy, and when she cut them, she looked cute! No need to worry after all!


It's a "new me", a new beginning, a new chapter of my life. I actually feel a little more mature with shorter hair making my face look normal size as I do have a small face. Can't hide it much anymore! 
I feel like you can see my back shoulder tattoo a bit more, and I'm proud of it! 
The only little issue is the bed hair in the morning. It exists, and it's the first time I'm experiencing it! Not a joy! Simple to fix, though, throw a bit of water and pat.




"When you have short hair, there's just a feeling of here I am. What you see what you get. And there's a confidence that comes with wearing short hair and I like the way that makes me feel." -Halle Berry


~Bella

PS: I will post something tomorrow so don't forget to come read! 

Thank you technology!

Who's for it and who's against it?

It's a mix feeling when it comes to my opinion! 

I wasn't born with DVD players, MP3, or iPads. Later on it did cross my path, but I was born in the 90's and kids had different games, life at the time. The world has changed and seriously, the technology has evolved so much that in the past 10 years we have seen much more than expected. Kids nowadays know how to use a phone, a tablet, they spend hours on it instead of playing with their friends, outside. It's a change, for sure. 
It's has pros and cons... Like about everything else. 

I'm not much of a technology type of person, but I do love my laptop and iPhone! I cannot live without them now, but at the same time, if I didn't have them, I wouldn't be writing a blog for the world to see. 
Technology might, indeed, take a lot of our time between texting each other from across the room or car (that happened when I was younger), and take up our social life more. Look at restaurants, people are either on their phones playing or texting someone else. No more communication between the people in front of us. That's part of the "new generation", or whatever you may call it. 

The internet is addictive, you may spend hours watching YouTube without realizing what's going on outside your windows, it's rather scary. I do it myself, especially after dinner. I go to my bedroom and watch movies, series, or YouTube and I don't see the time fly by. You don't realize what time it is until your eyes start itching. We all do it, and there's nothing to lie about. It happened to everyone, even kids. 
It's also a great way to bully people now! Cyber bullying now exist, and it's awful. It really needs to stop, but some people just have to be cruel to others. The internet is public, people see what you post on someone's social media... It could lead to suicide! Technology didn't bring bullies, but it's easier to target innocents online. You could hide your identity a lot more, and pretend to be their friends and stab them in the back later on. There's movies with internet corruption, and how scary internet can be. You have to be careful who you talk to! Please! 

Now we can't just say the internet or technology is awful. Yes, there are a lot that might contradict the good, but we can't deny how much good it brought. Now we can travel and stay in touch with family members from a distance, you can call and message each other without difficulties. Alright, this happened a few times already, but I've been trying to get every text message across to someone, and that person has a difficult time receiving them. Some issues have to be fixed, soon, or else I'm going to be on someone's bad side! 
My family members have left me in the States, while they went back to Europe... Without internet, my iPhone, or Skype, I don't know how I would survive without news. I need news almost all the time... That's a lie, I could go a week without news, but that's like mission impossible with my dear mother who text or call me EVERY DAY. Good thing there is 9 hours differences because I would have her on my back 24/7 if we were at the same time. On a side note... I have a missing book! Maybe there is something else to add to the list of missing objects. If you are new, my younger brother has left for Europe and since then I've been missing quite a lot, especially my toothbrush! I'm still investigating!
We wouldn't meet new people and stay in touch with some if it wasn't for technology. I must say thank you to the internet for letting me meet amazing people. Being careful is still on my top priority because you never know what might show up, but so far it's been all good. I can't complain much about the internet. 
It is letting  me have a blog and a schedule... Let me type my novel and maybe a second on its way... 

Technology has a lot of defaults, and you have to careful on how you use it! On the bright side, there is plenty qualities to talk about when it comes to the internet or just technology! It has saved a lot of lives, relationships, and time (instead of getting lost on your way to a restaurant, you can check it up online, save some time).

"Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master." -Christian Lous Lange

~Bella

What does it feel to start fresh...?

As a friend once said, technically reading a quote,

 " Don't be afraid to start over. It's a new chance to rebuild what you want." 

I'm giving myself another chance to prove myself, I can write! Or better try to write... This new blog is up and running for multiple reasons, first being a simple one; I'm a writer, that is obvious or else I wouldn't be on here. Second being a hopeless romantic cheese ball, always in search of love itself. The third being overly sensitive and emotional, I care too much then get hurt really bad... Fourth, having the urge to share my life stories and memories with everyone because I highly think its worth sharing. I'll stop at four reasons being the main ones. 

I named this blog "One More Cupid To The List" after I realized that I was good at one little thing, giving love, and my friend who I thank for this, gave me "Love" as my new second name... Even though I already have two middle names... This blog will mainly be about my life stories, memories, and advises, but also movie, tv show, and even book reviews. Talk about music and lyrics, I'm a huge fan! Ideas of trying new products or sharing life experience about baking may also be shared with you.

I needed a fresh start, and I'm getting the chance to have one, so I'm taking it. Don't mind the little expressions I may throw out there like Santa Cleopatra, which is just like Oh my gosh or Mamma Mia... Thanks to the movie Johnny Stecchino (Italian movie or what I call my new addiction).  I may use some Italian or French words now and there just because I can so I'm sorry in advance. 

My plan is to write every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If I cannot write on one of those days be sure to read a note of apology explaining the cause of my absence. I'm not doing this to annoy people, just for fun and to share some stories. 

Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I will enjoy writing it... ~ Bella