Javan's Winter Survival Kit

Javan’s Winter Survival Kit

Winter is almost here! The coldest season, that ironically brings out the warmth and yuletide cheer in a lot of people. I'm a Canadian student who has grown tired of the snow, slush and ice. If I could, I would sleep from January 2^nd until the snows thaws! Luckily there are ways to make winter more bearable! Here’s a list of the things that get me through the frigid season…

1.       Warm winter accessories: Protect yourself against father winter’s frosty kiss!

Gloves/Mittens: I prefer the mittens where the tops come off because they keep your fingers warm and you don’t have to remove them to text!

Pocket Heaters: These self-heated packs can be put into pockets or boots to keep your digits warm! Heatmax offers different sizes of warmers for your boots and hands. Depending on the package chosen, they can stay warm for 6-18 hours!

Lip balm: Cracked lips are NOT cute, and sometimes bleed if they get to dry.

2.       Holiday themed entertainment

Music: In Toronto radio stations like Boom 97.3FM, EZ Rock 105.7FM and Chum 104.5FM play Christmas from the end of November until Boxing Day.

Movies: Pull out your old favourites or catch a special on TV! My favourite Christmas film is A Christmas Story. Here is a list off popular Christmas movies to watch!

3.       Comfort food: Stay warm from the inside out with food like;

Superhero Gingerbread people!

Soup: Chicken noodle is my favorite! It's a great to treat a cold and tastes great. Here is a recipe I tried!

Holiday Themed Treats: I love to eat Christmas themed cookies, candy canes, gingerbread houses and all sorts of other snacks. Here is a recipe for making gingerbread men! Cooking or decorating them with friends and family is a great holiday activity!

4.       Good reading material: Keep yourself occupied on snow days!

Find something to keep you occupied on those days, where leaving the house is impossible/ implausible. When I want a new book I visit Goodreads. It's a great tool that allows readers to view book lists, search genres for new reads, and write/read reviews.

5.       Warm bed: Keep toasty in your space!

After a long day battling the cold you want to be comfortable in your space. A trick that I use is tossing my PJs and sheets into the dryer so I go to bed as comfy as possible!

What are some of your tips and tricks for surviving the winter?

                                                                                    

Perks of Being A Wall Flower Review (No Spoilers!)

Perks of Being A wallflower Review

The Book

I love to read books! This summer my friends recommended I read The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky. I was reluctant to read it at first because it looked to be a like a dry read, but my friend insisted and Emma Watson is in it so I decided to give the book a try.

By the time I finished, I was literally in tears. The main character, Charlie, describes the troubles he had going through high school,  starting from the first day. He met two seniors , Patrick and Sam, at a school football game and they become friends. My favourite part about the book is the fact that the things that he went through are things that most students encounter in high school; bullying, substance abuse, and if you’re lucky great friends.

Another one of my favourite parts of the book is relationship Charlie has with his English teacher. On his first day his English teacher is the only friend that Charlie makes and throughout the year he continues to give him extra reading assignments books like:

*        This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

*        Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

*        The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

*        A Separate Peace by John Knowles

*        The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

*        On the Road by Jack Kerouac

*        Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs

*        Walden by Henry David Thoreau

*        Hamlet by William Shakespeare

*        The Stranger by Albert Camus

*        The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

My favorite book from Charlie’s reading list is Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs, which is a little odd since I am a PR student and the book is all about the ‘crap’ the media feeds people, but it was an interesting read.

 

The Movie

I was very pleased with the movie because the storyline didn’t stray too far from the book. There were a couple of things that the movie didn’t cover but the story and the lines were almost exactly the same, which is great because I loved the story the way it was. The actor cast in the movie were fantastic picks! With the exception of Patrick , they appeared on screen just like they appeared in my head.

Logan Lerman played Charlie. He was great at playing the shy, sensitive, but understanding Charlie and I can’t wait to see him in another role soon.

Emma Watson as Sam was stunning as always! I loved being able to hear her talk in an American accent, she was very nice and understanding but still quirky she was great! This is the first film I have seen her in since Harry Potter finished and I think she will continue to do great! She's a phenomenal actress!

 

Nina Dobrov played Charlie’s sister Candace. I was so excited to see her because she is a character on one of my favourite shows, the Vampire Diaries . She was a great addition; she is amazing in serious roles!

 

Melanie Lynskey was cast in the role of Charlie’s aunt who was abuse by her husband. I thought this was a funny role for her since she usually plays the crazy woman from Two and a Half Men. And she was a very crazy part of Charlie’s life in the movie. He calls her his favourite Aunt, until he recalls some very important facts about their relationship.

If you have read the book/seen the movie; who is you're favourite character? Mine is Sam, she is so understanding and I was very excited to see Emma Watson in a role so diffrent from Hermione.

I recommend this book and movie for people of any age. The story takes place in the early 90’s but the messages defiantly still apply today. But PLEASE read the books before seeing the movie. The story lines are very simalar but there is so much more depth and angst in the book!

 

Right before the movie came on there was a trailer for the movie version of On the Road by Jack Kerouac, one of the books from Charlie’s reading list, and Kristen Stewart is in it!! Looks like I’ll be going to the movies again soon!

Revenge Review

Revenge Season 2 Episode 3

Since my last review...

· We have discovered that Victoria Grayson is alive and being blackmailed by the 'initiative' (the group of assassins that the Grayson’s frequently call to get rid of people they don't like.)

· Charlotte Grayson was being held against her will by her father who was trying to declare her mentally unfit so he could get her inheritance.

· Charlotte confided with 'Emily Thorne' about her mother still being alive before she gets taken to her room to be locked down.

· 'Emily' introduces Charlotte to 'Amanda'

· Victoria came up with a plan to blame the white haired man for kidnapping and beating her (with the help of Conrad Grayson) so she could come out of hiding and rejoin her family.

•  ‘Emily’ helps ‘Amanda’ fake the results of her paternity test so she can be with Jack.
• The white haired man is killed by the man who is following  'Emily'

 

In the last episode...

Victoria gets returned home but her family is not happy to see her. They understand that something suspicious is going on. Now, Conrad and Victoria haven’t gotten along for a while but  Daniel and Charlotte are  now starting to feel hatred for their mother. Victoria has an idea to hold a big press release party to get her story out. Daniel doesn’t believe his mother’s story, and she has the audacity to blame him for the death of all the people on the plane that crashed because he chose his father’s side when faced with the truth of David Clarke. Yes it was defiantly wrong of him to side with his father once he found out the truth, but that was so harsh! He though what he was doing was in the best interest of his family. And after his sister’s inheritance is gone he give his share to her which is so sweet and earns him points in my book!

Also in this episode Victoria asks ‘Emily’ to stay away from her family indefinitely since she knows the truth about Victoria hiding out and not being kidnapped. To be honest I’m surprised that she hasn’t asked ‘Emily’ to stay away before now, since she despises her so much!

In order to get around being banned from the house, ‘Emily’ guilts ‘Amanda’ into attending the party so she can give Charlotte a fake David Clarke journal (written by ‘Emily’). I know that ‘Amanda’ is reluctant to at first because she doesn’t want to lose Jack,  but she agrees anyways, and lies to him about her ware bouts. I think ‘Emily’ is purposely trying to set her up for failure.   ‘Emily’ manages to sneak into the party anyways, I’m sure she knows that something big is going to happen. At the party someone anonymously sends Daniel the passport that his mother was going to use to escape the country which fuels his hatred for her even more.

After ‘Amanda’ gives the fake journal to Charlotte and she’s about to leave ‘Emily’ blackmails her into staying to watch Victoria’s speech…and it was a doosey! She reveals that Charlottes real father is David Clarke and asks the whole family to come up on stage with her…including ‘Amanda’! Obviously Jack sees this and is fed up with all of her lies. When she returns back to the Bar he straight up tells her he cannot deal with her lies FINALLY! I cannot take them together any longer. She lies about everything and Jack sees that now. I wonder how he will react when he discovers that ‘Emily’ is not who she says she is! In this episode he said he appreciates how she is always there for him, hopefully he will remember that part when the truth comes out.

Also in this episode we discovered who the man is that was following ‘Emily’. He’s a man who got trained with her at the super assassin academy, Aiden. He was the one who has Victoria’s fake passport delivered to Daniel, but Emily makes it clear that she doesn’t want any of his help, since he let her down in the past and has learned to ignore her feeling for him. Despite this I have a feeling that we will be seeing more of him in the future episodes.

 

Another Very importante element in todays episode is 'Emily' heard her mothers voice! When she listened to the voice mail on the phone of the white haired main her mother was the one leaving the message. She ended it with 'I love you' and talked about 'shutting it down, like we promised' if she didn't hear from him. So weird for 'Emily' to hear im sure! She knew that they were intimately involved because when she took the white haired mans locket, her picture was inside. I hoooope they Elaborate on this next episode! What do you think their relationship is like?

 

My favorite part in this episode was when ‘Amanda’ gave the journals to Charlotte, now maybe she won’t keep  blindly following her mother and will turn to Emily for help.

 

What was your favourite part of the episode?

 

 

Here is the promo for next week...

 

 

Vampire Diaries: Season 4 Premiere

Tyler, Caroline & Klaus

Season 3 Finale Recap

Rebekah forces Elena and Matt of the bridge

On Thursday October 11th 2012, the  first episode of the Vampire Diaries Season 4 (cleverly named VD:IV) premiered on the CW. The last season finishes with Klaus's body being destroyed by Alaric and Elena finally choosing between the Salvatore brothers. Much to my dismay, she chooses the boring Stefan. Another very important event in the season 3 finale is Elena's death. After being hurt Elena is given vampire blood to improve her healing by Meredith. Unfortunatly she gets killed in a car accident (thanks to Rebekah) and refuses to allow Stephan to rescue her before Matt. The season ends will Elena coming back to life.

After watching the season finale all I could think was, "Yay! Now that Elena is a vampire she will remember what happened with her and Damon!" (He compelled her to forget that they met before she met Damon and some other very important things)! She told Damon that the reason she chose Stefan was because they met first, but she doesn't know that she and Damon met first. Also it was Damon's blood Meredith gave Elena to heal her so hopefully that means they are bonded in some way!

Season 4
I was really excited to see the season premiere, and it defiantly did not disappoint! Most of the issues from the previous season were addressed...and it's only the first episode!

Bonnie: In this episode everyone is counting on Bonnie to find a way to prevent Elena from completing the vampire transition. Unfortunately her plan doesn't work and she is warned of the dangers of using dark magic. Of course almost immediately after the warning she uses the dark magic again to send Klaus back into his body. Somethings tells me that later on in the season Bonnie might become a villain  but I hope not. They need her!

Elena, Stefan & Damon: Damon makes it clear that he wished Matt was dead instead of Elena. I understand that he is upset that Elena is 'undead' but she is happy that Matt survived and regrets nothing so he needs to respect that. In this episode Elena remembers all the things that Damon compelled her to forget but she tells him that it doesn't change her decision. COME ON ELENA!!! I was so sure she would re-evaluate her decision after finding that out! Elena is kidnapped by a Pastor who is working to rid Mystic Falls of all the paranormal activity that is going on( thanks to a tip from Alaric). They feel like Elena is acting suspicious in her interrogation and lock her up with the other vampires, including Stephan and Rebekah. Since she is caged up and hasn't fed since her death she is in fatal condition. Stephan comes up with a plan to kill a guard so she can complete the change. I love that scene! Did anyone else notice the tear that fell when she fed? What do  you think of Elena choosing Stephan?

Klaus's body being destroyed

Klaus & Caroline: Since Klaus's body was destroyed in the previous season, so Alaric would die, Klaus's conscience was sent into Tyler's body. I was so shocked but at the same time happy because I want Caroline and Klaus to be together. Too bad he keeps acting like an asshat and getting on everyone's nerves. He's so selfish! I cannot believe that he left Rebekah to fend for herself after all she has done for him. But she did kill Elena, cutting of the blood supply for his hybrids. I was please how quickly it took for Caroline to discover that he wasn't the real Tyler and that Klaus didn't lie about it. It was awful how he threatened to destroy Tyler's body if Bonnie didn't return him to his own...why does nobody care about Bonnie?! One day she is going to retaliate and everyone better watch out!!

Phoebe Tonkin

THE FINAL SCENE was really creepy! I think that if those people did die that they will come back and haunt Jeremy so he will be forced to plot against the vampires. Or maybe the pastor helped secretly slip vampire blood into the towns people so their will be an army of vampires to fight the hated vampires...or maybe they are going to introduce a new sort of creature...firemen!!! (Ouuu scary! They'll burn ya to a crisp!! lol) What do you think the purpose of the explosion was?

I also hear that Phoebe Tonkin is a new addition to the cast...loved her in Secret Circle! Can`t wait until her appearance!

Here is a promo for the next episode...looks like Elena is having some problems adjusting!!

Glee Recap

Glee Season 4 Episode 4

Here’s what you missed on Glee!!!!

Kurt got an internship at Vogue working for the editor, Isabelle (Sarah Jessica Parker). When it comes to brainstorming, she asks for Kurt’s advice and invites him to share his ideas in front of the group. She encourages him to keep his optimism and doesn’t have him kicked out of the building when she finds him sneaking in after hours. I am hoping she doesn’t undergo a personality change. So far I love Isabelle!



Don't listen to them Rachael!

Meanwhile at NYADA Rachael is having a hard time fitting in at school. Last week she proved that she was talented, but the other students are giving her a hard time because of her clothes, I wholeheartedly disagree! I love Rachael’s quirky outfits! Kurt has an idea to give Rachael a makeover to boost her confidence. They sneak into Vogue headquarters and with the help of Isabelle, Rachael is made over and ready to face the other students in dance class.

BEFORE

      

AFTER

                                                                                                                                                   

I thought that Rachael’s hair post-makeover was nice, but her outfit was boring. Brody doesn’t think so because he and Rachael spend the day together and plan on having dinner. Their date is interrupted when Finn shows up. I hope he’s not expecting her to be happy to see him; he’s been unreachable for 2 months! And how does he know where she lives? I hope next week he explains himself well because given the way he left her (dispite his good intentions) I think she’ll choose Brody.

Back at McKinley High

•  Brittany and Blaine run for school president
• Mr.Schuester is feeling uninspired and applies for a new job

Personally I enjoy Kurt and Rachael’s adventures  in New York more than the McKinley glee club. Which do you think is the subplot? What’s your favourite part of this week’s episode? What are you hoping will happen next week?

September 2012 Fall Season Premiere

It's that time of year again, where our favorite Fall shows come back for a new season. We also get the chance to watch new shows with some of our favourite stars. Here is a list of new shows and season preimeres coming out this month.

Monday September 23rd, 2012

• How I met your mother (CBS)
• Dancing with the stars (ABC)
• Partners (CBS)
• 2 Broke Girls (CBS)
• Mike and Molly (CBS)
• Castle(CBS)
• Hawiaii Five-0

Tuesday September 24th, 2012

• NCIS(CBS)
• New Girl (Fox)
• The Mindy Project (Fox)

Wednesday September 25th, 2012

• Law & Order Special Victims Unit (NBC)
• Modern Family (ABC)
• Crime Scene Investigation(CBS)

Thursday September 26th, 2012

• Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Two and a Half Men (CBS)
• Elementry (CBS)

Sunday September 30th, 2012

• Once Apon A Time (ABC)
• The Simpsons (Fox)
• Revenge (ABC)
• Family Guy (Fox)
• American Dad (Fox)

(For more info on Fall 2012 show preimeres click HERE!)

2 Broke Girls
This show follows roommates, Max and Caroline, who are waitressing trying to save up money to open their own cupcake business. When the girls first meet each other they don't get along because Caroline is use to living a more privalaged life than Max since her father was arrested for partaking in a Ponzi scheme Caroline has to learn whats it is like to be a regular, working class girl. Over time the girls learn to work together and become great friends. In the season one finale the girls had a plan to ambush Martha Stuart at a party and get her to sample one of their cupcakes. They succeeded and she loved it! I am excited to tune in tonight and find out hoe their business has changed as a result of this.The shows is full of witty innuendos and keeps me laughing the whole time!
<------I also saw Kat Dennings (Max) on the Emmy Awards last night and she looked FABULOUS a beautiful floor length red gown.


New Girl
Another show that keeps me laughing is New Girl on Fox. In the first season Jess (Zooey Deschanel), a quirky Kindergarden teacher, moves in with 3 guys after catching her boyfriend cheating on her in their house. The show follows the characters as they try to get through life, relationships, and living with people that are so diffrent from themselves. In the season finale Jess and Nick (one of the roommates) discuss the idea of having to settle in relationships when they both 'backslide' and end up dating their exes. By the end of the episode there was the implication that passion is what makes a great relationship, right before Nick and Jess got into a heated argument. I'm hoping that in this season there will be some romance between Nick and Jess because, they are both weird and crazy and would be a great fictional couple. What do you think about Nick and Jess?

 

 

 

PS: Don't Zooey Deschannel(Left) and Katy Perry look alot alike? I use to think they were the same person!

Revenge
Revenge  is another fall show that I enjoy. This is a more serious action filled show but I was hooked since the first episode. The show is about a girl named Amanda Clark (Emily VanCamp) whos father is framed for the bombing of a plane by, the members of a very rich family, The Graysons. When her father is killed in prision Emily vows to get revenge on the people that ruined their lives. Amanda switches identities with a girl she met when she was detained (after her father was arrested.) She becomes Emily Thorn and starts to date the Grayon's son, Daniel. Throughout the first season Emily uses information on the people who framed her father, that her father left her, to ruin the reputations of the people involved in the scam that ruined her family. By the season finale Emily encounters the man who killed her father but lets him walk away because she doesn't think her father would approve of her mudering someone. Meanwhile in the Grayson household, Victoria threatens to turn the information on the framing of Amanda's father over to the Feds, but before they get there the plane crashes. I am hoping that in this season Victoria Grayson isn't dead and that she relays the information and clears David Clarkes name. There is another story line in the serise that follows the girl Amanda switched names with who is pretending to be her. She(the fake Amanda) gets involved with Jack, the childhood friend of the real Amanda. In the season finale we find out that the fake Amanada is pregnant. Hopefully it isn't Jacks child! I really hope it isn't so that the real Amanda and Jack can get together once the truth about who was behind the plane bombings comes out. If he can get over the fact that she lied to hime for several months.
What are your hopes for this season?

Glee Season 4 Review

On Thursday September 13th, 2012 the fourth season of Glee premiered on Global. Over the course of the first three seasons I tuned in and out but I did happen to catch the season 3 finale, which left me heart-broken and curious as to which direction the show was headed in. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the storyline still includes Rachael and Kurt even though they graduated from McKinley high.

Rachael starts off the season at NYADA in a dance class where her teacher(Kate Hudson) gives her problems and harshly critiques her. Rachael worked really hard to arrange a dance number to show the teacher that she was talented and the teacher still insulted her! I find the teacher to be so annoying, I was go glad when Rachael stood up to her after her performance. In the first few seasons Rachael was an overachieving, bratty, person and I love seeing this vulnerable side, now that she’s at a new school filled with other talented people, but its good to know that she is still as passionate as ever to prove herself.

Rachael Also has a new potential love interest. Rachael is having a hard time dealing with Finn enlisting in the army. She hasn't heard from him in two months and if you ask me its time for her to move on and spend more time enjoying the experience of living in New York. Also Brody (Dean Geyer) is a much better, dancer, singer and way easier on the eyes!

On another note, Kurt announced that he is going to try apply to NYADA again. I hope he gets in because the I love the chemistry between Kurt and Rachael they are such good friends and I hope they stay that way!

Back at McKinley high the New Directions are looking for a new lead singer now that the Senior Class (more importantly Rachael) have moved on. There are still some good voices in Glee club but I feel like it will be necessary to bring in a lot of new voices in, in order to produce songs that were as good as the original club.

Also a surprising twist that I enjoyed, Puck has a step brother! Like Puck, Jake (Jacob Artist) is a misunderstood playboy (and guitar player like Puck) but I think that after speaking to Puck about the importance of friends he will turn his attitude around. He helping Marley (Melissa Benoist) by defending her mother (the lunch lady) when some jocks were being cruel so there appears to be hope for him yet. Also there appears to be a bit of chemistry budding between those two. I hope it works out! I hope he isn’t a jerk.

Speaking of Marley I believe she is considered the groups new Rachael. She’s a pretty girl and has a lovely voice but I think that comparing her to Rachael is a bit like comparing strawberries and watermelons, they’re both good, but different.

Below is a video of both girls performing. My personal favourite is Rachael, what do you think?