Looking Back At 2025🌟

And just like that, another year is over. I mean it when I say it's crazy how fast it went by.

As I did last year (more like at the beginning of this year), I want to look back at the good, the ok-ish and the bad of the year, to have a little bit of a recap of my 2025.

In general, I think it was mostly a good year. Was it perfect? Of course not but, I do think there is a lot I'm grateful for. It was a busy year for sure! Especially towards the end of it. Which leads us to one of my highlights this year: I got a promotion at work! My first promotion in all my working years. And, I'm not gonna lie, it was exciting but a tiny bit scary cuz I knew I would have more responsibilities, I was in my comfort zone and, that was fine with me. I know we shouldn't need validation but, I rarely had some in my previous jobs so this whole thing, along with all the good things my boss said about me and my work, made me feel like I am really doing things right and that I deserve to aim for more and better things. Plus I love how my friends and family were super proud and happy for me. I know my dad would be very proud too. ♡ 

I am lucky to say I finally have a great boss and a job that allows me to grow.

Being busier also meant less time with my friends. And it wasn't just me, I think it was busy for everyone in general. That doesn't mean we didn't share some quality time and celebrated each others' achievements. We actually celebrated one of my most anticipated events this year, two of my closest friends got married and I was thrilled to be part of it! We all were beyond happy for them. It was the perfect wedding, for the cutest couple. When I was younger, I always dreamt of having these kind of freindships in which you just grow, celebrate and share difficult times together. I love to see how I have something like that now. I also had the time to see Taichou twice in a year (which is a lot considering he lives in Canada) and, finally, after a couple of years of not being able to hang out because of life in general, I got to spend some time with my middle school bestie again this year.

And even tho I can't call everyone a close friend, I feel like I've met great people this year. Who knows? Maybe we can become friends in the future.

When it comes to family, my mom, my sister and I started celebrating things a lot more, no matter how big or small they were, we always had an excuse to do something. Wine nights became a weekly tradition this year. It's basically having dinner at my mom's together every Thursday night after work with some music and (a lot) of wine or any alcoholic drink really. It's a nice little something to look forward to after a busy week of work. (I usually have Fridays off so, that's why it feels like the end of my working week).

I had the chance to spend some time with my aunts and uncles this year. Sometimes it wasn't for the best reasons, but I truly think we bonded in a different level. Plus, I hadn't seen some of them in years and, some of my best childhood and teenage years memories are with them. It was really, really nice.

 

Not everything was happy tho, this year we lost my grandpa. Even tho he was 94, it was very sudden. He was the only grandpa I had and he was the best. I was so lucky to love him and enjoy him a lot, even during my adult years. He was one of the most importan men in my life, along with my dad. I miss him but, I have no regrets, I know he knew how important he was for me.

This mas was and will always be my treasure. ♡

And well, when it comes to me, I think I became a little more confident, even with small things, I'm also learning to deal with unpleasant situations a lot better instead of just running away from them or making a tantrum about it. I should know that life is not all butterflies and rainbows by now. Adulting is hard but I'm doing my best, haha.

Speaking of adulting, I had to deal with a lot of unexpected money situations at the beginning of the year, that wasn't pretty but, I survived and, I finally ended the year with some (small) savings, which is A LOT for me and, I invested some money too. I want to save that for my future cuz, I don't really think about it much but, I know it's important. And that, makes me feel like a smart, functional adult.

On a "less-adulting" note, I am so proud to say that I started reading this year, and not just manga! Haha. I finished 5 books. I know for some people it isn't much but, it is a big achievement for me. I didn't read because I had to, it was more because I wanted to. I'm still in the process of finding what type of books or stories I like the most and taking recommendations from friends and even some of my students. It's been fun! I plan to continue doing it next year.

I didn't only read books tho, I went back to fanfics. I used to loooooove them so much years ago, and I've been reading some Spuffy ones. So, let me know if you'd like me to share a little more about that in the future.

I would say I also watched many more movies this year (as you might have noticed from my many movie posts), it has become a habit of mine to watch (mostly) horror movies in bed, before I sleep. I really enjoy it. 

In general, I think those are the highlights of my 2025, it was mostly a good year. I'm so not ready for 2026, just because I don't like it when time passes this fast, but I'm hoping it'll be a great year.

I hope your 2025 was a great one and that 2026 will be an even better, magical one. 💋🌟

My Christmas Pressies 2025 🎅

December just flew by, literally! But, I hope you all had a good, happy Christmas. Mine was quiet but fun! I had different small celebrations with my coworkers, friends and family. We ate delish food, had some drinks, played games and, of course, there were pressies. Now, like every year, it is time for me to share the pressies I received this year. Guess this will be our last post of the year too. So, let's do this!

I'm gonna start with a pressie I got for myself, you might have already seen him but, I got the BTVS Spike Funko Pop! I am obsessed with Spike, he's been my big crush since I was a teenager and, I couldn't resist when I saw him. 

I'm counting all the things I received this month as part of my pressies. My mom gave me these goodies for the house earlier in the month. A cute reindeer ornament, a Christmassy kitchen towel and a gingerbread man candle that smells delish!

This year, my boss gave me a Starbucks gift card I haven't spent yet. The Santa Claus cookie (that is already gone) was from one of my coworkers.

With my friends, we had this gift exchange in which we all bought a small something for everyone. We ended up with lots of different goodies including socks, yummies, sunscreen, an enamel pin, instant hot cocoa and even a calendar. It was a successful and fun exchange.

Apart from the exchange some of my friends gave me other cute gifts. A facemask, cherry socks and cherry earrings. 
I included a close up of the earrings so you can see them better. 

Have I mentioned my bestie is super talented? She made these pottery beauties I absolutely love! And you know, we gotta have a little Halloween something.

Closer look. I already hung the pumpkin picture and, I'm obsessed with how it looks.

Mom gave me this Korean doll as an early Christmas gift (it was more like a Yule gift). She's so cute and I love her outfit! I'm super tempted to get her more outfits and accessories to change her every now and then.

I wanted / needed a new bag and, I received it! Mom got it for me. The light is not great here but, it is a dark gray, medium bag. I love it!

Of course, the pressies came with some yummies! 

This year our dinner was held at my sister's house, when we arrived, we had a gift waiting in our places that included this 3 Tres Medallas wine bottle. I love rose wine so, I'm looking forward to opening this one.

Along with the wine, there were these winter booties. We all have matching ones now. They are super warm and comfy and I love the fact that they have a platform!

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

I also received some pretty rings.

I decided to put these two together cuz they kinda belong to the same group. Before Taichou went back to Canada, he left a present and made me promise I'd open it til X-mas. I was a good girl and waited. He gave me the Full Metal Panic! Collectors Edition 3. I cannot! I love FMP so, so much and it's really hard to find merch over here. I can't wait to read it. It'a beautiful, thick and heavy baby. And, my sister made the Spike bookmark, since I'm reading more now, it's the perfect bookmark to have on the books I'm currently reading.

This next part will be all about clothes, I wasn't planning to organize it like that but, it ended up that way, hehe.

Two pairs of jeans I really wanted/needed

And these pants that I'm sure will be fun to style cuz you can dress them up or down easily.

I also received some blouses too ♡

My babies were also spoiled and received some pressies. It makes me happy when they receive new things they can enjoy. They are currently obsessed with the toys.

As every year, I'm very thankful for all these gifts and the friends and family who gave them to me. I might share a little more about some of them in future posts. 

Like I mentioned at the beginning of the post, this will be the last post of 2025 so, thank you so much to those who took the time to read me this year. I wish you a great end of 2025 and a magical 2026.

See you next year!! ⭐

Checking my Ins & Outs 2025

Earlier this year I wrote a post about My Ins & Outs For 2025, basically sharing things I wanted to keep in my life and out of it this year. Now that the year is coming to an end, it is time to see how well I did with them. And I'm gonna be honest here cuz I don't think I changed some things 100%. I'll link that previous post in case you wanna read it before reading this one.

Let's see~

 ☆ Ins: For my ins I said I wanted more self confidence, money and time management, healthy relationships, romanicize my life and creativity. I'll be checking each of them separately.

⭒ Self-confidence: I wouldn't say I changed this 100% but I did have some progress, hehe. Especially when it comes to work, I feel like this year I finally felt a lot more confident about my skills and realized I am capable of doing a lot more, of having more responsibilities and that I can aim for more because I work hard and, I deserve it.

⭒ Better money and time management: The beginning of this year was a little chaotic when it came to money but I think it got a little better. I started saving some money almost at the end of the year, especially for some expenses I know I'll have at the beginning of 2026. My personal savings were not much but, I gotta start somewhere, right? Plus I was able to invest some money too. Time wise... I'm still working on it. I have more things to do for work now and I feel like I'm still doing some of them at the last minute, some old habits are difficult to change.

⭒ Healthy relationships: Not much has changed in this one, I'm happy with the people who are close to me. I think this year I was also a little bit more open to meeting and spending time with people I didn't know and, it was fun! As for toxic people, I'm not afraid or worried about cutting all contact with them, which was something I found a little difficult before. Dunno why tho.

⭒ Romanticize my life: I kinda did but maybe not more than last year. My favorite time to romanticize it is always during Fall and well, I defo did it. I also started reading more this year and, in a way, it feels like a good way to romanticize moments. A book, a scented candle, a nice drink and a cozy space~

⭒ Creativity: I just went to one workshop this year, a watercolor workshop. It was fun and I'm very proud of what I made there. I kinda tried crafting a little but, that was it. I wouldn't say I explored my creative side that much. I didn't go back to needle felting and the only hobby/habit I started this year was reading. Maybe because life felt busier this year (which I know it's not an excuse), Idk. 

That was that for my ins, now let's move to my outs.

☆ Outs: For my outs I said I wanted to get rid of anger, attachments, self-sabotage, fear and complaints.

⭒ Anger & attachments: I'm gonna put these two together cuz I think they are connected somehow. I actually think I did improve a little here. I felt a lot more relaxed this year when it came to this, in the past I would get easily triggered by things and let that one thing ruin my entire day. I'm not saying some things don't trigger me anymore but, I feel like I'm learning how to deal and control those negative emotions a little more. I'm also slowly healing some of them.

⭒ Self-sabotage: When I wrote my previous post I said I wasn't sure if this happened only with relationships and, I realized it wasn't only with that. I feel like when it comes to professional things I do it often too, especially thinking I can't do things or that I'm not good enough even before knowing what it is about. In a way, I think a part of me still thinks that but, instead of just keeping that thought, I decided to go for it and let myself try new, better things and actually accept I deserve them and can make them work.

⭒ Fear: As I grow older, I realize that it's impossible to avoid change. This year I tried to embrace changes a little more. Only good things have come from it. Not everything has been easy but, it's not the end of the world either. So, maybe there's some progress here.

⭒ Complaints: I don't know if it was because life kept busy enough to keep my mind away from comparing my life and myself to others' but, I do think my mindset bcame a little more positive this year and instead of complaining and focusing on what I didn't/don't have, I focused on the oportunities that came my way, my achievements (big or small) and decided to give myself a pat on the back. Guess it's true when they say that once you change your mindset, the energy around you changes too. 

And well, even tho I didn't completely change everything, I think I kept or changed some of the most important ones a little bit. Nothing changes from one day to the other and I know I gotta keep working on these things (and others) but, it's still some progress, right?

Let me know if there was something you worked on or tried to change this year and, if there are things you're planning to work on next year. 

See you next time~!💋

20 Christmas Questions 🎄

As I was planning some Christmassy activities to do with my students on their last week of classes, I found this 20 Christmas Questions questionnaire on a blog and thought it'd be fun to answer it here to get in the Holiday spirit. I'm sure I answered some of them before, maybe. But still, we're doing it! Hehe.

Let's start!

 1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Eggnog! I love hot chocolate but I only drink eggnog during this season so, I have to choose it.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa usually wraps presents.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored lights. I grew up with them and when I moved, I got pastel lights but, I wouldn't dislike having white lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope, I don't even think I've seen it in real life. Ever.

5. When do you put your decorations away? Sometimes right after New Years or the first week of January, depending on the time I have.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? I've never been a big Christmas food lover but, my grandma made the BEST biscayan style cod, that was my favorite thing to eat every year. I also like the mexican Christmas apple salad.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: I don't think I have one specific memory. But all the years we celebrated Christmas at my grandparents' house, with all the cousins, aunts and uncles reunited were the best. Sometimes my sister, my cousins and I would have a random performance to entertain the family and we were always looking forward to opening the gifts together. It was a lot of fun and I cherish those memories a lot. Same with New Year's Eve, we used to go to my godmother's house and spend it with my dad's side of the family. My cousin and I are the same age, we were like sisters so, we also had a lot of fun together.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? In my family, Santa didn't visit us that much? It was mostly The 3 Wise Men but I really don't remember how or when I found out. Guess it wasn't traumatic, hehe. And even now, I still receive some pressies on that day.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We open all the gifts on Christmas Eve, we have tried waiting until actual Christmas but, I just doesn't work for us.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? When I first moved out of my family home, I bought a white tree, it was my dream to have one and decorate it with pastel colors and so, I did it. I bought pink, blue and silver ornaments and started adding other things such as some homemade stuff I made with my friends, cute things that other people give me for my tree but, I think I'm over the pastel & white tree now, but I'm not someone who likes to buy new Christmas decor every year so, I think it'll take me a while to change it. I want a Yule-ish tree now.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! But just because it doesn't snow where I live so, I don't experience the bad side of it.

Snowy days in Spain were the best!

12. Can you ice skate? Nope, I tried once and failed at ti big time. 

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I don't think I have a favorite gift. I'm lucky enough to say that most of the gifts I receive (from family and friends) are things that I love but there's nothing that comes to my mind when I think of a "favorite" one.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with people I love. Thing is, I'm not a big Christmas person anymore, I celebrate it because I'm used to celebrating it but, to me, it is not one of the most important Holidays.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I... don't think I have a traditional one that can be called a favorite. My aunt used to make a "swiss roll" I loved, but I don't remember if it was during christmas.

16. What tops your tree? A silver star and a matching bow.

17. Which do you prefer – giving or receiving? I could go with the classic "I love to give more than receiving" but nope, I like both. I love to choose presents for people I love and make them special but, I also love receiving pressies, I'd be lying if I said I didn't. 

18. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Kiss me for Christmas by Jessica Simpson and Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt (and other versions)

19. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum. Don't love them but don't dislike them either.

20. Favorite holiday movie? I don't really like holiday movies... I'll go with Nightmare Before Christmas and, this year I watched a french one called "Advent Calendar" that was pretty good. (it's horror tho)

And, there you go! 20 x-mas questions. Feel free to answer them yourself, I'd love to read since the holidays are different for everyone.

I'll see you next time~! 💋🎄

Buffy The Vampire Slayer | Spike Funko Pop!

 I know, I know. I said there was not going to be another BTVS post for a while but, I wasn't expecting to find this guy... so, here we are again. 

Last week, when I went shopping for some Chrsitmas gifts I went to a store that had lots of movies and shows merch as well as a ton of Funkos. I don't need more Funkos but I kinda wanted to see if they had Buffy ones, just to see them in person. And, they did. They had 2 different Buffy ones and behind them, there was Spike. As expected, I got super excited, I looked at him for some time and decided that I'd come back another day to get him, hoping he'd still be there. 

After a short conversations with my sister, I decided to go back almost right away and take him home with me. He's my early Chrsitmas pressie to myself.

In this box is the Buffy I saw, I believe she's from the first seasons. Even tho they were pretty, I don't feel the need to get one. I mean, I'd be happy to have her but, I don't think I'll be getting one.

I believe there are 4 different Spikes; another vamp, normal Spike and punk Spike but, they are all standing. I got a vamp one with a different pose that makes him cooler, I just love him! He's perfect!

The details on him are pretty good, the lumpy forehead, his clothes, vamp eyes and even the scar on his eyebrow (that I don't think you can see much in this pic).

For now, I'm happy with this Spike but, I know if I ever find punk Spike, I'll be very tempted to get him since it's one of my fav looks on him. I loved how some people who know me where happy I got him, it just made me smile! Afterall, he's been one of my big crushes since I was a teeneager. 

Anyway, that's it for now. I won't promise I won't share more Buffy stuff around here cuz, I really just dunno if I can keep that promise, hehe.

See you next time~!💋

🔖 Recent Reads: Dracula🧛‍♂️

I started reading this book back in October because this year was the year of the vampire for me, so it felt just right to choose it. It took me two months to finish it tho, it is a thick boy.

As probably most of you already know, Dracula is a 1897 gothic horror novel by Bram Stoker. I started reading it without really knowing much about the story, I kinda thought I'd read about the history of the Count and how he became a vampire but, It was completely different. The story is told through letters and journal entries about experiences of different people around or affected by Dracula. 

It mainly follows Jonathan Harker, his journey takes him to Transylvania, where he meets the Count. After that, we meet other characters whose stories end up connecting. The way the letters and journals describe things, makes you imagine the landscapes and situations perfectly. There's mystery, drama and some surprising twists throughout the story. I really, really enjoyed reading this one.

For the first time, I decided to read the book before the movie! Which is something I never do. I'm definitely planning to watch the movie soon because I became a Dracula fan. I think he could be my favorite classic monster now.

This book had small illustrations by David Mackintosh at the beginning of each chapter, which is something I always appreciate and honestly, one of the reasons why I chose this one. It also comes with some extra notes at the end for "young readers" like, Bram Stoker's bio, more about the book and characters and a mini quiz about the story. I think that quiz thingy was so fun to include, hehe.

I've seen many different editions of this book, some of them have beautiful covers worth displaying, who knows? Maybe I'll get another version in the future. 

Dracula is a classic and I'm really glad I finally gave myself the chance to read it. I'm currently reading something completely different that I hope I'll finish soon and share around here.

I'll see you next time~!💋

One Last Shows And Movies Recommendation Post

I definitely think I watched many more movies this year, but I kinda neglected shows and even anime, dunno why. Anyway, I wanted to make one last post with the ones I didn't include in my latest posts. This one is definitely going to be a little more random so, let's do this!!

I'll start with some shows, they were all released this year and... they are both completely different.

Girlbands Forever 

"As talent show winners Little Mix contend with social media, cool kids Sugababes face changing line-ups. And as some familiar faces make a comeback, what is the future for girl bands?"

I only knew about this one because I saw it on Natasha Hamilton's IG. Growing up I loved girl bands, I grew up obsessed with the Spice Girls and Atomic Kitten so, I knew I had to watch it. It was released on October 30th by the BBC, I binge watched the 3 episodes in one night.

It basically covers the history of brit girlbands and some juicy, and sometimes shocking, stories shared by their former members. I especially loved seen AK's Natasha and Jenny but, it was an interesting and entertaining watch in general.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story

"The series explores the life of convicted murderer and body snatcher Ed Gein through allusions to fictional cultural works inspired by his crimes, such as Psycho (1960), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991)."

This is the 3rd season of the Monster series, suprisingly, I've only seen this one. I started watching the Jeffrey Dahmer one but never really finished it, maybe I'll go back to it at some point. It only has 8 episodes and even tho, it wasn't bad, sometimes it felt a little confusing cuz it jumped between eras. Maybe it's just me but I felt a little lost when that happened.

I also watched a couple of movies before October, cuz that's when I started the 31 Days of Horror Movies calendar thing I shared on my previous movies post, I feel like I watched more but, not all of them were good or worth recommending.

The Invitation

"After the death of her mother and having no other known relatives, Evie takes a DNA test and discovers a long-lost cousin she never knew she had. Invited by her newfound family to a lavish wedding in the English countryside, Evie's at first seduced by the sexy aristocratic host. However, she's soon thrust into a nightmare of survival as she uncovers twisted secrets about her family history and the unsettling intentions behind their sinful generosity."

This one is an American thriller from 2022, I watched it because it was a vampire movie. It was entertaining, a little cheesy and had a decent plot twist at the end. I don't think I'd rewatch it, once was more than enough but, it wasn't bad.

Immaculate

"The plot focuses on a young novice nun, who is invited to reside at a picturesque Italian convent, but slowly realizes the terrifying secrets it harbors."

I love religious horror movies and I find convents kinda creepy so, these movies work for me, haha. Even tho I think this one is more of a thriller, it did have a few jump scares and tension that made it interesting until the end. This one is from 2024.

Stopmotion

"A stop-motion animator struggles to control her demons after the loss of her overbearing mother."

Stopmotion is a British psychological horror movie from 2023. It is a weird movie, that's the best way to describe it. It kinda reminded me of when my sister and I used to watch Locotomia on Locomotion because they used to have stop motion shorts and stuff. I wouldn't say it's scary but, I really liked it.

K-pop Demon Hunters

"When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums or topping the Billboard charts, they're moonlighting as demon hunters to protect their fans from ever-present supernatural danger."

What can I say about this movie? I'm sure everyone has seen it by now. It took me a while to watch it and it was thanks to my bestie and her son that I did. I liked it a lot, more than I thought I would. I feel like if you are a kpop fan, like or know some things about korean culture, you notice lots of fun details throughout the movie. 

And yeah, the soundtrack is chatchy!!

And lastly, I'm gonna share the only 2 anime I watched this year! There are so many I still have to watch and catch up with...

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Disturbance

"Caught between his destiny and his promise to never kill again, the curtain rises once again for the second season of Rurouni Kenshin!"

This is the second part or second season of the Rurouni Kenshin remake. It covers Kenshin's trip to Kyoto to stop Shishio. Love, love, love it.

Mugen No Juunin Immortal

"The series is set in Japan during the mid-Tokugawa Shogunate period and follows the cursed samurai Manji, who has to kill 1,000 evil men in order to regain his mortality."

I'm currently watching this one, my sister recommended it and, I've been loving it. I love everything samurai or old Japan so, yeah. Lots of cool characters with great weapons and fighting skills. I know there's also a live action movie that apparently came out before the anime. I'm defo planning to watch it once I finish the anime.

And, to wrap it up, I'll share this list of Christmas horror movies I've been watching this month. I haven't watched all of them but, since I don't love Christmas movies, horror holiday ones sound like a better option for me, hehe. 

That will be it, guys. There are so many shows I still have to watch so, I'm sure I'll be sharing more movies and shows next year. Feel free to send me recommendations or let me know if you have watched some of the ones I shared.

I'll see you next time~!💋