Time For a Break

 

Hi guys! After blogging every week since August last year (45 consecutive posts!), the time has come for me to take a break. As much as I love writing, I'm just not feeling it lately, and I'd rather use the time to focus on other parts of my life. This is not the end for Max The Unicorn though! I'm not sure if it will be weeks or months, but I will be back.

You may have noticed that I've also slowed down my Collabs on Instagram. I was originally intending to have a break altogether from Collabs, both on my beauty and food accounts, but I don't mind working on the odd one here and there. Basically I had up to seven Collabs at once at some points in time, and I was overwhelmed, stressed, extremely busy, unhappy and not getting time for anything else. The last few months I've started being a lot more picky with what I'll accept, because it has to be worth it for me now. I'm up in the air about whether I'll get back to continuously collaborating with brands, restaurants/hotels/cafes and PR companies again (I'll play it by ear), but for now it really has to slow down for a while.

I'm feeling a lot happier with my change in priorities, and the balance I'm creating in my life. Specifically on my food account, this will also give me a chance to post all the non-obligated photos I have built up, which I've been wanting to do for a long time, but Collabs always took priority.

If you want to still follow along with what I'm up to, the best place is my food account @imhungrymax where I do enjoy posting Stories every day. But for this blog, I'll see you on the other side of my break! Happy Week, everyone.

The AfterParty (Spoiler-Free)

 

Hi guys. Last week I watched The AfterParty on AppleTV+ and absolutely loved it! The genre is murder mystery mixed with comedy, and honestly it's just so entertaining and funny. There are only eight episodes, each with a run time of 30-45 minutes, so it's really easy to binge this quickly. Trust me, you will be hooked.

'When a high school reunion's afterparty ends in a death, everyone is a suspect. A detective grills the former classmates one by one, uncovering potential motives as each tells their version of the story - culminating in the shocking truth.'

Each episode is told from the perspective of a different character, as Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish) interviews the various suspects. Sam Richardson is so likeable as Aniq. I'm a huge Ted Lasso fan, but didn't recognise him from his role as Edwin Akufo on Ted Lasso until I Googled the cast after watching the whole show! Yasper's (Ben Schwartz) episode is my all-time favourite, as it's filled with hilarious song and dance numbers that are super catchy and fun. Zoe's episode is animated, providing a cute point of difference. Some other notable actors in the cast are Ilana Glazer (Comedy Central's Broad City), Ike Barinholtz (Eastbound & Down, Blockers) and Dave Franco (Warm Bodies, Now You See Me) as pop star/murder victim Xavier. Fun Fact - Dave is the younger brother of actor James Franco.

The cast do a great job in The AfterParty; it's well-written, clever and funny as hell. Make sure you check it out on AppleTV+. There's also a second season coming soon!

You may also like My Top Ten Netflix Recommendations

Have a great week guys!

Huge Kmart Haul!

 

Hi guys! So I went a bit crazy and bought a few things online from Kmart recently. I was actually trying to redeem a gift card I had won. And I say 'trying' because, well, it seems you cannot use gift cards for Kmart online, only in-store. I probably should've read the fine print on the back of the card before spending an hour picking out the perfect items lol. Anyway, I decided to just pay for it, because I'd put in the work and I wasn't closing my browser without actually making all this pretty home decor mine. Enjoy!

I've been looking for a throw rug to drape over my white boucle computer chair, so when I saw this Anko Boucle Throw in White ($28) I couldn't believe it. A perfect match! An absolute no-brainer, in the basket it went.

Next, it's off to fake plant town, as I cannot keep a real plant alive to save myself. I got the Artificial Rubber Plant in Curved Pot ($10) and am really happy with how cute it is. I bought the Artificial Flowers in Wave Vase ($17) and even though it looks really pretty, the leaves at the back are a bit bent. I've since visited a Kmart store and they basically squash them into shelves that aren't high enough, so they're all like this.

I think I added the 4 Anko Glazed Mini Bowls ($6) at the end to make it to $100 and thus use all of my gift card (little did I know the drama that would follow!) but I mean, what a find at only $6. They are all different colours but look great together or separately. I love them! Side note - I kind of went over the $100, but who's keeping track lol.

I don't know if I've been living under a rock, but I haven't really seen anything like these pretty flower diffusers before? I don't buy diffusers normally so maybe these have been around forever, who knows!  I picked up the Floral Reed Diffusers in Elderflower & Coconut and Orange Flower & Amber ($12 each). So cute! I also got a small Lime & Coconut Floral Reed Diffuser ($2.50) because the fragrance is right up my alley!

I don't know about you, but storage containers always come in handy in my house. I got the Small Cut Out Edge Storage Tub ($3.50) and the super cute White Mini Bucket ($3.50) even though I don't know what I'll use them for lol. I have so much shit I know they'll get used. I also jumped at the Anko Adhesive Vinyl in Terrazzo ($3) pattern with a backing board for photography shoots in mind. I don't have anything like this pattern in my collection, so I was happy to find this!

Yes, I bought a lot of candles! I just couldn't resist this gorgeous pack of 3 Fragrant Candles in Pastry Delight ($15). The fragrances are Pear Cobbler, Berry Danish and Vanilla Tarte with an 'e'. WITH AN 'E'! The three different coloured patterned glass jars in grey, purple and gold are stunning, too. I'm in love! Standby for the rest of the candles...

I loved the look of the grey and white striped Citrus and Marine Embossed Reactive Fragrant Candle ($12) even though I don't know what 'reactive' means in this context lol. It smells fresh and looks good, and is probably the dearest single candle I bought. The Out Of Office Soy Blend Fragrant Candle ($4) smells of citrus, bitter orange and sage, and you're probably getting an idea of my favourite types of aromas by now! I couldn't resist the Prosecco Pear Medium Fragrant Candle ($5.50) purely because of the scent, however I've bought this range before and am not a fan of how the sticky glue from the packaging remains on the candle. I like things to look perfect, no flaws allowed, especially my pet peeve, sticky residue from packaging. Lastly, I bought the Arch Shaped Pillar Candle ($5) and the Pink Bubble Candle ($5) merely for decoration (I don't think they even have a fragrance?) because they look interesting and will add character to a room.

Whoa! That's my epic Kmart Haul, I hope you enjoyed!

Weekend Walks

 

Hi guys! Another picture post this week, because I ran out of time and I'm still pretty unmotivated to blog, to be honest. I hope I get my mojo back! I've got an Empties post to write but it won't be for a while because this week I have two Collab visits and three collab posts to work on, so I'll be way too busy. Thank god it's the school holidays though! I'm looking forward to sleeping in, as getting up at 6:20 every morning takes its toll after a while!

We went for a couple of walks over the weekend. Here are some photos!

Meow Monday!

 

Hi guys! I hope you're all having a wonderful Easter break! Before we get into the aptly titled post 'Meow Monday', a bit of housekeeping that absolutely no one will care about. I've decided to restrict comments as much as I can (I couldn't find the option to totally disable them) because I'm getting swamped with spam link comments and I'm sick of it. I don't use this blog for work/collabs anymore, it's really just because I enjoy blogging as a hobby, so I don't care about getting comments and don't need to even consider my stats or engagement. So please don't feel obliged to comment as I truly don't GAF.

On to my cats! If you follow me on Instagram, you'll be familiar with my feline family, namely Nutmeg (the naughty one) and Pumpkin (the shy, marmalade-coloured one). I post them on my IG Stories on @imhungrymax from time to time and on my beauty grid @shinyglitterbug roughly every four posts (give or take). I thought I'd post a few cat snaps here.

There are a few where Nutmeg is super grumpy and oh boy, does it show on her face! Make sure you check out the final photos, a surprise blast from the past. So cute!

Happy Meow-nday!

My Week In Pictures

 

Hi guys! I thought I'd do a quick 'My Life In Pictures' post today. Kind of like a #WordlessWednesday but on a Monday and with words haha. Let's go!

Monday I published 'My Top 10 Netflix Recommendations' blog post and advertised it across my social media channels. I really put some effort in on that post and wanted it to do well.

Tuesday I washed my hair for an event the next night and went shopping for a campaign I'm working on. I had a little cat helper when I was getting ready.

Wednesday I shot my first bunch of content for the collaboration during the day. At night we attended the John Wick: Chapter 4 preview screening which was really cool! We went to dinner first at Spargo's but the steak wasn't very good (although the garlic bread was yummy).

Thursday I had planned to go out, but opted to stay home and get all my collab post content ready to publish Friday, editing photos, working out hashtags and writing the caption. But before that, I treated myself to this Chai Latte from a local cafe after school drop off. I also published John Wick: Chapter 4 pics onto my personal and @whatmaxwatches Instagram accounts.

Friday I got my carousel post published for the shopping campaign and engaged on my food account. I also cooked Spaghetti Bolognese, styled and shot content for the second post in that campaign. All this left me exhausted lol. Love Is Blind Season 4 was released on Netflix, so I watched some episodes of that at night.

Saturday, yet more cooking, styling and shooting for this campaign. Two dishes, this time! This took me all afternoon. Again, exhausting work. In the night time we watched John Wick, the original movie, after loving the fourth one earlier in the week. Then I got myself up to date with Love Is Blind S4 episodes.

Sunday I realised I had been too busy all week to get a blog post ready to publish on 27/3, so I sat down and wrote this blog post you're reading now. Nothing like a last minute post, hey!? I also did a few hours of housework. Fun times. Above is a banana bread and juice combo I enjoyed during the week.

I really need for things to calm down, as I've been super busy lately, and there have been a number of occasions where I've found myself totally overwhelmed. I know I've got too many collaborations going at once and even though I couldn't resist accepting another food collab during the week, I did turn down two beauty collabs. So there's that. I think in about two week's time I might be in a better position.

Wishing you all a lovely week Xx

My Top 10 Netflix Recommendations

 

Hi guys! Not sure what to watch? You've come to the right place! I've been watching a lot of Netflix lately, so I thought I'd write about what shows I've been loving. Let's take a look at my Spoiler-Free rundown... 

1. WEDNESDAY

From Jenna Ortega's deadpan delivery as Wednesday, to the gothic sets, dark feel and the much talked about 'dance scene', Wednesday is such a fun show from start to finish. Based on the original The Addams Family characters, Tim Burton's updated version (I'm calling it his - he directs half of the episodes and serves as Executive Producer on the show) brings the mystery and intrigue and is a standout in the comedy/horror/supernatural genre.

2. THE WATCHER

Another mysterious show that had me absolutely hooked, The Watcher is actually based on real-life events, making it even creepier to watch! This stars Naomi Watts, along with Bobby Cannavale and absolute icon Jennifer Coolidge, with support from Mia Farrow and Richard Kind. It's a horror/mystery/thriller about a family who move into their dream home, only to be terrorized by threatening letters from a stalker, and a bunch of very creepy neighbours. Even though I dislike scary shows, I really liked The Watcher.

3. DEAD TO ME

I've loved following the characters of Judy and Jen through the seasons, so it's sad to see Dead To Me come to an end, but it was necessary due to star Christina Applegate's Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis and worsening health. This last send-off is not all doom and gloom; thankfully there are still laughs to be had in this final season. You can check out my Review of the previous seasons of Dead To Me here.

4. YOU

Not as good as seasons 1-3 but still extremely bingeable (I watched it in two days), You season 4 is a psychological thriller based around Joe Goldberg, a bookstore manager and serial killer. If you're a fan of this series, you know some shit is gonna go down, and things will get real dark, real quick. I found S4 went in a bit of a different direction (and was also based in a completely different part of the world) but is still very good. In interviews, star Penn Badgley has said he wants one more season of You so that Joe can get what's coming to him, so let's hope he gets his wish.

5. THE CIRCLE

The Circle is always a fun watch, if you don't mind loud, screechy extroverts, with a seemingly endless supply of enthusiasm. Contestants are separated into different apartments within The Circle building and can only communicate via 'The Chat', an online messaging system. They can play as themselves or try to Catfish the other players, which adds a whole other layer to proceedings. Watching them build relationships and alliances, compete in character-revealing games and strategize to be the final winner makes for entertaining (and at times exhausting) but ultimately super-fun viewing.

Short on time? You may be interested in Binge It In A Day

6. THE RECRUIT

I watched this on a whim, and I'm so glad I did! It stars Netflix-favourite Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks, a CIA lawyer, who becomes involved in international conflicts with some very dangerous criminals after an asset tries to expose her relationship to the agency. The Recruit has plenty of action, drama but also laughs and intrigue. It's a spy thriller/adventure with great performances, that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. This has been renewed for a second season, which I'll happily be watching.

7. PERFECT MATCH

If you're as much of a reality TV tragic as me, you will love this trashy excuse for a show. Featuring familiar faces from Love Is Blind (Shayne, Bartise, Damian), The Mole (Dom, Will!), Too Hot To Handle (Francesca, Georgia, Chase)) and The Circle (Joey, Nick, Chloe))  among others, it's guilty pleasure territory as these personalities compete to 'match up' and stay in the house to ultimately be the winners of Perfect Match.

8. BLING EMPIRE: NEW YORK

No thinking required with this one, making it the perfect show to throw on in the background. Fans of Bling Empire will notice along with the new city, we are also introduced to a whole new cast of wealthy Asian-Americans, with only one familiar face, Dorothy, featuring in this spin-off series. I challenge you not to fall in love with Blake, possibly the only somewhat-genuine person in the show. Be dazzled by opulence, jewels, outlandish outfits and ridiculously bougie parties as we follow the rich and famous around New York.

9. PHYSICAL: 100

This is a great reality show to watch with your family, as I'm sure kids will get a kick out of all the various gruelling challenges, as 100 of the top physical athletes in Korea compete to find out who is in the best physical shape. This is dubbed over and the English translations are a hoot, too.

10. BYRON BAES

This may only appeal to a niche audience (perhaps reality tragics like myself) and I admit it can be annoying. It follows a group of artists, influencers and entrepreneurs in Byron Bay as they work, socialise and try to make their dreams come true. If you can stand the crystals, flowy fashion and hippie-dippy shit, this is an easy to watch and fascinating, if not highly-scripted, piece of Aussie reality TV.

Happily I am now up to date with Bling Empire off this list of Unfinished Business and am continuing with Dynasty. I'm near the end of The Staircase so really should buckle down and finish that off too.

Have you seen any of these shows? Or if you have any recommendations let me know in the comments! You can always follow along on @whatmaxwatches to see what a super cool Unicorn called Max watches.