Halloween week is upon us, which means that its time to get into the spooky mood. I've never been one to full on celebrate Halloween before - I'm one of those people who start celebrating Christmas in September - but that won't stop me from watching some scary movies and going to a party or two. I'll watch a scary film no matter the time of the year - which means that I have a huge back log of scary films that are worth a watch.



So today I thought I'd share some of my favourites - perfect for those who prefer to keep the blood, guts and gore strictly on screen.

While my mind isn't coordinating Christmas presents, scheduling blogmas posts, or building up motivation to write a dissertation, I love to indulge in some Christmassy past times. There's nothing better than giving into your guilty pleasures, and pandering to your Christmas needs.

So I've created a wee list, sharing some of the things I love to do throughout December (with lots of links for you to follow) so that you can feel relaxed and festive this season. Especially now that schools and work is ending for the holidays.

We all have our festive favourites, don't we? A favourite Christmas scent, a favourite Christmas film, and a favourite Christmas jumper. It's little things that will bring a little smile when you smell, taste, hear it. Whenever I taste a mince pie, or smell cinnamon, I automatically think Christmas. 

December, you're fab. The start of December brings with it lots of festive cheer, and surely even the ol' humbugs can't stop a wee smile on their face when they see the Christmas lights go up and decorations slowly creep over every inch of town. That's not to say there isn't a stocking full of stress that also come with December, but the festive fun can always outweigh the bad - can't it?



A couple of weeks ago I posted all about my favourite things to do in Edinburgh at Christmastime (if you're visiting our capital then have a look at that here). This week its time to see what Aberdeen has to offer. Uni is starting to wind down for most people - although the ever present weight of dissertation is hanging over my head - and schools are beginning to ease up on the homework load and slow down for the holidays. So its time that us Aberdonians, and those lucky enough to visit Aber-dream explore the festive goodies that the city has to offer over this month.

This week marks my last week of being able to deny the fact that I am truly an adult. That's right, as of Monday - I'll be 21, but will still be avoiding any responsibilities that come with that age and the fact that this year of my life will be full of change. To celebrate my entry into adulthood (or to drown the sorrows) I went out in Edinburgh with a few of my friends to eat and drink the night away. Except from the fact it was a Tuesday night and being a group of mostly 'responsible' fourth years, we couldn't forget the the library would be waiting for us in the morning and the deadlines still loomed. So instead, it was a night of enjoying good food, in good company.

I chose this restaurant called 'Vietnam House' located in Edinburgh's West End, a short walk off of Lothian Road. After a quick google and zomato search, I knew this was the restaurant for me - I've only had vietnamese food once before (when I was in London and made this food diary), but I instantly fell in love with the food. Chinese is a family favourite, however Vietnamese is full of stronger flavours, making it that bit richer.





Vietnam House is a tiny little spot, with a couple of rooms of tables and a kitchen at the back, and was filled quickly when I descended with my group of friends on the friendly staff. One room has a thatched roof, while our ceiling had colourful lanterns casting an array of colours overhead.

The menu, although small, has enough options to cater for vegetarians as well, and gave everyone a difficult decision of which dish to choose. I opted for a house special noodle dish - my all time favourite when it comes to this style of cuisine. But to change things up a little, I chose the seafood option, and I'm so glad I did. Prawns and squid were mixed through the noodles and veg, making a very filling and very satisfying dish. Everyone's dishes looked amazing - from rice, to spring rolls and wraps - the whole restaurant was filled with amazing smells and very happy students.



The restaurant is great value for money - the portions were good sizes, filling everyone up. What makes this a great restaurant for students or those on a budget is that its BYOB - bring your own. So you can bring along a bottle of wine or some beer and be set for a very merry night.



I really enjoyed my night here, and can't thank my friends enough for celebrating with me, and starting off my week long celebrations (its not as bad as it sounds). And this was a perfect place to relax in a chilled atmosphere, with some great food.

Check out some of my other restaurant reviews or some of my recipes, part of my Foodie Friday posts!

Love,
Emily
xxx