Shari’s Top 5 – Blind Bags

Top 5

Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really!


For today’s Shari’s Top 5 I have chosen blind bags / boxes / capsules! I just love opening these and never knowing what surprise you will get inside! 

image45. Squishville

These would be higher up on my list as they are adorable, but I have terrible luck with them! I usually end up getting the same ones over and over or ones that I am not that keen on! However, I was pleased to get Nebula who is pictured!

image34. Mini Brands

These minis are so cute! You can get all kinds of mini grocery items as well as displays, a safe and fake money to name a few extras! They can be kind of pricey in stores but at the moment Tesco has them on clubcard deal for £3.75 so I have been stocking up!

 

image03. Recyclings

Recylings are fun pencil toppers that are made of recycled plastic which is a really neat idea! I have really good luck opening these too! I rarely get duplicates and each character comes in two different faces for you to collect!

image22. Disney Doorables

I just love these little mini figures from Disney. You can get a variety of Disney characters per series and the blind bags vary in the number of figures you can receive. In the smaller blind bags you can get 2-3 figures. You can weigh the packs in your hand to work out which ones hold 3 but I am so bad at doing it so I usually just grab some at random and hope for the best!

image11. Polly Pocket Secret Sands

My current favourite blind boxes to open are the Polly Pocket Secret Sands. I had so many the original Polly Pockets as a child and these just bring back childhood nostalgia and they are so cute too! The sand base for each scene is like kinetic sand so you can place the figures in it without them falling over. I have open two so far and will definitely be buying more in the future! 

 

 

 

Oops!

Some of you may have noticed today there were two posts of Shari’s Top5! This was not deliberate; I made an error when scheduling and one was supposed to be for next Saturday ^^;;

Fear not (Halloween bad pun!) I am going to schedule something else in instead and I also have a personal spooky tale or two planned for Halloween itself!

Shari’s Top 5: Halloween Activities

Top 5

Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really!

For this month I am focusing on Halloween / Spooky themed Top 5’s. I hope you enjoy this theme and do let me know what your Top 5’s are too!


Top 5 - Halloween Activities5. Dressing up – I don’t do this much now I’m older but I used to love dressing up as my favourite spooky characters (or go traditional and be a witch or a cat!).

4. Decorating – My lounge has a gothic-y vibe normally anyway, but Halloween is the perfect excuse to go full out decorating with all things spooky!

3. Trick or treating – Again something I don’t do now I am older, but I loved doing this as a kid. I cannot wait until my nephew is old enough that me and my sister can take him!

2. Shopping – Halloween shopping is just so much fun! I love checking out all the Halloween-themed home decor, food and clothes this time of year!

1. Watching scary films – I love scary movies and this time of year there is nothing I enjoy more than curling up on the sofa with a blanket and bowl of crisps to watch a horror film – with the lights out of course! 

Shari’s Top 5: Horror Films

Top 5

Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really!

For this month I am focusing on Halloween / Spooky themed Top 5’s. I hope you enjoy this theme and do let me know what your Top 5’s are too!


Top 5 - Horror Films5. Rings – A young woman becomes worried about her boyfriend when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he has viewed it.

4. Dark Skies – Lucy and Daniel Barrett are suburban parents trying to get by and provide for their sons. The struggles of normal life become extraordinary as the Barretts start to experience an escalating series of disturbing phenomena occurring around their home. Soon, the Barretts begin falling victim to alarming physical and mental afflictions, leading them to believe that they are being targeted by an unimaginable deadly force which they must uncover by any means necessary.

3. Lights Out – When Rebecca left home, she thought she left her childhood fears behind. Growing up, she was never really sure of what was and wasn’t real when the lights went out…and now her little brother, Martin, is experiencing the same unexplained and terrifying events that had once tested her sanity and threatened her safety. A frightening entity with a mysterious attachment to their mother, Sophie, has reemerged.

But this time, as Rebecca gets closer to unlocking the truth, there is no denying that all their lives are in danger…once the lights go out.

2. The Unholy – The Unholy, based on James Herbert’s best-selling book Shrine, follows a young hearing-impaired girl who is visited by the Virgin Mary and can suddenly hear, speak, and heal the sick. As people from near and far flock to witness her miracles, a disgraced journalist hoping to revive his career visits a small New England town to investigate. As terrifying events begin to happen all around him, he starts questioning if these miracles are the works of the Virgin Mary or something much more sinister.

1. Paranormal Activity – A young couple becomes convinced their suburban home is being haunted by a demonic presence. In the hope of finding some evidence they set up a video camera in their bedroom to film the room as they sleep. What they record is more terrifying than they could ever have imagined.

Shari’s Top 5: Spooky Reads

Top 5

Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really!

For this month I am focusing on Halloween / Spooky themed Top 5’s. I hope you enjoy this theme and do let me know what your Top 5’s are too!


5. Order of the Void by Robert Vaughn – Internet vlogger Jeffery Bailey, attends the funeral of his dead best friend. While at the funeral Jeffery is given a package from his friend’s mother. After looking through the contents of the package, Jeffery learns that it was more than just a simple home invasion that took the life of his friend.

Top 5 - Spooky Reads4. Sarah by Teri Polen – Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.

A bet between friends goes horribly wrong, resulting in Sarah’s death. When she returns to seek justice against those responsible, Cain agrees to help her. But when he discovers Sarah has been hijacking his body, he realizes she wants retribution instead of justice.

Terrified of what could have happened when he wasn’t in control, Cain commands Sarah to leave his house – but exorcising her isn’t that easy. She retaliates against her murderers in bloody, horrific ways, each death making her stronger, then sets her sights on Cain. With the help of friends, Cain fights to save himself and his loved ones and searches for a way to stop Sarah before she kills again.

3. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice – In a darkened room a young man sits telling the macabre and eerie story of his life – the story of a vampire, gifted with eternal life, cursed with an exquisite craving for human blood.

2. The Vanishing by Arjay Lewis – Former NYPD detective Liliana Slavik is still recovering from a nervous breakdown, after a shooting that killed her fiancé and ended her career. Seeking refuge in her peaceful hometown, she soon discovers hundreds of people have disappeared in the Pine Barrens nearby. She becomes determined to fight through her panic attacks, team up with the man who betrayed her, and solve the sinister secret.

Liliana uncovers information about the famed Jersey Devil as well as Native American lore which tells of monsters which haunt the vast New Jersey forests. But, the anxious investigator knows there’s only one way to reveal the truth. She must enter the woods herself…

Can Liliana face and defeat the terror before she becomes the next missing person?

1. Ring by Koji Suzuki – Asakawa is a hardworking journalist who has climbed his way up from local-news beat reporter to writer for his newspaper’s weekly magazine. A chronic workaholic, he doesn’t take much notice when his seventeen-year-old niece dies suddenly – until a chance conversation reveals that another healthy teenager died at exactly the same time, in chillingly similar circumstances.

Sensing a story, Asakawa begins to investigate, and soon discovers that this strange simultaneous sudden-death syndrome also affected another two teenagers. Exactly one week before their mysterious deaths the four teenagers all spent the night at a leisure resort in the same log cabin.

When Asakawa visits the resort, the mystery only deepens. A comment made in the guest book by one of the teenagers leads him to a particular vidoetape with a portentous message at the end:

Those who have viewed these images are fated to die at this exact hour one week from now.

Asakawa finds himself in a race against time – he has only seven days to find the cause of the teenagers’ deaths before it finds him. The hunt puts him on the trail of an apocalytpic power that will force Asakawa to choose between saving his family and saving civilization.

 

 

Shari’s Top 5: Halloween Treats

Top 5

Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really!

For this month I am focusing on Halloween / Spooky themed Top 5’s. I hope you enjoy this theme and do let me know what your Top 5’s are too!


Top 5 - Halloween Treats5. Swizzels Double Lollies I have loved these lollies from an early age. Every time I have one, they bring back so many childhood memories.

4. Chocolate Buttons – These are one of my go-to treats when watching scary movies. They come in many different flavours now, but my favourites are the classic milk chocolate ones.

3. Peanut M&Ms – Another movie go-to, they combine two of my favourite treats – peanuts and chocolate!

2. Snickers – Again another favourite combo, snickers are my go-to bar when I need a treat!

1. Reeses – I was so happy the day they started selling Reeses in the UK! The peanut butter and chocolate combo is so good!

Shari’s Top 5: Spooky Creatures

Top 5

Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really!

For this month I am focusing on Halloween / Spooky themed Top 5’s. I hope you enjoy this theme and do let me know what your Top 5’s are too!


Top 5 - Spooky Creatures5. Black Cats – I’m not particularly superstitious when it comes to Black Cats as I have one, but it can be pretty spooky to run into one at night or in a graveyard. I love all cats, but black (and white) ones have a special place in my heart. Sadly, these are often the ones left in shelters for a long time due to the superstition around them 😦 so next time you are thinking of getting a cat do please consider a black one as they are beautiful and make very loving companions! 

4. Moths – You just turn out the light and you can hear a fluttering in the dark. Chances are it’s a massive moth flapping around your room. The sound can be pretty spooky and moths for me always bring to mind sitting in lamplight telling spooky tales.

3. Ghosts – Who doesn’t love a good ghost story, especially during the Halloween month. Ghosts fascinate me rather than scare me (and I have seen a few!). 

2. Shadow people – Again, this is something that I have seen myself. The unexplained never fails to fascinate me and shadow people are definitely that! I’m used to them appearing, so I’m not scared of them, I really just want to know more about them!

1. Vampires – Vampires have been my firm favourite since I was a child. Dark, mysterious (and often sexy!) they are embedded into practically every culture in the world. I read and write so much vampire fiction and have many mythology books on them too. 

 

Shari’s Top 5: Comfort Foods

Top 5

 

Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really! Today I am listing my top 5 comfort foods! 


Shari’s Top 5: Comfort Foods

5. Cookies – When I need a quick sweet pick-me-up there is nothing better than a cookie! I love most sorts (except the ones when you think they are choc chip, and they turn out to be raisins!) and my favourites are either good old chocolate chip or peanut butter!

Top 5 - Comfort Foods4. Chips (fries) – Another go-to for a quick snack. I like any sort really, but my favourite are the skinny fries and topped with cheese and garlic mayo! 

3. Chocolate – When I’m feeling down, I love nothing more than to treat myself with some chocolate. My favourite bars are Reeses or Cadbury’s choc and nut bar.

2. Macaroni Cheese – The classic comfort food and one of the few dishes I can cook well! It is my go-to when I want something comforting and more filling.

1. Pizza – My favourite takeaway and ultimate comfort. It’s often my payday treat or movie night meal of choice! I like veggie pizzas the best or a good old-fashioned margarita! 

So these are my top 5! Do comment and let me know what your ultimate comfort foods are! 

Shari’s Top 5: Squishmallows

Top 5

Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a new feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really! For this post I am showcasing my top 5 squishmallows that I currently have in my collection!


Shari’s Top 5: Squishmallows

 

IMG_75775.  Number 5 is actually a tie between squishvilles Misty the mouse and Gary the giraffe! I chose Gary as not only is he adorable, he is the first squishville I ever got! If you have read a recent Shari’s life post you will know the epic tale (tail!) of how I got Misty. Basically I was using the torch on my phone to peer through a tiny hole in the capsule to see if I could see anything that could identify her! I was told that method would not work, but it did and I got her on my first try! 

IMG_75764. Ronnie the flip-a-mallow. I must admit, when I first saw the flips, I was not that keen but Ronnie is adorable! He flips into Rosie the pig but I mostly keep him as Ronnie. Ronnie is one of my ISO’s (in search of’s) but you currently cannot buy him in the UK. He is coming to Smyths between 15th-22nd August so I am hoping to get him then but considering the craziness there has been to get fuzz-a-mallow Connor this month, I am not holding out much hope. This Ronnie is super cute though and I will be happy if he is the only Ronnie I end up having in my collection.

IMG_75743. Cherie the sabre-toothed cat. I have loved sabres ever since I was a child (they also make me think of my favourite Power Ranger, Trini Kwan!) and I was so happy to get her! She’s 12 inch and currently sits on my bed with Gracia the Meerkat as my cubes I bought to store everyone are now full!

2. Gigi the Cat. Gigi was one of the first of my ISOs I added to my collection. I am trying to collect as many cat squishmallows as I can and I really wanted her as she is the same colour as my dear cat Ronnie was. She is adorable and is currently sharing a cube with Tally! IMG_7575

IMG_75731. Maurice the Moose. Maurice is my favourite squishmallow ever! He was my first DISO (desperately in search of) that I got. I got him for a really great price on one of the facebook groups as he is currently not available in the UK. He often sits with me in the evenings when I am watching TV although Tash sometimes get annoyed if he is in ‘her spot’ and bats him out of the way! 

So that’s my top 5 squishmallows! Do please comment and let me know what your top 5 are!

 

 

Shari’s Top 5: Books

Top 5

Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a new feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really! To kick off the first post in the feature, I have chosen to share my top 5 books that I own with you! I hope you enjoy this new feature and do comment and let me know what your top 5 is!


Shari’s Top 5: Books

IMG_75725. Space – Our Final Frontier by John Gribbin

This book came out in late 90s/early 00s and was to accompany the BBC television series. This is my favourite non-fiction book because my parents bought it for me when I was 16. I’ve always had a fascination for Space and the Planets and before Covid I used to visit the local planetarium very regularly.  Of course, the science in this is probably a little dated now, but it contains some beautiful imagery of the stars and planets!

 

4. Watership Down by Richard Adams

IMG_7571This is a very old edition that my parents used to read to me as a kid and my Mum gave it to me. I’ve read it so much that it is falling apart now, but I would never change it up for a newer edition as it has sentimental value. I remember this was one of the stories that first inspired me to become an author. And yes you guessed it, many of my childhood self’s stories involved bunnies!

 

 

 

3. Remember Me by Christopher Pike

IMG_7569I first read this book when I was 14 and there was something about Shari’s story that really drew me and stayed with me even when I had outgrown the teen-horror genre. I don’t know how many times I have read this book over the years and I think I probably know it off by heart! When I changed my name at 18 I decided upon Shari Ann as she is probably a character I relate to most out of all the novels I have ever read. Ann is also my Mum’s middle name and I wanted to keep the family connection through this too. 

 

2. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

IMG_7570As you all know, I love dinosaurs and Jurassic Park is my all time favourite film! I was 8 or 9 I think when it first came out and I can recall watching the film and never being so scared in all my life (and I loved that!). When the film was released, Mum borrowed the book from our local library and when she had finished I asked to read it. I have always been a very fast reader, even as a child, and was already reading books that were aimed at children older than I was. I said I could read it in an afternoon and understand it. And I did! I’ve always been more life-smart than academic-smart so this remains one of my best moments academically! 

 

IMG_75681. The Silver Brumby by Elyne Mitchell

When I was growing up I had my ‘horse phase’ where I was completely obsessed with them. And my most coveted book was The Silver Brumby. Back in the 90s it had been out of print since the 70s I think and there was no Internet like it is now so I couldn’t just find a second hand copy on eBay. So my quest for it involved trawling through countless car boot sales and visiting second hand bookshops searching for it. I eventually found all the books in the series (which I still have too!) apart from this one. I was only able to get a copy when Collins finally issued a reprint! 

 

So these are my Top 5 books! I found it really interesting when I sat down to plan this post, that when I thought about it most of these books have some connection with my family and childhood. In fact they all do to some extent! I’m sure the choices will surprise many people who know me and were expecting horror, science fiction and fantasy novels to dominate!