The Watch List - Sept/Oct | Just Add Ginger

The Hills | DVD 

There are some TV series that every now and again I get the urge to watch. It's like a craving. And The Hills is one of those shows. Even after all these years I still get completely swept up in watching the everyday dramas of these twenty-something year olds. It's the perfect background entertainment for times where I do need to have something I can dip in and out of in between being a mum, and for some bizarre reason, whenever I watch it I want to get up and do housework, which is an utterly strange, but positive bonus.

The Great British Bake Off | All4

Even though I missed Mary Berry's final series last year, I have always been quite a Bake Off fan. So knowing it had changed hands, and had been given a bit of a Channel 4 makeover with new hosts and potentially a new structure, I went into watching it this time round with my sceptical hat on. 

At first I really wasn't sure. The dynamic between Noel and Sandi just wasn't the same as the banter that Mel and Sue had and it was something I quite missed. Now however, catching up with GBBO has become one of our weekly rituals and I'm finding myself rather warmed to the new lineup. 

As for favourite contestants, I'd really like to see Liam win this year. He's been a bit of an underdog throughout the competition but week-by-week he's started to come into his own. 

The Apprentice | BBC One

Just like Bake Off, The Apprentice is something I watch religiously every week. It's reappearance on  TV is the signal to me that Christmas is coming, and it just instantly makes me have that warm fuzzy feeling inside. 

The first few weeks always make me cringe and I spend most of the time wincing and hiding behind a cushion, but once all the contestants find their feet out comes this passionate, opinionated woman from within me who shouts at the screen, utterly convinced she could do things better (even though I would be utterly pants if I were on the show).

I try not to have a favourite contestant because every year without fail it is those who leave the show. It's like a curse. There hasn't been one year where any of my top picks have made it to the final rounds. So this year I'm keeping my thoughts to myself and hopefully I'll have finally backed a winner.

Don't Tell The Bride | All4

I have been a fan of this show for so long. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, and it makes me swear like a trooper at the TV screen. As fantastic as it is frustrating, now that all the past series plus current episodes are on All4 I quite regularly find myself binge-watching show after show when Eric is asleep or it is a sleepy Saturday morning. 

When we were engaged there was a part of me that thought it would've been quite fun to apply to Don't Tell The Bride, but Ryan and I were on the same page so much I think we would've made pretty boring contestants. For couples who claim to know each other so well it's sometimes difficult to believe that some of the weddings you see take place. Unless the whole point has been to put ideas forward that are intended to provoke their other halves purely for the entertainment factor, in which case it's a bit of a farce. 

But perhaps that's just me being cynical...

YouTubers You Should Be Following (3rd Edition) | Just Add Ginger

For me being a mum has meant that I've had to make certain sacrifices relating to my daily routine. Before baby I would happily spend an hour or two going through my YouTube subscription box catching up on videos that I may have missed from the week. However now I need to be much more selective. With much less time to myself my subscription list is now neatly curated to include only those creators whose videos are a must-watch. 

Sharing YouTubers I'm loving how now become a bit of a series on my blog now. And I'm quite happy to have it as a feature. I know how much energy, time and motivation goes in to making videos, and I think we need to celebrate this more and praise those who we think are nailing it (especially given how negative things have gotten recently).

I'm sure you'll know all of these ladies, but if you don't, head over to their channels and check them out. You may just discover a new favourite yourself.

Lydia Elise Millen 

I've been a follower of Lydia's for quite a few years. Seeing her start off as a blogger and now watching her YouTube videos always fills me with awe. The style, quality and presentation of her content is just amazing. Plus she is simply stunning (can we say "hair goals") I love watching her vlogs the most at the moment because they provide me with the ultimate escapism from life when my anxiety decided to pay a visit. Ones to catch up on are her wedding dress shopping videos, lookbooks, and her trip to the Maldives.

Holly Samanthaa 

From her vlogs to her makeup tutorials, Holly Samanthaa is just so personable a YouTuber to watch. She does so much and is so multi-talented that I feel so lazy in comparison (she bakes, is fab at nails and makeup, does YouTube, is a cheerleader and is a super-attentive mum)! There's so much variety on her channel that there is always a video to suit whatever mood I'm in. She doesn't sugarcoat things either, which I think can be quite rare in someone who shares so much of their life. Watching her videos is like sitting down and catching up with a friend.

Kate Murnane 

Kate comes across so well on camera and makes everything seem so natural. Hers were some of my favourite pregnancy vlogs to watch when I was expecting Baby Ginger. Her vlogs of days spent with her beautiful family (she's recently had another baby) always make me smile. She's such an inspiration with how much she does, and her baby updates and mummy videos are definitely ones to catch if you are a new mum or have younger children. 

Fleur DeForce

Fleur DeForce was one of the very first YouTubers I started watching religiously. And now even Ryan is a bit of a fan. She is just so personable a person to both watch and follow on Twitter ( her engagement is great) and comes across so well in every single one of her videos. There has never been one that I've not wanted to watch (which is rare, even with creators I really like). Currently expecting her first baby she is making pregnancy look so glamorous (Where were all these pretty maternity clothes when I was pregnant, eh?) She's another YouTuber I watch for absolute escapism which she never fails to deliver.

Gabriella

I went through a bit of a stage where Gabriella's videos were some of the ones I would scroll past and not really pay much attention. I think it's because I'm finding the age gap between myself and some of those I watch a bit too big sometimes and I can't relate to things they might be vlogging about. However she's now one of the YouTubers I keep up with the most again (I'm really enjoying her moving vlogs and haul videos). It's quite funny too because whenever one of her videos in on, Eric just smiles and smiles at the screen. It might be the tone of her voice, or maybe her face (she's nearly always is smiling and interacting directly to the camera in her vlogs) but either way it is just so cute to see.