Unboxing: Wizarding World LootCrate - November

Hey guys! If you read my last unboxing post (November "Wonderland" OwlCrate), you will remember that I received a free OwlCrate in November after winning one of the photo challenges on Instagram, and so because I was getting a free OwlCrate box, I decided to treat myself to the November Wizarding World by LootCrate. As you may or may not know, that first crate sold out very quickly, but then they did a second batch, which I managed to get in on, that wouldn't be shipped until December. I was fine with that, it would be like a Christmas gift from me to me. As it turns out, this box arrived on the 23rd, and I didn't get my December OwlCrate until the 29th, so I'm really glad that I went ahead and got this one. It's quite a bit more than OwlCrate, but it is bi-monthly, and there's no book included in these boxes, just loot. I considered only getting the one box (because of the cost), but after seeing the contents, I'm definitely going to keep going as long as funds will allow.

So, on the the unboxing! The theme (as I understood it) of this first ever J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World box by LootCrate was Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, in honour of the movie's release that month (which, by the way, was amazing! I loved it, I'm so excited that there are 4 more to come, and I can't wait to see where the story goes!). The box is really cool, it's black with the logo on the top, and what looks like a suitcase lock on the side. Mine was a little damaged from it's long journey, as you can see, but everything inside was fine.

When you open the box, the inside cover graphic is awesome! It's dark teal and says "I want to be a wizard," and it makes me very happy.The first item at the top of the box was this sweet t-shirt! It's black, with the front page of a New York wizard newspaper "The New York Ghost" - it's really cool, I like it a lot.

The next item was this Pigwidgeon stuffed animal. He's kind of cute, but... not sure I have a use (or a desire) for a stuffed Pigwidgeon. :) It's also super soft.

Next item was a Harry Potter keychain. It's really big and bulky, so it's not something I think I would actually use as a keychain, but it's kind of neat. There is a black leather tassel, a metal Hedwig in flight, and a metal Hogwarts letter.

The next item I pulled out of the box was a Fantastic Beasts lapel pin. It is the Bowtruckle from the movie, in Newt's shirt pocket. Again, cute, but a bit bigger than I'd like. But it's a pin, so I think I'll be keeping that one for now.

There was also a Funko Pop! figure, which I was pretty excited about! There were a few possibilities (either characters from the new Fantastic Beasts movie, or Dumbledore). I got Dumbledore, which I was happy with because I didn't already have him, but then my brother ended up giving him to me for Christmas, so now I have a double which is up for trade (any takers??).

And last, but not least, there was this very cool "MACUSA" (Magical Congress of the United States of America, also from the Fantastic Beasts movie) embossed, gilded, leather-bound journal/notebook at the very bottom of the box. I really love the detail on the inside back cover; it shows a map of the USA with little blue dots here and there, and it's labeled "real-time hex indicator."

So, overall, awesome box. I think the items reflect the theme very well, it's a nice variety of items, and I feel like I got my money's worth. It's not necessarily all items that I love or will use, but that's completely my own personal preference. As far as the quality of the items and the overall box goes, I think they've done a great job, and I'm really happy with it!

The next Wizarding World box will be sent in January, and the theme is "A Matter of Time," which I am pretty excited about! Some people were speculating that there might be a Time Turner necklace included - I must admit that I would be very happy if that were the case! But I guess we shall have to wait to see...!

Did you get to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? Were you able to get in on the Wizarding World LootCrate? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday: Movie Freebie

This week's Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, see the list of future post subjects here) is a movie freebie. I wanted to do my favourite book-to-movie adaptations, but I couldn't think enough to remember which movies were books first, and which books I'd actually read... So instead I'll be listing my top ten favourite movies of all time, that I could think of while I was writing this list (I love so many movies, it's really hard to pick favourites). And so, in no particular order, I give you my Top Ten Tuesday Favourite Movies:

1. Tuck Everlasting - I adored this movie, it was my #1 for a very long time, and I haven't watched it in years, but I still consider it top ten. I know the moral is supposed to be that immortality is not what it's cracked up to be, and that Winnie made the right choice, but it always just made me sad and annoyed with her, because I'm pretty sure I would have made the "wrong" choice.
2. Sherlock Holmes - I adore Sherlock Holmes. The BBC show Sherlock? Definitely top 5. But the Sherlock movies featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are definitely some of my favourites. The mystery, the music, the acting, the costumes... Beautiful.
3. Stranger Than Fiction - This is one of my favourites because of the whole concept it presents of literary characters being real and subject to the author's whims. Plus there's a super cute love story.
4. Because I Said So - I'm not sure what exactly it is about this movie that I love most... but it's got a great cast of actors, there's polka dots in every scene, one of the main characters is a baker so there are beautiful cakes everywhere, there's a love triangle... So many points to love!
5. Zootopia - I love animated movies so much, so I knew I had to list one, but which to choose? The two most recent ones I saw and loved were Zootopia & The Secret Life of Pets, so it was a toss-up between the two. But I just watched Zootopia again a couple weeks ago, so it won. Flash the sloth is my favourite - hilarious!
6. Alice in Wonderland - the Tim Burton ones, featuring Johnny Depp. Tim Burton is the perfect director for a movie such as Alice in Wonderland, because everything he does is weird and a little bit creepy, and that is exactly what Wonderland needs. The Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter are my favourite characters.
7. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets - I've been watching the movies as I finish the books, but the last 2 I've watched have been awful representations of the books and have been a real disappointment to me. The first movie remains a favourite, and I've re-watched it several times (in fact, I think I'm about due to watch it again....)
8. In Time - I adore stories about time (time travel, immortality, reincarnation, etc) so this is right up my alley. And the whole concept of time being currency is crazy and insane and I love it.
9. Inception - Dreams have always been a source of intrigue for me. I have some pretty weird ones sometimes, or I did as a teenager anyway. The idea of being able to influence your dreams, to bring other people in with you, to go deeper into the recesses of a mind through dreams... very intriguing stuff.
10. Life As We Know It - I'm a sucker for a good rom-com. I love everything about this story (except of course for the deaths that set the whole thing in motion), and found that the main actors had a good chemistry. Super cute feel-good movie that always makes me happy.