The Wednesday Hodgepodge #41

I hope you are all having a good week. It's Wednesday, which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. The Winter Olympics kick off on Friday, February 6th...on a scale of 1-10 how excited are you? (1= eh and 10=watching every event all day every day). What's your favorite Winter Olympic sporting event?

I’d say I’m about a 5. I’ll watch it if it’s on but I’m not going to plan my day around it. My favourite to watch has to be figure skating, there’s something about the grace and drama that just pulls me in. I also like keeping an eye on the Jamaican bobsleigh team if only for a little Cool Runnings nostalgia. Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, get on up, it’s bobsled time!

2. In other sporting news, the Superbowl (American football's championship game) will be played on Sunday, February 8th. So tell us...what's your superpower?

As a mum of two adult daughters, my superpower is knowing things without being told. I can hear a sigh through a closed door and instantly know someone’s had a bad day, whether someone’s hungry, or someone’s about to ask me for a favour but is warming up first. I can also sense drama before it’s even formed into words.

3. Are you a romantic?

I think I am but not in a big, dramatic way. I like romance but my fella and I aren’t that couple. We’re settled, we plod on and there’s no grand gestures but then every now and again, he’ll come home with flowers or chocolates, just because. I will do little things like make his favourite food, buy him his favourite snacks and not complain when he is watching football, even though I need his help with something. So I suppose I am a romantic, the kind that appreciates the small surprises and the thought behind them.

4. Blue cheese-yay or nay? How about feta? If you said yes to one or both, what's a dish you like that calls for one of these?

No to both! I’ve tried but the smell of blue cheese alone is enough to make me run for the hills and I know people love Feta but that tangy, crumbly stuff just isn’t for me. I am not a big cheese lover. I am sure I have mentioned it before, all cheese used to give me migraines but over the last 10 years I have realised I can eat mozzarella and cream and cottage cheese without any side effects so I don't push my luck with the rest.

5. What's more important-doing what you love or loving what you do?

I’d say loving what you do is more important. It’s about enjoying what you’re doing, no matter what it is. It’s not about chasing some big dream all the time, more about making the best of what’s in front of you. Enjoying the little bits, the small wins, the stuff you can control even if it’s not exactly your ultimate passion. That’s what makes it work.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

We’re a few days into February and every year I forget just how much I like this month until it sneaks up on me. There’s Valentine’s Day with all the chocolate and little surprises even though I’m not exactly a hopeless romantic and then Pancake Day which is an excuse to eat syrupy, pancake goodness without feeling guilty. The days are starting to get longer too and suddenly winter doesn’t feel like it’s going to hang around forever. There are little hints of spring, maybe warmer days are on the way and life might not be all hats, scarves and gloomy skies for much longer.

My February goals & plans!

Who would’ve thought that writing things down on my blog would actually light a bit of a fire under me and make me get stuff done? Turns out future-me doesn’t like disappointing past-me, especially when it’s written down for the internet to see.

In my January goals post, I pretty much did everything on my list apart from a day out with each of my girls. The girls decided they were doing a low spend month and weren’t fussed about going out anywhere. I still spent loads of time with them at home, so it’s not like I missed out completely. Movement wise, I did move just not as much as I’d hoped. January had other ideas. I started the month with a cough, followed by a full-on cold and add in cold, wet weather and suddenly the motivation to head outside vanished. I know blaming the weather is a classic excuse but that's just how it went! I am most pleased with the decluttering that I have done, especially my wardrobe and dressing table and I am glad to say they are just as tidy and as organised as the day I did the decluttering.

This month I want to:

Get some photos printed and put them in frames!

When I was sorting through the photos on my laptop last month, I came across quite a few that deserve more than just sitting in a folder I forget exists. So this month, I want to get them printed and framed properly. I’m even considering paying for prints instead of battling with our printer because that thing and I are not friends. It never does anything that I ask it to do.

Listen to another audiobook!

I really loved listening to Drew McIntyre’s book last month. He’s a WWE wrestler, in case you’re wondering, and one of my favourites. While I was listening to it, he went and won the Undisputed WWE Championship, which made it feel extra exciting. I finished that one mid-month, then moved onto Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella. After that, I rolled straight into Remember Me? Also by Sophie Kinsella. I was listening to The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson but ran out of hours on Spotify. Hmmf. I have since joined the library and can listen to all the books I want with no limits.  Audiobooks are staying on my goals list. I'm not setting a number apart from that I want to listen to one or more. I am now halfway through listening to Cat Lady by Dawn O'Porter.

Do something for Valentine's Day!

I have absolutely no plan for this yet. It could be a meal at home, a meal out, a trip to the cinema or even a night away if we’re feeling fancy. Or it could be none of the above. I just want to do something, even if it’s small.

Make pancakes!

It is pancake day/Shrove Tuesday here on the 17th and I am looking forward to making plenty of pancakes to enjoy as a family! I am hoping to get a new pancake pan as the one's we have are good but they are not going to last forever.

Get my contraceptive implant changed!

Without any tears. That’s the goal! I am terrible with anything medical and always work myself up into a little panic beforehand. I am booked in to get my implant changed and Stu is off work so he can come with me for moral support. This is not me being dramatic. I have history. Dressings being put on too tight and causing blisters, a time when they couldn’t get the old implant out, the appointment where they forgot to order a new one and let’s not forget the time I saw blood and fainted. So moral support is required. Fingers crossed this one goes smoothly but it's only a once every three-year thing, so once it's done, I forget about it until next time.

Tidy the garden!

Spring is creeping closer and the garden definitely needs some attention. I want to spend some time out there pulling up weeds, removing plants that didn’t survive winter and picking up any random rubbish that’s blown in. This one does depend on the weather though. I’m not battling sideways rain for the sake of a tidy border.

Watch 4 more movies!

Last month I watched 4 movies which were new to me. They weren't all amazing but I enjoyed them all the same. So it's something I want to continue doing.

What I watched last month was:

The Roses - Life seems easy for picture perfect couple Theo and Ivy: successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids. However, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentments soon emerge when Theo's career nosedives and Ivy's own ambitions take off. 

People We Meet on Vacation - I finally got around to watching it! Poppy wants to explore the world and Alex prefers to stay home with a good book, but somehow they are the very best of friends. They live far apart, but for a decade they have spent one week of summer vacation together.

Walk, Ride, Rodeo - The true story about the life of Amberley Snyder, a nationally ranked rodeo barrel racer who defies the odds to return to the sport after barely surviving a car crash that leaves her paralysed from the waist down.

KPop Demon Hunters - A world-renowned K-Pop girl group balances their lives in the spotlight with their secret identities as badass demon hunters, set against a colourful backdrop of fashion, food, style, and the most popular music movement of the current generation. I watched it out of curiosity more than anything and I ended up loving it!

Decluttering!

My decluttering went so well last month. I did everything on my list and donated a couple a few bags of clothes, sorted my dressing table and got rid of make-up which was well past it's use by date and so far, I have kept everything tidy. Even the side of my bed is clear. I do sometimes surprise myself.

My decluttering jobs for this month are:

Sort through all the toiletries in the bathroom and throw out all the empty bottles.

Have a tidy in the cupboard of doom under the stairs.

Sort through the storage boxes in the living room.

Have a tidy of the cleaning cupboard under the sink. It is impossible to find anything at the moment.

Drink more water!

I used to be really good at this, and lately I’ve been slacking. So this month I’m aiming for at least five pints of water a day. It should be doable if I actually make the effort and stop forgetting halfway through the afternoon.

All in all, it feels like a manageable list. Nothing too wild, nothing too dull and plenty of chances to tick things off. What do you have planned for February?

Our weekly meal plan! 2nd - 8th February!! #MealPlanningMonday

Hello and happy Monday! Another week, another meal plan and I’m sitting here feeling pretty smug about having my life together, at least when it comes to food. hehehe

I hope you all had a good weekend. I had a good one. I binged the new episodes of Bridgerton and also watched a bit of wrestling! It was a quiet one with Becky at work and Stu busy planning some redecorating. There was lots of measuring, lots of standing back with hands on hips and plenty of him saying think we should... Stu’s suddenly obsessed with redecorating, is because he’s bought himself a new computer desk. The kind that means the entire dining room now apparently needs freshening up and this then led to us realising that the dining room hasn’t been painted since we moved in almost seven years ago! Every other room has been done at least once, some twice but the dining room has been ignored. Oops. Anyway, once the old desk is out for a few hours, he’s decided he might as well paint.

Last week's meal plan went amazingly well! We ate everything I planned and on the day I had planned too, that rarely happens so I am feeling pretty good going into this week and I'm hoping to do it again! Usually we only have 4 meals from Gousto in a week but this week we have an extra one because when I was picking the meals I couldn't decide as they all looked and sounded so good.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto Meal - Sausage Meatball & Tomato Sauce With Fresh Orecchiette!

We're starting the week strong with pasta! This one is sausage meatballs cooked in a rich, herby tomato sauce, served with fresh orecchiette. We only discovered orecchiette a few months ago and I don’t know where it’s been all my life! Those little ear-shaped bits of pasta are brilliant at holding onto sauce, which means every mouthful is a good one!

Tuesday - Gousto Meal - Stove-Top Pork Meatloaf With Red Wine Glaze!

Pan-fried pork meatloaf, a rich red wine glaze, crispy potatoes and buttery veg on the side. Meatloaf is one of those things I forget I like until I’m eating it, then I wonder why we don’t have it more often. The family all love it too!

Wednesday - Gousto Meal - Creamy Pulled Chicken Thigh Soup With Garlic Bread!

This is a new one for us and I’m really looking forward to it. Chicken soup already sounds like a hug in a bowl but then you add garlic, thyme and chunky veg and I can't wait!

Thursday - Gousto Meal - Bacon Fried Rice With A Fried Egg And Spicy Ketchup!

Thursday dinners need to be quick but still feel like real food. This one is bacon lardons fried with garden veg and rice, topped with a fried egg and finished with a drizzle of sriracha ketchup. I love anything that involves putting an egg on top.

Friday - Fish finger sandwiches!

Friday nights are not for complicated cooking. Fish finger sandwiches are a firm favourite here. Crispy fish fingers, soft bread, plenty of butter and maybe a bit of ketchup.

Saturday - Gousto Meal - Herby Pork & Egg Burger With Fries!

A herby pork burger on buttery brioche buns, topped with a fried egg, mustard ketchup and crispy onions, served with fries on the side.

Sunday - No idea!

Stu is doing the cooking, so it could be anything. I am hoping for something with mashed potato, mash just feels right on a Sunday.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 25th - 31st January! Week 5 of #Project365

Yay! It’s the 1st of February and January, the month everyone seems to dread is finally over! I didn’t hate it this year. I think keeping myself busy really helped the days not drag. I had a cold in the middle of the month but even that had a silver lining, forcing me to slow down and enjoy days without pressuring myself to be busy every moment.

This week has been a mix of staying busy indoors and avoiding the miserable weather outside. I’ve had enough rain for a lifetime. Every time I peeked out the window it seemed to be raining! We got a sunny, dry day mid-week and it felt like magic! It made me start thinking about my plans for the garden this year, seeds and growing things and yesterday was dry and sunny too which boosted my motivation and I got some jobs done around the house. I can't wait for spring! 

Now for a photo every day!

25/365 - 25th January!

On Sunday, I was catching up with the wrestling which was on in the early hours. We have been spoilt this week. There was an extra show last Saturday, a 5pm start on Friday and a big show last night too.

26/365 - 26th January!

Just a chocolate eclair, an after-tea treat! It came in a box of two and I let Ellie have the other one, she loves sweet treats too.

27/365 - 27th January!

I finally finished my Hagrid’s Hut Terrarium! The plaster of Paris pieces from last week were the hut and the pumpkins. They are now painted and fully assembled into a little magical scene. I love how something so small can brighten a corner of my room.

28/365 - 28th January!

I made a batch of scones and decided to try something different. Normally I brush them with milk before popping them in the oven but this time I used a beaten egg. They came out shiny with golden brown tops that looked extra fancy but I still prefer the look that milk gives.

29/365 - 29th January!

I joined the library to get free audiobooks and they have so much to choose from. I have made a list of books which have taken my fancy and I’m excited to start working my way through them.

30/365 - 30th January!

I stepped out into the garden, to put some rubbish out and get a bit of fresh air. It was looking pretty dismal out there with the rain, the weeds and overgrown flowerbeds. It all looked pretty sad and ugly. The garden needs sorting out soon.

31/365 - 31st January!

Pancakes for tea along with bacon and eggs. A nice easy one because I wanted to be sat in front of the TV at 7pm ready to watch the wrestling!

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