Thursday 28 March 2024

How to adjust to the clock change for healthier sleep!

As we prepare to move our clocks forward for daylight savings this Sunday reports have came in that the average person may lose up to 40 minutes of sleep. I hate the clocks going forward for that lost hour of sleep but it's not all bad as the days are longer and it means summer is on it's way!

Did you know that daylight is the natural regulator of our circadian rhythms. Even just an hour's change in our metabolism can disrupt our internal clocks, putting excess strain on the brain and nervous system. In fact the week following the time change delivers a 24% rise in heart attacks, an 8% rise in strokes and a 6% rise in fatal car accidents. Eek!

white cat sleeps under white comforter

6 tips to avoid sleep disruption during daylight savings!

1. Change your night time routine before the clocks change.

A little planning can help. To help minimise the impact of the time change, try to have your evening meal earlier and go to bed 30 minutes earlier for a few nights before the time changes. Amending night time routines before daylight savings will help ease the transition into the time change. 

2. Go to bed earlier the night the clocks change.

Where possible, on the night of the time change, go to bed an hour early. By doing this you are able to keep the hour that will be lost at 1 am on Sunday 31st of March, meaning you will not lose out on any sleep, making the transition into daylight savings easier to adjust to.  

3. Get as much early morning sunlight as you can.

For the week following the time change try to get as much early morning sunlight as possible to help your body readjust to the new time. The body’s circadian clock responds to sunlight and by taking in natural sunlight you feel more refreshed and energised for the day ahead.

4. Keep a consistent sleep routine.

By keeping a consistent bedtime and waking up at a similar time every day, your body will find it easier to adjust. Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep alongside this to help hit the ground running when the clocks do change.  

5. Avoid caffeine close to bedtime.

As much as you may enjoy a caffeinated drink it can cause a disruption to sleep patterns. To limit any disruption to sleep, try and keep caffeine consumption to the mornings and early afternoon at the latest.

6. Nap if you need to.

If the clock changing has left you feeling very tired consider having a nap during the day to help catch up on some of the lost sleep. It is recommended to keep daytime naps short and sweet with 20 minutes being the optimal time for a power nap. A general rule of thumb is to opt for no more than a half an hour nap to ensure that you will be able to get to sleep at bedtime. 

Do you hate the clocks going forward or do you cope OK with the time change?

This helpful advice came from Brain Works Neurotherapy.

Wednesday 27 March 2024

My top 5 favourite Easter movies

I wouldn't say I am a big movie buff but I do have a lot of favourite films and I have been listing them for a few months. You can read about my favourite action movies, Sci-Fi movies, my favourite Animated movies and my favourite musical movies and my favourite disaster movies. In the run up to Halloween I shared my favourite scary movies and the week after I shared my not so scary movies which were more up my street for the spooky season, in the run up to Christmas I shared my favourite Christmas movies and most recently my favourite sport movies!

Popcorn

This time it is all about my favourite Easter movies. I didn't think there was that many Easter movies until I really thought about it.

Peter Rabbit!
Based on the books by Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit, his three sisters: Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton Tail (Daisy Ridley) and their cousin Benjamin enjoy their days harassing Mr McGregor in his vegetable garden. Until one day he dies and no one can stop them roaming across his house and lands for a full day or so. However, when one of Mr McGregor's relatives inherits the house and goes to check it out, he finds much more than he bargained for. What ensues, is a battle of wills between the new Mr McGregor and the rabbits.

I love the Peter Rabbit movies! I went to the cinema to see both of the movies with my girls. I love how the voices of the animals are all one's we recognise and the stories are so funny. They're not just movies for kids, there's plenty of jokes for the adults.

Watership Down!
No Peter Cottontail here and certainly not one to watch with little kids. This movie, based on the popular novel by Richard Adams and offers a slightly more ominous  perhaps, realistic take on what it's really like to be a rabbit out in the wild. Eek! A group of rabbits must find a new home after their warren is threatened by humans. This classic tale is best suited to tweens and teens as it explores more mature themes like democracy, power, and nature.

Jesus Christ Superstar!
Adapted from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Broadway rock opera, "Jesus Christ Superstar" recounts the last days of Jesus Christ from the perspective of Judas Iscariot, his betrayer. As Jesus' following increases, Judas begins to worry that Jesus is falling for his own hype, forgetting the principles of his teachings and growing too close to the prostitute Mary Magdalene. After Jesus has an outburst in a temple, Judas turns on him.

Hop! 
He was destined to be the Easter Bunny, but all he wanted to do was rock! When teenage E.B. leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream to become a rock star drummer, he meets Fred, an out of- work slacker with his own lofty goals. Together the two encounter a series of hilarious mishaps and misadventures and in the end help each other recognize the importance of family. This family friendly film from the creators of Despicable Me blends animation and live actors to spin the tale of the Easter Bunny and his son, E.B.

Miss Potter!
Get to know Peter Rabbit in a whole new way. "Miss Potter" tells the story of Beatrix Potter, the author behind the best-selling children’s book “The Tale of Peter Rabbit." With an overactive imagination, Potter finds comfort in drawing and writing about the animals that she's adored since childhood. But after her attempts to find a publisher for her novels are unsuccessful, she soon finds a small firm that turn her luck and her entire life around.

I saw this for the first time a few weeks ago and it was such a wonderful and beautiful movie.

What are your favourite Easter movies?

Tuesday 26 March 2024

Not a girly girl but still a girl.

Becky my eldest is 21 years old and I'd say for the last 8 years she has never been a girly girl. She's not into make up, skincare, clothes or anything like that but it doesn't mean she's not a girl. She wears tracksuits and baggy clothes, it's what she's comfortable in and why not? I used to say to her not another tracksuit but it's just who she is and who am I to judge.

My eldest

She loves a good hoodie and to be fair she does feel the cold more than most people and they keep her warm but they are her thing. She must own about 30. Some she has for work, some she wears around the house and she does have some nice one's for going out.

Becky used to have really long hair, it was past her shoulders when she got it cut. Last year she decided to get it all chopped and went really short which took a lot of getting used to and she's had it cut since and it's a little bit shorter. She finds it easier to manage and thinks it's brilliant that it's brushed in about 20 seconds. 

Eldest hair cut short

Her short hair has caused some confusion, along with what she wears. Just the other week when the boiler man was here he was calling me madam and Stu Sir, when he was on his way out he said goodbye madam to Ellie my youngest and then looked at Becky and was a little bit puzzled. He just said goodbye. Becky thought it was funny.

It's not the first time she has been mistaken for a boy or lad. lol She was out with her friend in town a few months ago and her friend was attracting attention, only because she was dressing a Build A Bear while waiting for the bus when a man asked if her boyfriend had bought her that, Becky's friend was confused until the man pointed at Becky. To be fair she did have her back to him and when she turned around he was mortified. Becky thought it was funny. I am starting to think she dresses and looks how she does just for the laughs. lol

Once in a blue moon Becky will dress up in jeans and a nice top. She has a few fancy tops as she calls them and when she makes the effort she looks so different and a bit of a girly girl. That type of clothing is kept for special occasions though and times when I say a tracksuit is really not suitable.

My eldest in girly clothes

For years, when Becky was younger she wore girly clothes and felt uncomfortable in them but still wore them just to fit in. She's past that now and wears what she wants to wear and if people don't like it tough luck. Their opinions do not matter. I am glad and happy that she has found the confidence to be her, she's not a girly girl but she's still a girl.

Monday 25 March 2024

Our weekly meal plan! 25th - 31st March. #MealPlanningMonday

Our weekly meal plan

Hello there and happy Monday. How is it the last week of March already? We're heading towards the long Easter weekend, Stu still has to work on Good Friday but thankfully the buses are running their normal service, we thought they may have dropped to their Sunday service with it being a bank holiday.

Last weeks meal plan went really well, we ate everything but did swap a couple of days around. After the faff I had getting my food shop delivered I did not feel like cooking much on Friday evening. I booked the delivery to come between 10 & 11am and it didn't arrive so I rang up and they said a van had broken down but it would be delivered at 4pm. It arrived just after half past 5! The poor delivery guy was sick and his exact words were "you'd think a company like Sainsbury's would have a spare van. They didn't. We had the pizza's on Friday and enjoyed the burgers on Saturday.

We are getting another Gousto box this week. I had 25% discount so really pushed the boat out and got one of their premium meals (the lamb) which was an extra £2 per person. It still came to less than I would normally pay for a Gousto box and now my family love lamb it feels like such a treat.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Meat free mince Sloppy Joes with potato salad. It's a meal we have previously have from Gousto and we love it.
Tuesday - Gousto meal - Bingo’s Sausage & Baked Bean Hotpot With Minty Peas. I like the range of family meals Gousto are offering. It's good for evenings when you want something simple.
WednesdayGousto meal - One Tray Roast Lamb With Buttered Leeks And Roasties.
Thursday - Gousto meal Chicken Katsu Curry. We had Kasu Curry wraps last week and they were amazing so I imagine this is going to be just as good.
Friday - Gousto meal - Sausage & Caramelised Onion Sandwich With Chips.
Saturday - Pizza.
Sunday - Sunday lunch out! A roast dinner with all of the trimmings, maybe lamb again with it being Easter.

What are you eating this week?