Spider Season: The facts, myths and how to cope!

Every September without fail I start to dread evenings at home. Not because of the darker nights or the chaos with my youngest being back at college but because it’s spider season. If you live in the UK you’ll know exactly what I mean. One minute you’re sat happily watching TV and the next a massive spider runs across the living room floor like it owns the place and you’re left either perched on the sofa with your feet tucked up or sprinting out of the room to find someone else to deal with it. I hate them, I always have. Doesn’t matter that everyone tells me they’re harmless or they eat flies. I don’t care, I just don’t want them in my house!

Why spiders show up more in September?

Spiders are around all year but we notice them more in late summer and autumn for a couple of reasons. It’s their mating season. The males start wandering about looking for females, which means they’re suddenly out in the open instead of hiding quietly in corners. They want warmth. Once it starts getting chilly outside our cosy homes look like the perfect place to move into and that’s why it feels like they’re suddenly everywhere. They’re not new, they’ve just come out to play at the worst possible time.

How they sneak in!

I used to think they just appeared out of thin air but no they get in through tiny gaps. Around windows, doors, vents, under skirting boards, even where the pipes go through walls. If there’s a way in, they’ll find it.

Myths we’ve all heard!

People love to throw out facts about spiders when you admit you’re scared of them. Here are a few I hear all the time:

They’re more scared of you than you are of them!

Sorry but I don’t believe that for a second. If they were scared, why would they run straight across the carpet towards me? I’m not buying it!

You swallow loads of spiders in your sleep every year!

Thankfully this is a complete myth. Spiders aren’t interested in humans as food and don’t willingly crawl into our mouths.

If you put a house spider outside, it’ll die!

Partially true. Some species like the house spider are adapted to indoor life and may struggle outdoors, especially in cold weather. That said, many still survive and thrive in gardens and sheds.

It’s bad luck to kill a spider!

That’s just superstition. I still prefer not to squash them but if it’s me or them, I’m choosing me.

Why they freak me Out!

I know loads of people who can just scoop them up and carry on like nothing happened. I’m not one of those people. When I see a spider, I freeze, my heart races and I suddenly feel itchy all over like something’s crawling on me. Even after it’s gone I’ll avoid that room for a while and if it’s in the bedroom, I’m sleeping on the sofa! It sounds dramatic but I know loads of us are the same.

How to keep them out!

You can’t stop every single one, but you can cut down on the chances. Here’s what actually helps:

Seal up gaps. Around windows, doors, pipes, vents. A bit of sealant or draught excluder works wonders.

Vacuum often. Corners, under the sofa, behind furniture basically anywhere they might spin a web or hide.

Peppermint spray. Mix a few drops of peppermint oil with water in a spray bottle and go around windowsills, doors, and skirting boards. They hate it and it makes the house smell nice.

Keep clutter down. Piles of clothes, boxes and bags are perfect hiding spots. The tidier it is the fewer places they’ve got to lurk.

Go easy on outdoor lights. Lights attract flies which attract spiders. Motion sensor lights are a decent compromise.

Try citrus. Lemon peel or citrus scented polish can put them off.

Should we learn to live with them?

The experts say yes. Spiders eat flies and other bugs so they’re actually useful and in the UK and they’re harmless. The biggest house spiders look scary but they won’t hurt you. I do get that they have their place in nature. I just wish their place wasn’t in my living room!

So if you’re like me and hate this time of year for the eight legged reason remember that it’s normal to see more spiders now, it’s just their season and it’s totally fine to hate them, even if everyone else tells you they’re harmless.

Are you scared of spiders too?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #27

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. Are you more life of the party or more party pooper? If your answer is somewhere in the middle which side of the middle do you lean towards more?

I’d say I’m somewhere in the middle but leaning toward life of the party. I'm the one keeping the snacks flowing and dragging people onto the dance floor when the playlist gets good but I’m also not the last one standing as I don't do late nights anymore.

Birthday party, beach party, cocktail party, dinner party, charity fundraiser, surprise party, costume party, garden party, Christmas party, reunion...what's your favorite kind of party?

I think I’d pick a cocktail party. It is a good balance between fun and fancy. You get the cocktails which I love, plenty of picky food to graze on and the kind of atmosphere where you can chat without shouting over blaring music.

2. Cheese, wine, and balsamic vinegar all improve with age. What would you personally add to the list?

Pyjamas! The older and more washed they are, the softer and comfier they get and the same goes for jeans too! My favourite jeans are one's that I have had for years and I have worn and worn!

3. How do you feel about your birthday? How do you want to be celebrated? Or don't you?

I love my birthday and want it to be celebrated but nothing too over the top. A nice family meal out, a few drinks and maybe a day out somewhere too. I wrote about how I like to spend my birthday a few months ago.

4. What remarkable feat, interesting piece of trivia, or historical event occurred on your birth day and month? Not necessarily your same birth year, just the same date/month.

My birthday is the 21st of November and in 1941 the iconic cartoon character Tweety Bird made his first appearance in the animated short A Tale of Two Kitties! In 1945 Goldie Hawn was born, in 1980 you found out who shot JR, the Nintendo DS was released in 2004 and the first installment of the popular Twilight film series was released in 2008!

5. Share two good things about your life right now.

My girls are living their best lives. They are both so happy which in turn makes me happy.

I am enjoying cosy season. It has turned colder here and I am enjoying being under my blanket while I'm watching TV, burning autumn candles, baking and drinking more hot drinks.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

What I am not loving about this time of year and the change in season is the germs my family bring home from work and college. My fella had a cold last week and has passed it to me. Ugh! I think I am over the worst but having a cold is no fun at all! 

Birthday season is over for another year!

My fella and my two girls have their birthdays in the space of three and a half weeks. From the middle of August until last week it is birthday season in our house. It is hard work organising everything and making sure they have a special day and this year was extra special as it was Ellie's 18th!

It all started in the middle of August with Stu's birthday. It wasn't a big birthday but it was nice just to celebrate him. We had planned on the girls taking him to play pool and then get a Chinese takeaway at home but the Chinese takeaway was closed for their summer break but it turned out OK as it happened to be the first Saturday of the Premiership and Newcastle United were playing so we went to a pub showing it and had food there. The only thing that would have made him happier was if his team won, they just got a draw. He loved all of his gifts, especially his new Newcastle United top off Becky.

Ellie's birthday was the big event of the summer in our house. She turned 18! All of the stress and planning was worth it on the day to see her face when she came downstairs and saw the decorations, opened her presents and was so surprised by some of the surprises I had planned. The new dressing table, her boyfriend coming over for the day and going to visit family. She got everything that she wanted and more!

The main event was a night at the pub. We had planned on a quiet meal but shortly after we'd finished eating the karaoke started and it started with the whole pub singing happy birthday to Ellie. She was of course mortified but said it was the most scared and happy she has felt at the same time. lol She went to the bar to order her first legal drink and was very disappointed that she didn't get asked for ID. It turns out the guy serving thought she was already 18. lol To be fair she was the youngest in her school year so everyone she knows has been 18 for potentially three hundred and 60 days. lol After that they made a point of asking for her ID. hehehe 

It was a fantastic night and thankfully there were no sore heads the next morning as Ellie had a night out with friends to prepare for. She went out around town with a group of her friends, her first proper night out. She kept in touch so I didn't worry that much, she sent me vidoes and photos and it looks like she had an amazing time but she said never again will she do two nights out on the trot! By Sunday afternoon she was ready for her bed. lol It turns out it's hard work celebrating being 18 years old. As much as young adults have a bad reputation for drinking lots, throwing up in the street and falling over I can honestly say Ellie was sensible and didn't drink much alcohol, she was just happy to join her friends on a night out. She is the youngest out of her friendship group so having a night out with them has been a long time coming!

After the double night out Ellie was quite prepared to enjoy the next weekend at home but her sister had other plans, she was taking her on a night out with her friends and to a Emo music event. Ellie loves all the emo music and they had a hotel booked so there was no rush home. They went to a couple of bars afterwards but were in bed just after 1am which wasn't bad considering lots of the bars and clubs don't close until 6am. Eek! 

Next up was Becky's birthday! This was going to be more of a quieter affair, yes it was a birthday but not a big one like Ellie's so it was a lot more relaxed. 

Becky is the hardest person to buy gifts for, she has everything or buys anything that she wants or needs. I think I did well though, she was happy with all of her presents especially her pool cue. Her favourite present of all was a kiddy wrestling belt that her sister had got her. lol She has seen the price of replica one's so it's a dream to own one so a plastic one will have to do for now!

All Becky wanted to do with her day is have a Pumpkin Spice drink from Starbucks and a look around the shops, she is so easy to please so that is what we did! It was nice for it just to be her and me for once, we sat people watching outside of Starbucks, looked around Primark, went in a shop we don't usually to get out of the rain and ended up at the pub where we were meeting the rest of the family for a meal.

We enjoyed our food and headed home, well at least Stu, Ellie and I did. Becky was heading out and meeting up with friends for a wild night out, well probably not that wild as she is pretty sensible.

So that's it, the birthdays are over for another year, well at least the one's that I have to organise. Mine is the next birthday and I have already told my family what I want to do. hehehe It's up to them to plan and organise it.

Our weekly meal plan! 15th - 21st September! #MealPlanningMonday

Last weeks meal plan went really well. We ate everything apart from the home made Chinese takeaway on Saturday as I didn't see the point in making it with just Stu and I home. I forgot Becky was back at work and Ellie was out with friends. Everything is still in the freezer so we plan on having it this week. Our favourite meal of the week was of course the roast chicken dinner. They always seem a little bit special when we have them during the week and not on a Sunday.

This week looks much quieter for me! Hooray, I have nothing on, no plans! I feel like I’ve been here, there and everywhere over the past few weeks so I’m looking forward to a slower pace with just a bit of pottering about the house and doing my own thing while Stu and Becky are at work and Ellie’s at college.

I have had a Gousto box delivered this week as I am completely fed up of thinking about what to cook every night. Coming up with meals is harder than the actual cooking sometimes so Gousto to the rescue! I’ve gone for meals we’ve had before because I know the family likes them and it saves me from the whole what on earth is this faces at the dinner table.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal - Mild Chicken Curry. I must remember not to put the sultanas in the rice as my family weren't keen on them last time.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Chip Shop Fish & Chip Burger With Curry Sauce.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Honey Hoisin Pork Noodles With Smashed Sesame Cucumber.

Thursday - Sausage pasta bake.

Friday - Pizza.

Saturday - We'll try this again! Home made Chinese takeaway. Sweet and sour chicken balls, egg fried rice, spring rolls, salt and pepper fries and chow mein.

Sunday - I'm not too sure yet but probably something with mashed potato and veg.

What about you? Have you got your meals all sorted this week? What are you eating?