A photo every day for a year! 23rd - 29th November! Week 48 of #Project365

Happy last day of November! Can you believe how fast this month has gone? I hope December slows down a little as I want to enjoy every moment and I feel like I have so much to do even though I keep saying I am not going over the top this year.

I've had one of those weeks where nothing huge has happened but looking back it was a great one. The decorations are up, the house feels cosy, I’ve eaten good food and watched even better TV. It's been nice to have that calm before the madness of December kicks in!

We had the quietest weekend and today is going to be no different. Today is all about watching Christmas movies, eating nice food and doing nothing productive, just how Sunday's should be!

Now for a photo every day!

327/365 - 23rd November

The Christmas decorations went up! The big moment finally arrived and it was an all afternoon job with changing the living room around to make way for the tree and giving everywhere a good clean. How does behind the sofa get so dusty. Eesh! Everything now looks so festive and I stuck to my word about not going over the top with the decorations.

328/365 - 24th November

My new favourite thing, a heated cushion! It was meant to be a gift for someone else and now I’ve stolen it. I’ll rebuy but the fact that I even considered keeping it tells you how good it is and the best bit is that it's USB powered. So simple! It’s kept me warm all week without having to put the heating on when I am the only one at home. Well done to B&M for selling things I never knew I needed.

329/365 - 25th November

I had a lovely early Christmas lunch out and finished it off with a glass of Baileys! Tis the season. Baileys is one of those drinks I never touch outside of November and December and every year I think Why? This stuff is amazing but it stays a seasonal treat, maybe that’s what makes it feel so special.

330/365 - 26th November

The weather was in such a mood this week. On this day it looked gorgeous out, bright sunshine and blue sky but it was so cold and then the next day it was suddenly warm! About 12C which felt like a mini heatwave after the day before. At one point it felt warmer outside than in the house.

331/365 - 27th November

New Stranger Things episodes!! I planned my whole week around Thursday so I could sit and watch all the new episodes in one go. They were brilliant. I went through every emotion possible while watching: screaming at the TV, hiding behind my hands like a five year old, gasping like I’d never seen a twist before and laughing out loud, mostly at Dustin. Four episodes and not a single dull moment! I can't wait for more next month!

332/365 - 28th November

I love this time of year for the hedgerows. Everything looks a bit bare but then you get the gorgeous pop of red berries growing everywhere.

333/365 - 29th November

I spent yesterday afternoon exactly how I wish every day could be, wrapped up in a blanket with a hot chocolate, my heated cushion (yes, it’s still glued to me) and How The Grinch Stole Christmas on the TV.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

This week my Word of the Week is: Celebrating!! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

What a week, well week and a couple of days since I wrote my last Word of the Week post. Everything that I wrote about last week went to plan apart from putting the Christmas decorations up on Saturday! After the early start on Friday, being in York all day, walking for miles and having a lateish night after going to the pub for a few drinks My body took one look at me, laughed and said, not today love! I needed a day of rest!

Today I am going to share all the little things I have been celebrating over the last week, there's been a lovely mix of silly wins, proper moments and me patting myself on the back for things other people probably would see as silly but I don't care. I'm happy.

I had such a lovely birthday. I felt really special. Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes and gifts you’re all amazing and I appreciate it more than you know. My family went out of their way to make sure the day was full of smiles and nice moments. I did wake up early which is never good, especially when I’ve spent the entire night listening to both Stu and Ellie snoring like a pair of farm animals. I can survive one snorer but when there was two of them, it felt like torture! I told them the next morning that one of them is sleeping elsewhere next time. Ellie can have her own room in the hotel and take her snoring with her. Thankfully breakfast made up for it. We were at a Holiday Inn and the breakfasts can be a bit hit and miss. Sometimes it feels like you’re in a race trying to get a slice of toast while children sneeze on the sausages and grown adults push in but not this time! It was calm, peaceful and actually very nice. We went down as soon as they started serving and I've realised that is the time to get the best breakfast!

Our train to York ran late and we got some money back on our tickets because of the delay, it wasn't much but it did make me happier about having to stand in the cold. I wasn't stressing, I think I was just glad to get on the train out of the cold and there was no rush as I knew we'd get to York well before the Christmas markets opened. We arrived at York and you can read all about my favourite things in the blog post I published earlier in the week. We walked around, took loads of photos, got lost at least twice and soaked up all the Christmassy feelings. On the way home we arrived at the bus stop just as the bus pulled in and it was so nice to sit down, my poor feet were throbbing! The bus had charging points which I needed after taking so many photos and it was a double decker so we got to see all the little towns and villages on the way home, well we could until it got dark! We got home, changed and went straight back out to the pub for a few drinks and a game of bingo! It's been a while since our local pub had the bingo on so it was a real treat and I only went and won the first game. It was just for a line and I only got a free drink but a win is a win!

Saturday we were good for nothing. We needed that lazy day, I don't even remember what I did but I know it was nice to do nothing! Sunday was busy putting the decorations up and I was so pleased with how they turned out. I hadn't planned to have everything matching but somehow I did, all reds and greens!

This week has been good. Nothing huge or majorly exciting just lots of little wins and that’s what I’ve been celebrating. When I haven’t been out and about, I’ve been pottering around the house doing those tiny jobs that feel way more satisfying than they should. I celebrated emptying the dirty washing basket and then I went wild and put all the clean clothes away too. I’ve also been doing the usual getting ready for Christmas bits: making lists, planning things, organising, all that stuff that makes you feel like you’ve got your life together. I had a get together with friends having our annual Christmas meal. Prawn cocktail, turkey with all the trimmings and Christmas pudding and brandy sauce. It was a fantastic way to start the build up to Christmas! We also had the yearly gas safety check which was a surprise. I had about 20 minutes notice that the man was arriving, thank goodness the cupboard under the stairs has been kept tidy! I sorted it in July (I only know because it was in one of my grateful posts. lol) and usually by now it would be chaos again but everything was where it should be.

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good week. I am of course linking up with Anne who blogs at Raisie Bay to join in with her Word of the Week linky!

What I have loved this week! Week 48. #FridayFavourites

Hello there and happy Friday! I hope you have all had a good week and for those across the pond from me a wonderful Thanksgiving! I’m here with a little roundup of the things I’ve loved over the past week or so. I say week or so because time feels like jelly at the moment. Between my birthday, a wander around York Christmas Market, an early Christmas meal out and festive chaos, I feel like I’ve lived a whole month in about nine days but it's all the good stuff. Of course I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea to share what I have been loving.

A good heart check up!

My eldest Becky had a check on her heart last week. The short story is Becky and her sister Ellie were both born with holes in their hearts which needed surgery to fix sixteen years ago. They're fit and well now. It was just a routine appointment but not for me, it was the first one that Becky went to without me by her side, it had to happen one day. The appointment was with the same specialist we’ve known for years. Becky didn't remember him but he remembered her sister. hehehe It's not often you get siblings with identical heart issues. Anyway, the good news is her repaired hole is still perfectly patched, the not so ideal news is that the valves that leak a little have started leaking a little more but the doctor was very calm and said that while she will need more surgery eventually, it’s nothing urgent, nothing dramatic and nothing that needs dealing with now. Her next check is in two years!! I’m taking that as a good sign and to be fair knowing Becky’s update actually helps me brace myself for Ellie’s next appointment because chances are she’ll get similar news.

This pie!

Last year at the York Christmas Market I treated myself to a Paddington Pork Pie. Yes, Paddington and no bears were harmed in the making of the pie it was just marmalade flavoured. hehehe I’d been daydreaming about that pie all year so of course the very moment I spotted the stall again and I got my pie, took it home and stretched it out over three days. It was as good as I remembered. I immediately wished I’d bought ten. One day I’ll learn!

My birthday!

Ahh! My birthday, I’m still smiling about it, it was wonderful! We kicked things off in Hull for the Christmas light switch on and then went for an all you can eat place where I absolutely demolished the dessert section. We stayed in a hotel that night which felt like a tiny holiday and then the next morning we headed to York Christmas Market. It was busy, sparkly and full of delicious smells and things to buy. I wasn't ready to end it there and we headed off to our local pub! It was such a lovely few days and I felt spoiled with gifts, calls and messages.

All the big gifts are bought for Christmas!

I have of course been Christmas shopping, gift buying mostly and now all the expensive gifts are bought! Phew! The relief is unreal. Everything else now is the fun little bits: stocking fillers, treats and random things I pick up because whoever I buy for will love that! I did a big online order the other day so I’m feeling quite smug and organised. It won’t last but I’m enjoying it while I can.

Ghost Seaglass picture!

York is obsessed with ghosts. The place is ancient, creaky and full of stories and some say it is the most haunted city in Europe. You can’t walk five seconds without bumping into something ghost themed. So when I spotted the cutest little ghost seaglass art on a stall I was smitten. It’s adorable, it’s quirky and it matches the horse artwork I bought in the summer. 

Stranger Things!

The new episodes have been released and I watched them all yesterday, there was only 4. Hmmf. The next lot are being released next month. I planned my week so I had yesterday afternoon free. hehehe

A heated cushion!

I had a heated seat cover, I actually got it last year for my birthday and it saw me through last winter but it stopped working last week. Luckily I had bought someone a heated cushion for Christmas which came in very useful as it has been so cold, it’s been a lifesaver! I know I’ll have to buy another because technically this one is someone’s gift but needs must! I could put the heating on all day, but when I’m home alone it feels a bit silly heating the entire house just for little old me.

Putting the Christmas decorations up!

I thought I was going to put the decorations up on Saturday but after doing York the day before my legs said: absolutely not, so Sunday became decoration day instead. We had a proper clean of the living room, rearranged the furniture a bit and then up went the tree. I bought new decorations this year and the whole thing has ended up looking so put together even though I didn’t really plan a theme. I’ll do a blog post with all the photos soon.

An early Christmas lunch.

End of November means one thing, the annual Christmas meal with friends. We went mid-week and it was lovely. Three full courses: prawn cocktail, turkey with all the trimmings and then Christmas pudding with brandy sauce. We ended up sitting there eating and talking for four hours like we had nowhere else in the world to be.

What have you loved over the past week?

What I have been watching on TV lately!

Lately I’ve been on an absolute roll with my TV watching. I’ve dipped into a bit of everything: twisty thrillers, Christmas movies and those reality shows that are pure chaos but you can’t look away. So I thought I'd round up a few favourites I’ve been loving and would recommend if you’re looking for something new to binge without too much commitment.

Squid Game: The Challenge - Season 2!

Inspired by the TV series Squid Game, real life contestants compete in a series of high stakes children's games in pursuit of a $4.56 million cash prize. Their strategies will be put to the test, while competitors are eliminated around them.

If you’ve watched Squid Game: The Challenge you’ll know it’s one of those shows that has you shouting at the TV one minute and sat there in shock because one of your favourites has been eliminated. The contestants this time are such a mix. Some are absolute stars and others feel like they accidentally wandered in while looking for the toilets. The alliances, the whispering the dramatic pacing around is just brilliant! The games are of course fantastic and had me glued to the screen. I got way too invested in people making terrible strategic choices, it wasn't quite as intense as Season 1 and I did not like how it ended but it is still great reality TV!

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox!

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is a series that follows American exchange student Amanda Knox after she is wrongfully accused and convicted of the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher in Italy. The plot traces her long journey of wrongful imprisonment, multiple trials, and eventual exoneration, highlighting the investigation, the misinterpretation of evidence and events, and the intense public and media scrutiny she faced.

I got totally sucked in to The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. It’s one of those shows that makes you feel like you’re right there in the middle of what is going on. I found myself flipping between feeling sorry for Amanda and frustrated with her choices. One moment it’s almost playful, the next it’s seriously dark! It was dramatic, intense and thought provoking in a way I wasn’t expecting.

Freakier Friday!

In Freakier Friday, 22 years after the original body swap, Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan) and her mother Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) find themselves in another magical identity crisis, but this time it also affects Anna's daughter Harper and her soon-to-be stepsister Lily.

This wasn't as good as the first movie, Freaky Friday but I still enjoyed it. The four way body swap is bonkers, the grandma in teen body is weird but in a good way and Jamie Lee Curtis is of course fantastic! There are sweet moments about family, identity and aging. You just sit back and enjoy the ridiculous situations. For me it was the perfect Sunday afternoon movie.

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

A group of celebrities living together in the jungle in uncomfortable conditions with few creature comforts. Each member undertakes challenges to secure additional food and treats for the group and to avoid being voted out by viewers during their stay.

I love it! This season of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! is exactly as it is every year: funny, chaotic and cruel to the celebs. hehehe The trials are as gross and this is probably my favourite year ever as I know and like all of the celebs! Even Ellie is watching because she knows most of them too. My favourites this year are Angry Ginge who’s hilarious and Ruby Wax is just her brilliant self. Jack Osbourne has had me crying when he was talking about my dad, bless him and Ant & Dec are doing their usual thing which is fun. It’s addictive, full of laughs and my only complaint is that it doesn't start until 9pm which makes for a late bed time.

All Her Fault!

A thriller about a mother, Marissa who arrives to pick up her son Milo from a playdate only to find he's been kidnapped by a woman who denies ever meeting her. The story follows the ensuing investigation with suspicion falling on several women connected to the incident in their wealthy suburb. As panic and rumours spread the narrative explores the secrets within the community, questioning who is truly at fault for the child's disappearance.

All Her Fault hits hard from the first episode. I ended up really liking it way more than I expected, it’s one of those shows that pulls you in straight away and suddenly you’re three episodes deep. It was tense without being too heavy and I loved how it kept me guessing without making me feel like I needed a detective’s notebook. Definitely one of those series where you finish an episode and instantly want someone to talk about it with.

A Merry Little Ex-Mas!

All Kate and Everett want for Christmas is an amicable divorce and one last holiday as a family, but new flames and old feelings complicate their plans.

A Merry Little Ex-Mas ended up being such a fun watch and I went into it expecting something light but it actually had a nice bit of heart to it too. It’s predictable in the best way with all the usual Christmas movie things happening but it never feels dull. It’s one of those films that makes you smile, cringe and root for the characters all at once.

What have you been watching lately?