Wednesday, 4 November 2026

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #80

Happy Wednesday! I hope you're all having a lovely week so far. It’s time for another round of the Wednesday Hodgepodge hosted by Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce gives us six questions, we share our answers and everyone links up! Simple!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Our November Hodgepodges always include a question related to gratitude. What is one small thing you're grateful for today?

I started writing this on Sunday afternoon and I am grateful for a lazy day at home. It's grey and damp outside, so it was nice to stay inside in the warm. It was extra cosy because we had the heating on. I didn't have much to do, so I spent my afternoon watching TV, blogging and the bonus was that I could stay in my Pjs. I do need to have a shower soon and change into a clean set. I love days like this when I can fully relax. It's not the most exciting thing to be grateful for but it's something I do appreciate.

2. Chrysanthemums-pansies-burning bush-ornamental cabbage-camellias...your favorite in an autumn garden? Would we find any of these in your yard/garden this year?

Out of those I'd probably choose chrysanthemums or pansies. They are such pretty flowers and come in so many colours. It's nice to see them at this time of year when it's so grey and gloomy outside. I am now thinking I should make more effort to have some in my garden during the autumn and winter. It would be nice to look out of the window and see some colour. I don't really have any flowers in my garden at this time of year, which seems like a shame considering I have so many in the spring and summer. At the moment I am thinking more about getting the garden tidied up for winter.

3. If you could clear out or organize one physical space or mental habit before the year ends, what would it be?

I'd like to stop saying yes to things when I would much rather say no. I'm terrible for this sometimes. I will agree to things because I don't want to disappoint people and don't want to cause a fuss. I have a little voice in my head saying just say no but rarely listen to it. I'd like to get better at putting myself first and not feeling guilty about saying no.

4. Brussel sprouts...love 'em or no thank you? If you said love 'em how do you like them prepared?

I love them now but hated them when I was a child. It's funny how our tastes change as we get older. I used to think it was a punishment if they were on my plate and I was convinced adults only pretended to like them. Now they're one of my favourite vegetables and I love them on a roast dinner. My family always complain when they find them on their plates at Christmas but it's tradition to have them. I know there are lots of different ways to cook them but I like them simple. I like them boiled until they're soft but not too mushy with a bit of butter, salt and pepper.

5. It's reassuring to know that____________________.

It's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who struggles to find something to watch on TV. I have tons of channels, Disney+, Netflix and Amazon but can never find anything I want to watch. I'll scroll through the TV, complain that everything is rubbish and then put on an episode of something I've watched a million times before. My family all do the same too and don't get me started on choosing a film. By the time we've agreed on something to watch, we could have watched half of it! My fella has just gone upstairs to watch TV and I already know what will happen. He'll get comfy and spend the next half an hour scrolling through the channels trying to find something to watch. He'll probably end up watching something he's seen before too.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

While I was finishing writing this blog post, I had the Mexican Grand Prix on the TV. What a race it was! There were crashes, lots of overtaking, drama and Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest ever Formula 1 World Champion! How amazing is that! He's had a brilliant season. At just 20, he's already done something that so many drivers spend their entire careers trying to achieve. I cried hearing him cry as he finished the race! Bless him!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Tuesday, 3 November 2026

365 Days Of Gratitude. In October I was grateful for...

I have seen many people on social media list something every day that they are grateful for and thought I would join in. I have done this for the whole of the last few of years and it has really made me realise that even on bad days I have something to be grateful for.

October was another blink and you missed it month! Things were busy here for the first half of the month but then calmed down! Phew! We had lots of fun things going on and I can't see things slowing down until the end of the year. Eek!

Today I am grateful for

In October I was grateful for:

Day 274 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that the tracksuit bottoms I ordered Stu were the right ones and the right size! Phew!

Day 275 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a nice time with my dad today. He made us lunch, we had a good chat and a few giggles.

Day 276 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a nice meal out!

Day 277 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a day in front of the TV.

Day 278 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful my dad rang me to remind me I was supposed to be at his today to help him out with some things on the computer. I had totally forgotten. Oops!

Sunset

Day 279 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful I got all my jobs done quickly this morning so I could spend a few hours catching up on things on my laptop!

Day 280 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that I didn't have to go out in the rain and could stay home.

Day 281 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for my slow cooker, making tea so much easier!

Day 282 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that my dad made my lunch! Omelette sandwiches!

Day 283 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for Netflix and wrestling on the TV!

Day 284 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful my girls have told me their plans for the week. I am not going to remember everything but at least I have a fair idea what's going on.

Big tomato

Day 285 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful it wasn't as cold as it looked outside, I got some tidying up in the garden done.

Day 286 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for lunch from Greggs. The sweet mince pie roll is yummy!

Day 287 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that I finally got my Provisional Driving Licence through the post! They sure took their time to send it out.

Day 288 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful the girls had a good time at Hull fair and Becky sent candy floss home with Ellie for me!

Day 289 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a full refund from the DVLA. I don't understand how as I received my Provisional Driving Licence on Wednesday. lol I think it's because I paid for a first time one and they found record of my old paper one I lost when I was about 20 years old. I'm going to give them a ring on Monday.

Apple pie

Day 290 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful to have some time on my laptop tonight to catch up on things.

Day 291 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for an afternoon in front of the TV watching films and a bit of Ted Lasso.

Day 292 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that Stu cooked tea! Pie and mash!

Day 293 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that Stu is on early finishes this week! Getting home half 45 minutes earlier makes such a difference.

Day 294 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for soup for tea. It seems ages since I had basic tinned soup. My family had a cheesy macaroni meal that I didn't want.

Day 295 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for my dad giving Ellie a lift to somewhere she needed to be and home again. He had errands to run so she went along with him as well. She had the best time.

Flowers

Day 296 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a bag of apples off my dad! I made an apple pie!

Day 297 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful I could stay inside where it was warm and dry!

Day 298 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for an unexpected evening with Becky. She has training at work next week so had tonight off!

Day 299 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that I got some more Christmas presents bought.

Day 300 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a walk out into town with Becky while she got her hair cut.

Peppermint candle

Day 301 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful my parcels were delivered. I have a Halloween costume ready and someone's birthday presents!

Day 302 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful that mine and Ellie's hair dye went on well.

Day 303 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful Ellie had a fab night out with her friends and that her make up and outfit worked out!

Day 304 of #365DaysOfGratitude
Today I am grateful for a fun night out in town!

What were you grateful for in October?

Monday, 2 November 2026

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

Our weekly meal plan!

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! We had a great one here with a very fun night out. We were all dressed up and so were most people in town. I lost count of the number of times I told people I loved their costumes. There was everything from zombies to Disney Princesses, witches to Toy Story characters. It was brilliant seeing how much effort everyone had gone to. Just in case anyone is offended by my devil horns in the Halloween photos, they are just a bit of Halloween fun and no offence is intended. You never know these days, so I'm just covering all bases before anyone gets their pitchforks out!

Halloween costumes

Last week's meal plan went well. All the meals were enjoyed and the hearty beef & mushroom pie was really appreciated when it was a really chilly day! My family were fighting over the smoky cheddar mummy sausage rolls as they were so good! Who'd have thought adding cheese to sausage meat would be so good!

I don't have much planned for this week, in fact I can't think of anything I have to really have to do this week but these are the weeks that always seem to end up being busy. The girls are going to a firework display on Bonfire night and I will be staying home, I hate fireworks!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Pork and apple sausages with potato wedges and mushrooms and peas!
We're starting the week with something nice and easy. I really like pork and apple sausages, they just seem a bit more interesting than plain sausages. I'll pop the potato wedges in the air fryer, the mushrooms fried and we'll have peas on the side too.

Tuesday - Tuna pasta bake!
This is another meal that we've not had in a while. Tuna pasta bake is one of those meals that is easy to throw together and doesn't need loads of ingredients. It always goes down well with my family wanting seconds.

Wednesday - Veggie fajitas!
It has been a while since we have had fajitas. I love meals where everyone can put their own food together.

Thursday - A freezer dive!
This is the night the girls are going to a firework display and they will be getting food there, so it's just Stu and I at home to think about feeding. I haven't planned anything for us because I think we will just have leftovers out of the freezer. Emptying the freezer is on my to-do list this month, so this seems like a good place to start.

Friday - A takeaway of some sort!
Friday night is an easy night for me. I don't cook and we order takeaway. It could be Chinese or Indian food or even ordering from the fish and chip shop. We will decide on the day what we fancy.

Saturday - Gousto meal - Loaded Sausage & Egg Naan With Coriander Chutney!
This is something a bit different. Naan bread topped with sausages, a fried egg, minty sauce, chutney and a diced shallot salad. It also comes with tomatoey roasties on the side.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!
I have no plans for Sunday at all. Everyone can help themselves to whatever they fancy and use up bits from the fridge, freezer and cupboards. There is always something that needs using up.

What are you eating this week?

Sunday, 1 November 2026

A photo every day for a year! 25th - 31st October Week 44 of #Project365

Happy Sunday!! I hope you had a great Halloween. I am hoping we did. I am writing this yesterday afternoon before I get ready for a night on the town with Stu and maybe the girls and their friends. They have plans but I have a feeling they will end up hanging out with their old parents. hehehe Yesterday was spent getting all the boring jobs out of the way. I did the housework, got the food shop delivered and then spent some time trying to do fancy eyeshadow. I'm not sure why I always think I'm going to magically become a make up artist when I have somewhere nice to go.

It's been another week of everyday bits and pieces, a little bit of Halloween preparation, new hair do's and some good food. I also have a lovely local story to share before I get on with this week's photos.

Over the last few months I have been following the story of Karl Bushby. He is a man from Hull, the biggest city near me. He set himself a challenge back in 1998. He set off from Punta Arenas in Chile and decided he was going to walk all the way around the world and then walk home. He gave himself two rules, he wasn't allowed to use transport and he couldn't return home until he had completed the challenge. Along the way he's crossed dangerous jungles, deserts and frozen landscapes, walked across the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska and even swam across the Caspian Sea. Earlier this month he arrived back on British soil after swimming the English Channel after travelling through 29 countries and more than 30,000 miles. He still has the final stretch to walk to his home city of Hull. Today he is on the final stretch, he is passing through a little town near me and will be crossing the Humber Bridge into Hull, hoping to arrive back at his mum's house tomorrow morning! I think it's such a heart warming story and I imagine it's going to be all over our local news for the next couple of days.

Now for a photo every day!

Grand Prix and a little ghost
Eldest getting her hair cut and me with my new hair do
Mummy sausage rolls and my youngest dressed for Halloween
Temporary face tattoos

298/365 25th October
It was the United States Grand Prix on Sunday and we all watched it here. It was nice having an 8pm start. It was a pretty chilled race with not much drama but I still enjoyed it. All eyes are now on Kimi Antonelli. He's on the verge of becoming the youngest F1 world champion!

299/365 26th October
Isn't this little ghost cute? I spotted this while I was out and I did almost buy it but I don't decorate for Halloween, so there wasn't much point. So I left the little ghost behind. I'm sure somebody else took him and gave him a lovely home!

300/365 27th October
Becky took me along with her while she got her hair cut. She hates going by herself and I really don't know why because the man who does her hair knows her and knows how she likes it cut. The guy is a friend of my dad's and such a lovely guy, so it's always nice to have a little chat with him.

301/365 28th October
It was hair day for me on Wednesday! I cut and dyed my hair and yes, I did it all myself. I've been doing my own hair for years now and I probably save myself about £100 each time. I don't mind doing it myself but I still panic that something is going to go wrong. This time was a huge success. I got the colour I wanted and didn't leave the bathroom looking like a murder scene with red hair dye everywhere! I do like being able to do these little jobs myself.

302/365 29th October
I made the Smoky Cheddar "Mummy" Sausage Rolls from Gousto and my family ended up fighting over them as they were that tasty! I don't eat much cheese so it would never have crossed my mind to add cheese to the sausage meat. My family said they were the best thing ever! I had mine without the cheese.

303/365 30th October
Here's Ellie's first Halloween look! She went for white face paint, lots of black eyeliner and some spider webs around her eyes. I thought it looked really good and it was a great start to her Halloween. It's nice having Halloween as an excuse to try something a bit different with make-up.

304/365 31st October
I ordered some Halloween temporary face tattoos and they arrived just in time. I only really wanted them for the little details around my eyes because, as I've already mentioned, I'm rubbish at doing fancy eye make up. I'll hopefully have some photos to share sometime over the next week!

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