The Wednesday Hodgepodge #57

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. Do you like your name? Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)? If you have children how did you choose their names?

I do mostly like my name. It’s short, simple, easy to spell and easy to say. The only time it causes issues is when something official comes along and they assume my full name must be Kimberly. It’s not. It’s just Kim. My parents were both very much on the practical side when it came to names. My dad struggled to spell his surname when he was younger and my mum with her first name, so they decided not to pass that struggle on. My brother and I ended up with short names that were easy to spell and hard to mess up. Three letters each.

So much thought is put into our children's names, I remember reading through books of baby names when I was pregnant. With Becky she was going to be a Chloe or Olivia for a girl or Jack and Kane for a boy. I was a huge wrestling fan and there was a wrestler called Kane who I loved. It turns out when she was born, the midwife asked what we were calling her and I came out with Rebecca. Don't ask me where it came from? I can't really remember why I said it apart from that she looked like a Rebecca. We knew early on that Ellie was a girl, so Stu and I didn't even consider any boys names. We had a deal when I fell pregnant that he would name a boy and me a girl. We had a few other names picked out for Ellie. She could have been Louise or a Jessica but Ellie suited her!

2. A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one...which will you choose? If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose?

That's easy. I'd choose red velvet cake. I love it and don't eat it often enough! A scoop of vanilla ice cream seems a little boring when the cake it on offer and I am not a fan of blueberries, I will eat the odd one in a dessert if there are only a few but usually I avoid them. If I could choose my own, I would go for a bowl of strawberries, a white chocolate cheesecake and I can't think of anything blue that doesn't involve blueberries.

3. What's a job you'd like to try for just one day?

A surgeon. I'm currently rewatching Grey's Anatomy and at this point I feel like I’ve picked up enough medical vocabulary to confidently walk into an operating theatre and at least nod in the right places while someone hands me things. In reality, I would not be trusted anywhere near an actual scalpel but for the sake of a just one day experience I reckon I could take an appendix out if someone made the first cut for me. I’d love to see what it’s really like behind the scenes.

4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer?

Nope, there's nothing patriotic in my home. It’s not really something I’ve ever done in my house. Living in England, we do see it more during big sporting events. Flags will start appearing in windows, cars, pubs and basically anywhere they can be attached without falling off next month when the World Cup starts. People really get into it, especially when the England team are doing well. The St George’s Cross is a tricky one these days. For me, it’s always just been the England flag, it is as simple as that but in recent years it’s also been tied up in other political meanings and debates linked to extreme political views or anti-immigration messages, which makes it feel more complicated than it used to be.

5. It's the end of May, so let's exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!

M – Memories of random little moments that made me smile.

A – A mix of calm days and messy ones where I’ve been juggling too many things at once and pretending I’ve got it all under control.

Y – Year is moving quicker than I’d like it to. One minute it’s January, next thing I know I’m wondering how we’re nearly halfway through already.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

It’s too hot. There I said it. I know 30C (86F) doesn’t sound hot but here in England we are not built for it. We don’t have air conditioning so it feels like we are being slow roasted in our homes. Right now I’m sat here waiting for a little handheld fan to finish charging like it’s some sort of lifeline and when it’s ready, it will basically be glued to my face until it runs out again. Then I’ll repeat the entire process. Yes, we do have a normal plug-in fan but I’m still traumatised from a few years ago during a heatwave when we all had fans running constantly and ended up with a huge electricity bill. We spent more on electricity in one day running the fans than we did for the rest of the month! Oops. Over the last few days we've had the hottest days ever recorded in May, I dread to think what the summer temperatures will be like. Eek! 

How blogging has changed me!

I have been blogging for over 13 years and that still feels mad to me. When I started, I honestly thought it would just be a little hobby for a few months. Somewhere to waffle about the kids, what we were eating, things we’d been up to and all the random thoughts floating around in my head. I never imagined I’d still be here all these years later and I never expected blogging to change me as much as it has.

One of the biggest changes blogging brought into my life is how much more I notice the little things. When you blog about everyday life, you start paying attention to different things and in a different way. You notice the small stuff because small stuff turns into a blog post. A random thought while making tea, something funny someone said in passing, the way the light comes through the window in the evening or a feeling you can’t quite name but know you want to write about it. Blogging trains your brain to go that’s worth remembering and writing a post about it. Before blogging, I probably rushed through a lot of days on autopilot. Now, even after all these years, part of my brain is always noticing things, like collecting little moments. It’s made me more present and grateful for the ordinary bits.

Blogging has made me much more aware of my own thoughts. Writing things down helps me untangle my brain a bit and I've realised blogging is therapy with fewer tissues. I’ve written through stressful times, parenting worries, confidence wobbles, family stuff and those weird phases of life. Sometimes I only realise how I feel about something once I’ve written it down. Typing it out makes it real. Some posts never even make it onto the blog. Sometimes the writing is just for me and getting it all written down can clear my head.

I wasn’t always confident sharing my thoughts publicly, hitting publish used to feel terrifying! I’d read posts back about ten times before they went live and still panic. I used to overthink everything. I think blogging daily sort of knocked that fear out of me over time. I still overthink some posts but I have learnt that my voice doesn’t have to be perfect and I don’t need to sound clever or polished all the time. Sounding like me is all that really matters. Over the years, I have stopped trying to write the way I thought I should write and started writing the way I actually speak. Chatty, honest and a bit rambly sometimes.

Blogging has become as normal as putting the kettle on. Even on days when everything feels a bit off, it is nice to sit down and write something. Some days the post is long and thoughtful and other days it’s short and scrappy. Blogging has been there through every stage of my life over the last 13 years with different worries and different versions of me. Looking back at old posts is strange because I can remember exactly where I was in life when I wrote them. Some make me laugh, some make me cringe a little and some make me feel emotional, because in 13 years so much has happened.

Blogging has taught me that it’s okay to change. My blog has changed loads over the years because I’ve changed, my interests and my priorities too. I used to worry about that but now I quite like it. It would be weird if I was still exactly the same person I was 13 years ago. The blog has grown with me, rather than boxing me in and it’s helped me let go of the pressure to stay the same just because people expect it.

One of the best things to come from blogging is the people that come with it. People who pop up in the comments, readers who’ve been there for years, messages from someone saying, I thought I was the only one who felt like that. Even though most of the time I’m just sat in my armchair typing away on my laptop, it never really feels lonely. There’s always someone who relates to what I’m saying or leaves a comment saying they feel the same way. I love that. Being open helps other people feel less alone and that’s important. It’s made me kinder, more sympathetic and more willing to talk about stuff that isn't always easy to talk about.

Daily blogging is not always easy, there are of course days when I cannot be bothered at all. Days when I’m tired, uninspired or staring at a blank screen wondering how on earth I’ve managed to blog for this long but I don't always have to feel inspired to create something. Sometimes I just start writing and see where it goes. It can be messy but I muddle through and usually end up with a blog post to publish.

After years of blogging, I am now someone who notices the small things, trusts my voice, understands myself better than I did 13 years ago, values consistency over perfection and even now, after all this time, it still feels fantastic to sit down to write. It turns out, this little hobby changed everything!

How have you changed since you started blogging?

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

Ohh! I have just noticed the dates for this week. It does please me when the last day of the month is a Sunday and the 1st of next month is a Monday. There is something so organised about it. I am not happy that we're coming up to the end of May though, this month has flown over but at the same time, we have a lot of exciting things happening over the next few months which I am really looking forward to.

Last week's meal plan went well. We ate everything that I had planned and our favourite meal to eat was the Peri Peri Spiced Basa Fish Cakes With Chips And Spicy Peas. Becky usually hates sweet potato and I didn't tell her it was in the fishcakes. She was enjoying them so much when I told her and she's now decided it's just sweet potato fries which she doesn't like, she is so fickle. lol My favourite meal to make was the chicken balls. Years ago, I never imagined that I would have the patience and know how to cook them but the Gosuto recipe boxes have taught me a lot!

This week is going to be a fun one. It's Ellie's half-term break from college and as it's the last ever holiday that she will get in education, we have a few fun things planned. Come to think of it, we have something planned for each day apart from today but I think I might spend some time out in the garden, messing with my plants.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Chinese pork steaks with veggie stir fry and noodles!

I have Chinese pork steaks in the freezer which I have hopefully got out to defrost by now and we will have them with a veggie stir-fry and noodles. I might even send someone to the shop for some prawn crackers that we can dip in!

Tuesday - Gousto Meal - Chicken Katsu Curry!

This meal is crispy coated chicken served over rice, topped with a mild curry sauce and with a bit of salad on the side. We love Katsu chicken here, even Becky who isn't a fan of curry. She always reminds me not to add too much of the curry powder to it. I never do.

Wednesday - Gousto Meal - One Pot Minty Lamb & Potato Stew!

I didn't think this through when I ordered this meal. Who makes stew when it's warm out? Wednesday is supposed to be the coldest day of the week at a warm 18C, so I think I might just pop it in the slow cooker and let it do all the work. This is a lamb and potato stew with carrots, onion, garlic and a rich stock with tomato paste.

Thursday - Gousto Meal - Cheesy Sausage & Pepper Chilli Con Carne Pasta Bake!

We have had this meal before and really enjoyed it. It is a mix of sausage casserole, chilli con carne and pasta bake. It's got sausage, sweet peppers, a smoky chilli tomato sauce and loads of cheesy pasta.

Friday - A takeaway of some sort!

Friday night is an easy night for me. I don't cook and we order takeaway. Last week we had chip shop. I shared a Doner Kebab with Becky, Stu got a burger and fries and Ellie got a chicken wrap. There wasn't a single piece of fish in sight but they deliver and they are quite cheap compared to other takeaways. Who knows what we will have this week?

Saturday - Gousto Meal - Sausage & Red Onion Tomato Chutney Baguette With Chips & Salad!

This is basically a posh sausage sandwich and chips! There are juicy sausages stuffed into a crusty baguette with sweet red onion chutney and tomato chutney which gives it a sweet, tangy flavour. Served with chips and a fresh salad on the side.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plan for today and everyone can just help themselves to whatever they fancy.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 17th - 23rd May! Week 21 of #Project365

Happy Sunday!! I hope you are all having a good weekend and are enjoying the sunshine. We're in the middle of a little heatwave here and the Bank Holiday weekend. It might actually be dry and sunny tomorrow, which rarely happens on a Bank Holiday. I haven't really complained about being too hot, well apart from Friday when I was walking back from my dad's, as it was mostly up hill and the sun was shining bright. I was very glad to get home, have a cold drink and cool down! Our house is an old house, so it tends to stay cool when it is hot out, as long as we keep the curtains closed while the sun is shining right at the windows. It's nice to come back in here after being outside.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon watching football and I am planning on doing the same today with it being the last day of the Premier League season. We know who's won it, now it's the battle at the bottom and to see who gets relegated. Eek! We only have a few weeks until the World Cup starts and the whole country will go mad for football! The England squad was announced on Friday and I am happy with it. For the last couple of tournaments, I have said we needed different players and that's what the manager has given us. I hope we do well and he can say I told you so and we didn't need certain players that were axed from the team.

Now for a photo every day!

137/365 17th May

Stu and I went out on Sunday for lunch and it was the best lunch we've had in a long time! We had the full three courses and left absolutely stuffed. It was also nice to have some time together, just doing something for us without the girls.

138/365 18th May

On a Monday Stu likes to help out around the house. I think it's so sweet as it's his day off but sometimes I do question what the heck he is doing. Can you see the grey/black clouds? He could too but was convinced it wasn't going to rain. Of course it rained! 10 minutes after he had finished hanging everything out, he had to get it all back in.

139/365 19th May

This was our favourite meal that I cooked at home this week. The Chinese Takeaway Style Chicken Balls With Vegetable Fried Rice! Before getting the Gousto box each week, I would never have imagined that I could make something like this. Obviously, I could easily make the rice but the chicken balls used to be way outside of my comfort zone. Now I think they are easy to make!

140/365 20th May

Stu cut the grass in the front garden on Monday but never got around to doing the back as it started raining. It's turning into a bit of a jungle out there and it's a job for today or tomorrow.

141/365 21st May

It was that time, time to dye my hair and I gave it a trim too. It only took me two and a half hours, which seems a long time but is better than it used to be. I used to take about 4 hours to do it.

142/365 22nd May

Cow Parsley! One of the prettiest weeds and our hedgerows are full of it at the moment. Did you know it's part of the carrot family and the main food for caterpillars, moths and of course butterflies.

143/365 23rd May

I thought I would share the after photo of me dying my hair. This was shortly after I got up on Saturday morning and it was already warm. I had a busy half hour bringing the Gousto box in and unpacking it, filling the washing machine and trying on a new dress that was delivered which isn't actually a dress. I didn't realise when I bought it that it was one of those with fitted shorts underneath. It is comfy and I feel good in it, so it's not all bad. It's just going to be a faff if I wear it out when I go to the toilet. lol

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