This week my Word of the Week is: Sunshiny!! WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

Hasn't the weather been lovely! Every day this week the sun has been shining. Even on Tuesday when it was grey for part of the day, the sun still made an appearance. I'd like to think this is the start of the good weather but after today it's going to get a little cooler than it has been and we're expecting some rain which of course isn't a bad thing for the garden.

On Monday, Stu and I made the most of the good weather and spent a few hours outside in the garden. Stu mowed the grass while I repotted some plants into bigger pots and then we both tackled the weeding. Why do weeds have to grow so quickly and why does there have to be so many? It was nice to be outside just pottering around. The garden is looking great at the moment and so far, so good with my repotted plants, they all survived the move.

Ellie loves going to college at this time of year when the sun is shining. She gets to wear all her summer clothes and has been surprising people. Since she got her tattoo in October, it has pretty much been hidden under hoodies and jumpers. This week, people saw her tattoo and have been shocked that someone, so sweet looking has such a big tattoo. hehehe One thing I never expected was Ellie being obsessed with putting sunscreen on. She read somewhere that it protects tattoos from fading and now she is the sunscreen queen. This is the same girl that a few years ago I had to practically pin her down to get sun cream on her. lol

As the week went on, each day got warmer and warmer and it was a nice kind of warm with heat from the sun but still a cool breeze. I saw it get up to 23C yesterday. I said to Ellie if it could stay at this temperature all summer I would be happy. I read online that parts of the UK yesterday were hotter than the proper hot places that you think of, like Hawaii and Egypt!

It has been nice to get the washing out drying on the line, having the windows open with a nice breeze coming inside and a freezer stocked with ice lollies and ice cream! The only downside to this lovely weather is the bugs and creatures which come inside, which definitely don't belong here. We had our first wasp of the year come in but thankfully it was when Stu was here so he could remove it. I had flashbacks from when we had the wasps nest in the bathroom a few years ago. One wasp and I convinced myself there's a nest somewhere. There isn't that I know of and I hope it stays that way!

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one! 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 18. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a good week. We have had some lovely weather this week. Of course there have been chilly moments but it seems to be more warm than cold now and today is supposed to be 24C (75F), which is practically summer weather!! I think I need to start stocking the freezer with ice cream and ice lollies. As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea to share the things that I have loved over the past week.

T-Shirts!

This week has been so warm that I haven't had to reach for a jumper or cardigan at all. I am getting to wear all of my favourite T-shirts and show them off. Ones with quotes, wrestling ones, funny ones and Harry Potter ones. It has been nice to get some sunshine on my pale arms but it did make me realise I think I am going to have to reach for some fake tan as I look so pale.

Garden time!

My fella went out into the garden on Monday and spent a good few hours out there. He cut the grass, we shared the weeding, I repotted the plants which were growing on my kitchen windowsill and I planted some more seeds. The repotted plants are now in my little greenhouses. They are spending the day outside and I move them into the little shed overnight. It's a bit of a chore but I want them to harden up a bit before they are left out all night.

A blackbird!

I have seen this bird hanging around, pecking around in the front garden and on Monday when Stu and I were out in the back garden, it was showing no fear and getting pretty close to us. It was living its best life, we were digging, it was collecting worms, disappearing with a beak full and then coming back for more. I did end up chasing it off, which felt very mean but I was going to be planting some seeds and didn't want it snacking on them. I guess we will see if it got them in a month or so when the flowers do or do not grow.

Drama shows!

Earlier in the week I wanted something on the TV, in the background while I was doing some things on my laptop. I started with the Teacher which led me to Missed Call and then The House Across the Street.

The Teacher! There were 3 seasons each with 4 episodes about a different teacher. One is accused of having a sexual relationship with a student, season two is about one who had an affair with a colleague and season 3 is about a respected teacher who struggles to keep up with modern social expectations. I caught up with the third season and found myself shouting at the TV a lot. One of the students was a real little madam.

Missed Call! When a British teenager vanishes during a school exchange in France, her mother Sarah rushes to investigate. With the help of a local detective, Sarah exposes buried secrets, corruption and trafficking within the tight-knit town. There were so many twists and turns, it was one of those shows where I kept thinking they did it, then someone else and then another person. I didn't guess and the big reveal was quite a surprise but it was a very clever final twist.

The House Across The Street! Claudia, overlooked by her community, and unable to get through to her son, longs for connection. Her opportunity comes when a young local child goes missing. Claudia becomes embroiled in the case, fixating on uncovering the truth herself. The main character was Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter and came across as so meek and mild but she was so creepy. I did not know where this was going until right at the end.

Tuesday treats!

Once a fortnight when Becky is off work, we have been getting ourselves a little treat for lunch. We seem to be stuck on Costa Coffee. She loves the caramel, some sort of iced coffee and I always go for the Chocolate Fudge Frappe with whipped cream on the top! It tastes amazing!!

Britain's Got Talent!

Since it began, I have never missed an episode of Britain's Got Talent, it's the same as America's Got Talent. We still have Simon Cowell but some other judges too. Well, this year we missed all the audition shows. We just weren't that into it after the last couple of years not being that good but over the weekend we dipped back into it with the start of the live shows. The acts are still not as good as they used to be. I feel like we have seen it all now but it was a good show to watch as a family. I am glad the dog act won and the singer who went through to the final was good too.

What have you loved over the past week?

My May goals & plans!

I’m carrying on with my monthly goals and plans because writing things down really gives me that little kick up the bum to actually get things done. I always feel more motivated when I have a list to look at instead of just thinking I should probably do that at some point. When it’s written down it feels more official, like I’ve made a little promise to myself.

I ticked a lot of things off my April goals list but not as many as I would have liked. I don't want to make excuses but Ellie was off college for 2 weeks, there was Easter and Stu had some time off work too which left me all out of whack, I didn't get many days home alone.

Paint the doors in the living room - Nope, I wanted to do it while everyone was out

Use the washing line - Yes, apart from when the weather out wasn't great.

Wash the cushion covers and curtains in the living room - Yes!! I actually got sent a press release mid-month saying 1 in 5 British adults have never washed their curtains! Eek! Well I am not one of those 5 now. lol

Have a family day out - I had days out with my youngest, my fella but not my eldest. She was way too busy enjoying life seeing Mamma Mia in the theatre and seeing Alex Warren in concert.

Read more audiobooks - Yes, I listened to 4 and partly listened to another which I didn't finish.

Sit outside with a drink on sunny mornings - Sometimes but not as much as I would have liked.

Watch four more movies that are new to me - Yes! 2 of the Suicide Squad movies, A Man Called Otto, Anaconda and my favourite was I Swear about a young man with Tourette syndrome who eventually becomes a campaigner to increase public awareness. I laughed and cried all the way through. It was brilliant!

Get my little greenhouses out of the garage - Yes and I am thinking about putting plants in them but I am wanting it to warm up a little more.

Do some baking - No!

In May I want to:

Move the plants outside!

Hopefully this month warms up a bit and I can move my plants out of the kitchen outside into my little greenhouses. I will need to repot some of them into bigger pots and hopefully that goes well.

Get Becky to declutter her bedroom!

Becky's bedroom is cluttered and it's annoying me. I know I can just close the door and ignore it but I still know the clutter is there. Becky agreed it is time to have a good sort out in her room but I know what she is like and will put the job off and that is where I will step in and start the nagging. I will even help her if she wants. lol

Write a day in my life post!

It has been ages since I wrote a day in the life post and I think it's about time I wrote another, I might actually write two. An average stay at home day and a day when I am out and about doing things.

Read more audiobooks!

I am still loving them and two that I have been on the waiting list for a while will become available to me in May. This Book Made Me Think of You and The Astral Library. I am aiming again to listen to four again this month.

Watch four more movies that are new to me!

I am enjoying watching movies which are new to me, especially those that I wouldn't normally watch.

Do some baking!

I must do some baking this month because the baking supplies really do need using up now.

Spend more time outside!

I feel like I should spend more time outside. I have plenty to do in the garden, I am determined to go on more walks and I want to spend some more time at my dad's. He is always working outside so it would be fun to hang out with him more.

Make some plans for the summer!

We have no plans at all for the summer and I think that needs to change. It would be nice to have a couple of nights away but that depends on what the girls have got planned. Some days out would be nice too. I really want to go to the seaside. It's been too long since I was last at a beach.

Paint the doors in the living room!

This is going back on the list, May should be a quieter month at home so I should be able to get them done. The doors aren’t terrible but they are looking a bit worn and scuffed, so a fresh coat of paint will make a big difference.

What do you have planned for May?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #53

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 feeling more reset, restart, or full speed ahead as we move into May? Tell us why.

I'm feeling full speed ahead at the moment. I’ve just got over a cold and I didn’t realise how much it had knocked me and slowed me down until I started feeling normal again. I am now feeling energised and I have a lot of motivation for the week ahead. I’m writing this on a Sunday afternoon and I've just written a list of jobs that I want to get done this week, house things, online things and some jobs around the garden. I was also writing my goals and plans post for May which makes me excited about a new month.

2. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, cinema, theatre, music...what's your favorite form of art? Elaborate.

I think cinema and music are my favourite. They feel easy to dip into. I can stick a film on in the evening and be pulled into a different world for a couple of hours or have music playing while I’m cooking, cleaning or even just sitting doing nothing. A song can change your mood so quickly. You can go from feeling a bit meh to suddenly singing along in the kitchen in the best mood. I like that you don’t need to learn how to enjoy cinema or music, with things like painting or sculpting there is more effort involved with learning how to enjoy them. I do feel like I’m slowly getting more into literature due to the discovery of Audiobooks. I know some people turn their nose up at them and say it’s not the same as reading but I don’t really care. It works for me, I can listen while doing other things.

3. What time is dinner at your house? How do you feel about leftovers?

Dinner at our house is usually around quarter to seven, Tuesday to Saturday when Stu gets in from work. On the other days it’s a bit earlier, at around 6pm. It just makes sense for us all to eat together when my fella gets in. I did try doing two sittings at one point. The girls would eat earlier and then Stu and I would eat later when he got in. At the time, it sounded like a good idea but in reality, it just meant I was stuck in the kitchen for way longer than I should have been.

Myself and my family love leftovers. If there’s anything left from tea, my fella will usually take it to work the next day for his lunch. It saves making something else and it’s always nicer than a boring sandwich. Some meals taste better the next day. Things like casseroles always taste so good once everything has had time to sit and soak into each other, pizza is another one and anything that took me ages to cook the first time feels even better when I'm just reheating it.

4. What's the last thing you fell down a rabbit hole investigating?

I saw online that a guy, Darrell Sheets took his own life. I used to watch him on the TV show Storage Wars years ago. That led me down a rabbit hole investigating where the rest of the cast from the show are now. It then got me thinking about the show Ice Road Truckers, which I used to watch around the same time and where all the cast are now.

5. And now for a question from the book Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me... At what are you 'self-taught?'

There is quite a lot when I think about it. Cooking is a big one. I’ve never had any proper training or lessons. It’s just been years of trying recipes, guessing measurements, adjusting things and hoping for the best. Gardening is another. I’ve picked things up over time but a lot of it is trial and error. Blogging is probably the biggest thing I started with no clue. I didn't follow a guide and had no plan when I first started. I just jumped in and figured it out as I went along and I am still figuring it out 13 years later. Then there’s parenting. No one really taught me how to be a parent. I read books, looked things up online, asked for advice but it's one of those things you mostly learn by doing it.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Thanks to writing this blog post, I am now watching Ice Road Truckers. It reminded me to have a look at who was streaming it. I found the first 4 seasons on ITVX which will keep me going for a while. Ice Road Truckers is a reality TV show about truck drivers hauling supplies across frozen lakes and remote winter roads in places like Alaska and Canada. It follows the risks they take, thin ice, brutal weather and long isolated journeys.