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

This week my Word of the Week is: 

How weird is this? Exactly a year ago my Word of the Week was applying, just like this week. Last year it was all about Stu applying for jobs but this year it is all about Ellie applying for them and Becky applying for houses.

It's crazy to think this time last year Stu wanted to quit his job because he hated it but what a difference a year makes. There were unrealistic targets, people were walking out, he didn't like anyone he worked with and the bonuses and targets weren't achievable. Last year, Stu had a lot of tellings off because he wasn't pushing products enough. There was one call which really stuck with him. A woman rang to change her contract because she was fleeing domestic violence and his manager said Stu wasn't doing his job properly because he didn't try and sell her a new phone! Can you believe that? There is a time and a place to try and sell someone something and that wasn't it. Some things matter far more than sales targets. He had firm words with his managers and they listened and since then, things have been amazing! If there is something he doesn't feel comfortable with, he just says no and no one argues! He gets to pick his hours. As long as he does 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, they don't care when he starts, finishes or what day he goes in. He has a good group of people that he is friends with and apart from the freezing because of the air conditioning, he's happy at work. He's been told the only reason he hasn't been promoted to manager is because he can't do late shifts, Sundays and Bank Holidays. He said he wouldn't want to be a manager anyway, there's too much stress.

Ellie has been great at applying for jobs since she left college and I couldn't be any prouder. I thought I would have to nag her more but I'll be looking through job websites and ask if she's applied for a certain job and nine times out of ten she already has. She's so organised about it too. She has around four different versions of her CV depending on the type of job she's applying for. I didn't even think about doing that when I was younger. This week she had another job interview but sadly didn't get it. She's not devastated and it has actually given her more motivation. Every interview seems to give her more confidence and helps her understand what employers are looking for. She's becoming more comfortable talking to new people, travelling to different places and stepping well outside of her comfort zone.

Becky has been applying for more houses. Her and her partner had thought about buying but have decided that renting is the better option for now. They are still waiting to hear back from the one they viewed last week but the letting agent said there were a few applicants and the owner of the house is taking their time considering everyone. They are not fussy and have been applying for different houses which have come up locally. Rent prices are strange though. I've seen 3 bedroom houses for £600 a month, a 2 bedroom for £650 and a 1 bedroom place is £700 all within a 5 minute walk of each other. Make it make sense. lol You'd think the bigger house would automatically be the most expensive but it all seems a bit random sometimes. Becky isn't asking for much, at least one bedroom, close to work and with a decent landlord. Every house they apply for comes with another mountain of paperwork. There are forms to fill in, documents to scan, references to provide and then everything has to be emailed back. They seem to be getting quite good at it now though.

Hopefully, all this applying will pay off soon. Ellie will get a job and Becky will get the keys to her own place and can start making it feel like home!

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 31. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you've had a good week. Mine has flown by as usual. Can you believe it's August tomorrow? As always, on a Friday I am sharing all the little things that I have loved this week. Some are big, some are tiny but they're all things that have made me smile over the last week. I am of course linking up with Erika and Andrea to share.

Another job interview for my youngest!

Ellie, my youngest, had another job interview this week but she didn't get it and that's OK. I am still so proud of her, even getting an interview is a big achievement. There always seem to be so many people applying for every job, so just getting invited in means someone has looked at Ellie's application and thought she should be considered. She's not bothered in the slightest, it was a job but nothing special.

My eldest baking!

Becky had an afternoon of baking during the week. There was no stopping her. She started off by making a banana loaf, which tasted amazing and then went on to make brownies which were crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle. Perfect! She has said she wants to do more baking and I am not going to argue if it means we get yummy cakes. I remember baking with the girls when they were little and we always had great fun but now they bake themselves. I don't have any of the stress or washing up to do but I still get to enjoy the cakes.

This flower!

It's one of the prettiest flowers in my garden at the moment. According to my plant identifier, it is an annual mallow. The bees and butterflies love it.

Verifying my age!

This was something I wasn't expecting to have to do this week. Stu and I both play online games from Blizzard Entertainment. He spends his time playing World of Warcraft while I play Hearthstone. They're our little ways of switching off and relaxing. We received emails saying we needed to verify our age because of the UK Online Safety Act. It sounded straightforward but it ended up being a pain in the behind. Well, for Stu it was. He had everything they wanted to but wouldn't verify him. After watching him struggle, I thought I had no chance but I didn't need to worry at all. I put my phone number in and that was enough to prove my age. Don't ask me how, maybe because I have had the same number registered with me for over 18 years but whatever it was, it worked and I am not questioning it. We only found out afterwards that the only reason we needed to verify it was so we could chat with other players, which is something we don't even bother with.

Dyed hair!

My hair desperately needed doing. The roots were showing and there were too many grey hairs for my liking, so out came the bleach followed by the colour and now it's back to a lovely pinky-red shade again. I would like it bright red but after using pink one too many times, my hair seems to hold on to that no matter what red dye I put on and I am too scared to bleach it too often. I even tried a new dye to me during the week and it made no difference. My hair is still pinky-red.

Not catching a summer cold!

One thing I have definitely loved this week is not catching the cold that Stu has had. He's not been seriously ill but he's felt really run down, achy, tired and he has been very, very snotty. It seems to be doing the rounds at his work but thankfully, he has kept it to himself. He seems to be over the worst of it now, so hopefully the danger has passed but I have stocked up on cold and flu tablets just in case.

What have you loved this week?

My August 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 did pretty well with my goals in July and ticked a lot off my list.

Go to a couple of local events - Yes and we had a great time! We have more things planned for August too.

Go and see Moana at the cinema - Yes, it was good but I expected more from it than just an actual remake of the animated one.

Try some new recipes - Yes and lots of family favourites which we haven't had in ages.

Find a fake tan that works - I didn't need one. I have tanned naturally. I even have tan lines on my feet where my sandals have been.

Go to the beach - No, we didn't make it to the beach. Well, I didn't. Becky went and did all the seaside things like having fish and chips, walking on the beach and playing in the arcades. We have had a lot going on in our real lives and just couldn't find a day when we didn't all have plans.

Start planning the girls birthdays - Yep, we have made some plans and they have already changed and more plans have been made.

Change the furniture around in the living room - Not yet but that might be a job for today!

Walk more - Yes, I was out and about more in July than any other month this year.

Defrost the freezer - Yes, it's all done! Phew!

Spend more time with each of my girls - Yes and it has been lovely!

In August, I want to:

Get some important life admin done!

I have some important things to sort out this month. Nothing to worry about, everything is fine here but there are just those jobs that need doing. There are forms to fill out, solicitors to see and probably even more forms after that because it always seems like one piece of paperwork leads to another!

Drink more water!

I am trying to get better at drinking more water, especially when it's warm out. I know I always feel better when I drink enough but always forget to. At the moment I am trying different flavours of water, so I hope that helps.

Go and see the new Spider-Man movie!

We have got into the habit of seeing a film at the cinema every month and it's something I like doing. Ellie and I really want to see the new Spider-Man movie, so hopefully we can make that happen in August. I think we should rewatch the old ones too. We love Spider-Man here.

Celebrate Stu and Ellie's birthday!

It is birthday season in our house. First up is Stu's in the middle of the month and Ellie's at the end. We have some things planned and I think we're going to have a lot of fun!

Make a summer dessert I’ve never tried before!

I love summer food, especially the desserts. I want to try making something new. Maybe a Strawberry shortcake, a S’mores traybake, Lemon tart or a Mango cheesecake. Becky is getting back into baking so I am sure she will want to help.

Have a mooch around the charity shops!

It has been ages since I’ve had a proper look around the charity shops. I love having a good browse because you never know what you might find.

Have a picnic!

It doesn’t have to be a big organised picnic with a basket and matching plates but that does sound nice. I am saying that even a sandwich, crisps and a drink packed up and eaten somewhere different counts.

Make lots of things with tomatoes from the garden!

As I’m writing this, I have quite a few tomato plants that are doing really well and I’m hoping for a good crop. I love growing things, especially when you can actually use what you grow. I’m hoping to make homemade pasta sauce, bruschetta, salsa and maybe even some chutney. Now I just need the tomatoes to hurry up and ripen!

Decorate the bathroom!

This is not a goal for me but for Stu, I will be there cheering him along though. We decided the bathroom needs a fresh coat of paint and he has taken charge. Usually I am the one to do the decorating in the bathroom and even though it's a small room, it's a lot of work, I like that I don't have to do it this time.

Have an ice cream from the ice cream van!

This one has to happen! It won’t be long until the ice cream van stops coming around, so I want at least one proper ice cream during August. I want a proper cone with creamy ice cream and a flake in it.

What do you have planned for August?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #66

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. What was the last thing you celebrated?

I think the last big celebration was Father's Day when we went out for a meal to celebrate Stu. All our big celebrations are coming up all my family's birthdays over the next couple of months. With nothing big to celebrate, we have been celebrating the little things like the nice weather, leftover pizza for lunch, family time, little adventures, clothes drying out on the line quicker than I can wash them and Ellie having another job interview on Monday. I will write more about it later in the week as I am writing this before the interview happened.

2 July 29th is International Day of the Tiger. Besides the wild animal itself, when you hear the word tiger what's the first person-place-thing-whatever that comes to mind?

When I think of tigers, the first thing I think of is Tigger from Winnie-the-Pooh! When Becky was little she loved everything about Tigger and was crazy about the song The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers. She would bounce around singing it at least 5 times a day. I was pregnant and we were talking to Stu’s brother about baby names. He jokingly suggested, in front of Becky, that the new baby should be called Tigger. Well, that was it. Becky was convinced. As far as she was concerned, the baby’s name had already been decided. She told everyone that her new baby sister was going to be called Tigger. After a lot of discussion and tears, she did come around to the idea of her sister being called Ellie. lol

3. The expression 'eye of the tiger' describes someone with intense focus, determination, and the drive to succeed. What area of your life are you currently bringing that kind of energy to?

At the moment, my “eye of the tiger” is probably going into making the most of life and not sitting back waiting for things to happen. I am trying to create my own opportunities instead of waiting for them to appear in front of me. I’m trying to say yes to new experiences, living more in the moment instead of planning everything in great detail and of course, working towards my goals.

4. What was the last meal you cooked?

I am writing this on Sunday morning, so the last meal I cooked was last night and it was homemade pizza. I say homemade but I did cheat slightly and buy ready-made pizza bases and we just added our own toppings. Ellie made her own with way too much on top and I made Stu's and mine. He had tomato and sweet chilli base, onions, mushrooms, pepperoni, ham, salami and cheese. For mine, I had a BBQ base, onions, mushrooms, sweetcorn and chicken with a little bit of cheese on top!

5. Describe your July using exactly five words.

Family, football, walking, busy days!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I have done a silly thing. I wanted something easy to have on the TV in the background and decided to start watching The Walking Dead from the beginning again. I seem to do this every year around this time of year. The good thing this time is that there is even more to watch because I saw on social media that there is a new series of one of the spin-offs, Dead City, which follows Maggie and Negan. The Walking Dead is one of those shows that I loved. The characters, the storylines and all the twists and turns kept me watching even when the last couple of seasons were not that great.