365 Days Of Gratitude. In February 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.

I know February is a short month but it did seem to fly over! It seemed to be gone in half the time that January did. Anyway, we had a good month with Valentine's and Pancake day, Stu and Ellie had a week off work and college, we did lots of work around the house and I am whizzing through my audiobooks!

Day 32 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for painted nails! It's been a couple of weeks since I last did them.

Day 33 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Stu sorted the big pile of clean washing! All that's left to do is put mine away and that's a job for tomorrow.

Day 34 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful to spend time with Becky! It seems ages since we had a full day together.

Day 36 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for hot chocolate with lots of cream on top!

Day 37 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a good deal from the chip shop! 4 battered sausages, 2 large chips, a big tub of baked beans and a big tub of gravy, all for £12! I hope the chip shop keeps that deal for a while, it was enough to feed 4 of us!

Day 38 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful Dry January is over! It's been nice to have a break from the alcohol but a glass or two of wine at the end of the week is good!

Day 39 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a day in front of the TV.

Day 40 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a mostly dry day and the lighter nights! Tonight I noticed it was still not dark at 5pm.

Day 41 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Ellie went in the spider infested garage to get a new light bulb, I wasn't going in there.

Day 42 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Ellie has finished college for half term and Stu only has a couple more days at work until he's off for a week.

Day 43 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a little treat from my self! Dewberry body spray and shower gel from The Body Shop. It has taken me right back to the 90s. I still love it!!

Day 44 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful to spend time with my dad and brother. Had lunch and a catch up with them.

Day 45 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a lovely Valentine's Day with Stu! We went out paint shopping, had lunch and then I came home to a surprise bunch of flowers and a card from him!

Day 46 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Becky told me when her parcel was delivered because the Amazon didn't even bother knocking, they just threw it under the back gate!

Day 47 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful to have all my family home. Stu on holiday from work, Becky on her day off and Ellie on half term.

Day 48 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for lots and lots of pancakes!

Day 49 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for the amazing nurse who changed my contraceptive implant. She had it done in no time. It's sore now but I'll be fine in a couple of days!

Day 50 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that all the painting in the dining room is done, I think! Stu said he might have to go over a couple of bits tomorrow when it's fully dry but the thick of it is done!

Day 51 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for lunch at my dad's. He fed us that well that we didn't want much for tea!

Day 52 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a night out with Stu! We had a nice meal and a few drinks.

Day 53 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful to get washing out on the line! It was such a lovely day here today!

Day 54 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Stu did some more painting, this time in the bathroom. No change to the colour, he just freshened it up a bit!

Day 55 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for audiobooks! I am onto my 10th book of the year already!

Day 56 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a big pan of Bolognese which will do tomorrows tea too!

Day 57 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for fresh flowers! Chrysanthemums and daffodils!

Day 58 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for new things to watch on TV. I had Bridgerton and Ellie had some F1 show.

Day 58 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for music to motivate me while I was doing the housework!

What were you grateful for in February?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #45

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. As the saying goes, 'March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.' Did your March come in roaring or like some other animal? Every month carries with it certain feelings, which is why some people love and anticipate December and others dread it. How do you feel about the month of March?

March didn’t roar at all this year. The 1st landed on a Sunday, which meant it didn’t feel rushed, it was a nice, calm way to begin the month. I had chance to sit and sort out the bills without having anything else on my to-do list. I like a slow start to the month. I would like every month to start on a Sunday. hehehe

I’ve always liked March. The end of winter is close, the evenings are getting lighter and life just feels a bit brighter and more hopeful!

2. Where in your life are you a lion? Where are you a lamb?

I’m definitely a lion when it comes to my girls. If they need me, I am right there! I’ll stand up for them, defend them and make sure they know I’ve got their back. I’m there with my imaginary mane flying and roaring if needed. Now they're adults, I try to step back a bit and let them fight their own battles but I am always there if they need me for a bit of backup.

I’m a bit of a lamb in social situations. If I am in a room full of strangers I feel like a deer in headlights. I’ll smile, nod and hope nobody talks to me. I’m chatty once I’m comfortable but with strangers I just go into myself.

3. The Hodgepodge lands on National Pound Cake day. Do you like pound cake? If so do you have a favorite flavor? Let's play this or that-

I had to Google what Pound Cake is. Over here in England it is called Madeira Cake. I am not a big fan of it as it always seems so dry.

pound cake or layer cake? Layer cake but over here we call it a sandwich cake. It could be a Victoria sponge with two sponge layers, jam and sometimes cream in the middle, dusted with a bit of icing sugar. Yum!

pound cake or cheesecake? Cheesecake! Yum!

pound cake or angel food cake? When I think of a Angel Food Cake, I think of the Angel cakes we get over here which are not the same. Ours is white, pink and yellow layers of a sponge cake sandwiched together with a bit of vanilla buttercream. Mr Kipling does them best!

pound cake or brownie? Brownie!

pound cake or pie? Pie! Apple pie is my favourite!

4. What makes you feel childlike wonder right now?

The first signs of spring! A few weeks ago it was cold, dark and a bit depressing but now the days are brighter, the sun actually feels warm on your face and little things start to feel exciting again. The first daffodils are popping up, the birds are singing properly and everything just feels fresh and new. Simple things like getting the washing on the line, thinking about what to plant in the garden and going outside without a massive coat makes me happy.

5. What's one thing you need to add to your wardrobe to get ready for spring? If you're in the southern hemisphere, then answer for fall?

I think I just need a few lighter coloured T-shirts. While going through my wardrobe at the start of the year, I realised that pretty much everything I own is black or navy. It’s fine for winter but not for spring! I need something with a bit of colour or even some white T-shirts will do.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I really need to stop checking the weather every five minutes. It’s March, it’s unpredictable and I need to accept that. One day it can be rainy and grey. The next we have sunshine and blue skies.

My March goals & plans!

I’m carrying on with my monthly goals and plans because writing things down really gives me that little kick up the behind to get things done! February was surprisingly productive for me so I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself. I ticked off almost everything on my list.

I finally got my photos printed and popped them in frames. I also treated the living room to a few extra shelves, which now gives me more space to display my pretty things and more photos, because obviously, one can never have too many photos. Valentine’s Day was extra lovely this year. Stu and I treated ourselves to a fancy meal deal from M&S. The dining room got painted, pancakes got made and I had my contraceptive implant changed without any tears, fainting or dramatic moments. The garden got a tidy up too. Although there’s still plenty more to do, all my decluttering tasks went pretty well and I think I did OK with drinking enough water!

This month I want to:

Sort out all the kitchen cupboards!

I’m diving headfirst into the kitchen this month. I’ve decided to section it off and tackle one set of cupboards a week. It’s amazing how much stuff gets collected there and I’m actually looking forward to finding things I forgot I had. This should keep me busy for the month.

Keep listening to audiobooks!

Last month, I finished Cat Lady by Dawn O’Porter, The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary, The Carer by Deborah Moggach, Breaking Point by Edel Coffey and Emma on Fire by James Patterson. I went for a mix this time, swapping my usual funny romantic comedies for some heavier, more serious stories. Top tip: don’t listen to books about babies dying or people setting themselves on fire right before bed, it gives you nightmares! I’m thinking I’ll keep two books on the go this month, a serious one during the day and a light-hearted one for bedtime.

Paint the wood on and around the fireplace!

Now most of the furniture is black and there is less red in our living room the dark red on the fireplace and around it looks out of place so I am thinking about painting it black to go with the rest of the room. All the other shelving is black so it makes sense that should be too. How hard can it be? Sand it down a bit and paint.

Watch 4 more movies!

I only managed 3 new movies in February as I found myself watching some of my old favourites like Independence Day, Titanic and some Disney classics. What I did watch was:

Hairspray - How had I never seen this before? The energy, the colours, the songs I knew from the musicals radio channel that I listen to, it was fun from start to finish.

The Witches (2020 remake) - It was definitely scarier than I remembered the 1980s version being! The Grand High Witch had me jumping at every scene. Modern and flashy but still wickedly fun.

Responsible Child on Netflix - A factual drama about a 12-year-old on trial for murder. Heavy stuff, but it really makes you think about the UK legal system and whether children should be tried as adults.

Start some Lego!

Now that I’ve got more storage, I can finally start some of the Lego sets I’ve been putting off. I love the idea of having a little project that’s just for me and it’s kind of relaxing. It also gives me something pretty to put on the new shelves once it’s finished.

Take more walks!

The days are getting longer and hopefully the weather is warming up. I might even do a little photo walk and see what spring signs I can capture for the blog.

Buy seeds and start planting!

Spring is coming, which means seed shopping season is here. I’m planning on starting some indoor planting and getting the garden ready. I might even try a few herbs on the windowsill since I seem to use so many while cooking and fresh is always best.

Test the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors!

Amazingly, my family haven't tested the smoke alarms for a while with their cooking so I think it's about time that they were tested, as well as the carbon monoxide detector.

Try a new breakfast recipe each week!

I am just going for one a week as I am not usually a breakfast person but I keep seeing breakfast recipes and think I want to try that! Cinnamon butter brioche toast, air fryer omelette, rhubarb & custard fluffy pancakes and Eggs Benedict!

Have a date night with Stu!

We’ve been doing pretty well at keeping up with our monthly dates. January was an unplanned meal out while we were shopping, then a Costa snack. February had Valentine’s Day and another little meal a week later with drinks. I’m thinking March will have something extra like a fun activity or a quirky restaurant. Keeping these dates going is one of the highlights of the month for me.

What do you have planned for March?

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

How was your weekend? Ours was a really quiet one and I loved it. We watched loads of wrestling on TV, which as you know makes me very happy. I get far too invested in storylines and end up shouting a lot at the TV. hehehe Other than that, we didn’t really do much at all. We were all tired on Sunday, so it turned into a proper nothing day which we really needed.

I’m feeling pretty proud of myself because last week’s meal plan went completely to plan and I mean completely! We ate everything with no swapping the days around. It all worked and I think it helped that I’d picked mostly family favourites, so there were no complaints or thinking we didn't actually fancy that. When everyone is happy with what’s on their plate life and meal planning is a lot easier.

This week we are back to having our Gousto meals and I was way too excited about choosing them. Last week I struggled to pick 3 meals to make an order but for this week I could have easily picked around 10. I love getting our Gousto recipe boxes delivered, they make life easier. I don't have to think much about planning meals, shopping for ingredients or coming up with new recipes to try!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal - Beef Mince & Veggie Stew With Mash!

We're starting the week off with a hearty stew! This is a new recipe for us and it seems the perfect weather for it, grey and gloomy! This involves beef mince with parsnip and carrot, flavoured with sage and garlic, all simmered in a rich tomato stock and served with buttery mash.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Meat-Free Mince Sloppy Joes With Creamy Potato Salad!

This was one of the very first Gousto meals we ever tried and I remember being very curious about the meat-free mince. I am sure I didn't even tell my family it was meat free until they had eaten it and loved it. It tastes like normal mince but without any of those gristly bits. The meatless mince is cooked in a smoky BBQ-style sauce and served on plant-based brioche buns with creamy potato salad on the side.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Sausage Meatball & Tomato Sauce With Fresh Orecchiette!

This is one of our favourites from Gousto. My family would eat this every week given the chance and at the moment we seem to having it at least once a month! This one is sausage meatballs cooked in a rich, herby tomato sauce, served with fresh orecchiette. Those little ear-shaped bits of pasta are brilliant at holding onto sauce, which means every mouthful is a good one!

Thursday - Gousto meal - Honey Chicken With Tomato & Pepper Rice Bake!

This is a brand new one for us and I’m quite excited about it. It’s baked rice in a smoky homemade pepper and tomato sauce, served with juicy pan-fried free-range chicken finished with a golden honey glaze. Everything about that sounds good.

Friday - Chippy tea!

Friday nights have become chippy nights and it’s working very well for us. Since our local pub closed and we’re not eating out like we used to, I’ve done a bit of girl math and decided that ordering from the fish and chip shop once a week is basically saving money because of the not eating out.

Saturday - Gousto meal - Crispy Chicken Katsu Curry Burritos!

This one is such a good Saturday night meal. It’s basically a fun twist on chicken katsu. Crispy breaded chicken and shredded lettuce wrapped in tortillas and topped with a sweet and savoury coconut curry sauce. Wrapping it all up makes it feel fun.

Sunday - Chicken and I don't know...

We seem to have a load of battered chicken bits in the freezer that need using up. So I’m thinking we’ll just cook those and have a bit of a picky tea. I will see what else I can find in the freezer to go with all the chicken bits.

What are you eating this week?