The Wednesday Hodgepodge #49

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. March is rolling on out of here. Sum up your March in ten words or less.

Home improvements, admin, sunshine, feeling organised and ready for spring!

2. Are you afraid of heights? When was the last time you found yourself dealing with a height, and did it make you nervous?

Yes I am afraid of heights!! Even standing on a chair to change a light bulb panics me. That’s basically an extreme sport in my world! Recently I had to change a light bulb or else I would have been sitting here in the dark. I made my own little safety system using another chair for balance as well as the one to stand on. It was very health and safety approved in my head. If my family could have seen me they would have laughed. They think being scared of heights is just silly.

3. What's a word you struggle to spell on a regular basis, and sometimes need to double check before writing it down? Use the word in a sentence that tells us something about your April calendar.

I’ve got quite a few words I need to double-check. My spelling is a bit hit and miss and I rely on spell check far more than I should admit. Here's a sentence with 4 of my problem words. I'll let you guess what they are. Hehehe

As the calendar rolls around to a new month, I definitely want some warmer temperatures. Don't disappoint me April!!

4. Love 'em or hate 'em, with Easter comes the sweet treat known as Peeps. So... do you love 'em or hate 'em? Speaking of peeps, what's your favorite way to have chicken?

I have never tried Peeps!! They are not a big thing over here in England. You can get them from specialist sweet shops but they are always overpriced because they are not easy to get. I do want to try them though, just so I can form my own opinion.

We eat a lot of chicken. Right now I would say my favourite way to have chicken is in a McChicken Sandwich from McDonalds but if you asked me on a Sunday it would be a roast dinner, on a weeknight it would be in a curry or during the day it would be cream of chicken soup. Chicken is such a great meat that suits every mood and occasion.

5. This week's Hodgepodge lands on the first day of April, which happens to be National Poetry Month. Do you like poetry? Share a favorite line or two from one of your favorite poems. What makes this one a favorite?

I don't really have an opinion about poetry. I don't love it but I don't hate it either. The one that always comes to mind for me is a poem called Somewhere, Someplace, Today. It’s about heart defects and I shared it years ago here on my blog. Both of my girls have had heart issues, including open-heart surgery, so this one hits hard! These are the last lines.

Somewhere, some place, each year,

More than 40,000 families will see,

What it means when something’s wrong,

They’ll face a CHD.

Today for just a moment,

Stop, remember, reflect,

Make time to tell someone you know,

“I’ve been changed by a heart defect.”

6. Insert your own random thought here.

The clocks changed here early Sunday morning and so far I have been fine with the time change. I went to bed early Saturday night and felt pretty good about the time when I woke up and looked at my phone it was 10am. If felt like I had beat the system and had a little lie in. Becky was very happy about the change as she worked an hour less for her night shift, it makes up for late last year when she had to work an extra hour when the clocks changed. Now Becky actually gets to see some daylight. During the winter months she came home from work when it wasn't quite light, slept and then woke up and it was dark again. That little bit of daylight really helps her feel more awake. 

My April 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.

In March, I did really well with my goals. I felt like I got loads done. A few things even got sorted that weren’t even on the list to start with. I replaced the broken washing basket, I also got a new hoover which felt exciting. There’s something about a new hoover that makes me want to clean everything all the time. Even the random bits of life admin that popped up got sorted. Last month’s goals were mostly ticked off too and I completed every single one apart from having a date night with Stu! We ended up spending money on the house instead of going out and doing something fun. Hmmf. It was proper grown-up behaviour. I am not complaining though, because it is nice to have a nice house. The kitchen got sorted, which felt amazing. I decluttered the cupboards and gave them all a really good clean, I listened to plenty of audiobooks which made me very happy and I also painted the fireplace and all around it which turned out to be much more work than I expected. Someone said I should have shown a before and after photo, so there is one below. I tried a few new breakfast meals, which were fun, I planted some seeds, I watched more than four movies that were new to me and I actually started my Lego. Hooray!

This month I want to:

Paint the doors in the living room!

Since Stu decorated the dining room, I have started noticing that the living room doors could really do with a lick of paint too. As soon as one room looks nice, suddenly everything around it starts looking a bit tired. I know, I know it was only a couple of weeks ago that I said I was done with home improvements for a while but once you start you begin spotting all the little things that could be improved. It’s a slippery slope. hehehe The doors aren’t terrible but they are looking a bit worn and scuffed, so a fresh coat of paint would make a big difference. I did briefly think about painting the walls as well, but they still look pretty good from the last time they were done.

Use the washing line!

Now it is starting to get warmer outside, it is time to stop using the tumble dryer as much and make more of an effort to use the washing line. It will save a little bit of money on the electricity bill and it will keep me busy hanging the clothes on the line. I have got a little lazy over winter and the tumble dryer has been far too easy to use. So, if the weather is good, I am making a point of hanging the washing outside instead of taking the lazy option.

Wash the cushion covers and curtains in the living room!

Washing the curtains and cushion covers in the living room doesn’t get done as often as it probably should and now I can get things out on the washing line. That means they will be done without the worry of shrinking things in the tumble dryer. The cushion covers and curtains in the living room are definitely due a good wash. Once they are clean, the whole room will feel fresher and look brighter.

Have a family day out!

Ellie is off college for two weeks for the Easter holidays and hopefully Stu can get some time off work too. I want us to have a proper family day out somewhere. Becky has her set days off work so we will work around her. I have no idea where to go but I would like it to be somewhere we haven’t been before.

Read more audiobooks!

Last month I listened to a fantastic mix of audiobooks and they were all completely different from each other. I listened to Skin by Liam Brown which was intense and quite unsettling at times. Then there was What Does it Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella which was much more emotional but also surprisingly funny considering it deals with illness. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig was another one I finished and that one really makes you think about life choices and all the different paths we could take. The Surrogate Mother by Freida McFadden which was a proper twisty drama and finally, Swept Away by Beth O'Leary which I didn't love but I enjoyed it.

Watch four more movies that are new to me!

Last month I watched a few films that I hadn’t seen before and it was a really good mix: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy was one I had been meaning to watch for ages and I’m so glad I finally did. I loved it. It was sweet, funny and a little bit sad at times too. It felt a bit like catching up with an old friend you haven’t seen for years. I also watched A Minecraft Movie which was fun even though it was a bit silly in places. Then there was F1. Since getting back into Formula One I felt like I had to watch it and I’m glad I did because the racing scenes were brilliant and it had a good story too. Finally, I watched The Long Walk which turned out to be much darker than I expected. The tension really builds and I probably shouldn’t have watched it right before bed though, because it left me feeling a bit on edge.

Get my little greenhouses out of the garage!

I love my little greenhouses. They’re just the plastic-covered ones, not proper glass ones but they work just as well. I would say better because, in the winter, they just get moved into the garage and not damaged by the weather. They’ve been in the spider-infested garage over winter, so it’s time to give them a clean and get them set up again. At the moment, my seeds are growing on the kitchen windowsill but once the weather warms up they will move outside into the greenhouses and I’ll start planting even more.

Do some baking!

Finally, I want to do a bit of baking this month because I have quite a few baking supplies that need using up. It won’t be anything fancy. I’m thinking scones, cupcakes and maybe a carrot cake or two because carrot cake is my favourite cake.

What do you have planned for April?

Our weekly meal plan! 30th March - 5th April #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Ours was a good one. Becky was very happy about the clocks changing as she had one less hour at work (she works nights) and it felt like I had a lie in as I had an early night and by the time I got up, my phone was saying 10am. hehehe I am ready for a new week and a new month! I know I keep saying it but this year is whizzing by. How is it almost April already?

Last week's meal plan went well until we got to the weekend and then none of the meals happened. We went a bit off track. Oops. It's fine, Saturdays meal has been bumped to today. Last week I was most excited to try the Cheeseburger' Rice Bake With Saucy Relish but it was just OK, it's not something I would rush to make again. Our favourite meal was the Swedish-Style Pork Meatballs With Mash And Peas! Stu walked in and said the sauce for the meatballs didn't look that good, so I made him taste it and he was pleasantly surprised, it was delicious!

I have a few things on this week and Ellie starts her Easter break from college. Stu had hoped the buses would be running their Sunday service on Friday, with it being Good Friday and hoped for a day off work but no, our buses are running their normal service. Hmmf.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal - Peanut Satay Chicken Burger With Sesame Chips And Lime Slaw!

This one was meant to happen on Saturday but got pushed back. A fusion-style dish featuring pan-fried chicken coated in a rich, creamy peanut satay sauce, served on a soft brioche bun. It’s topped with zesty lime slaw for a bit of crunch and comes with crispy sesame chips on the side.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Lamb Mince & Buttery Tatties With Minty Peas!

Juicy lamb mince with carrots and thyme served with a side of buttery tatties and fresh minty peas. Yum! This sounds like comfort food at its best. My family are really starting to enjoy lamb and it has been nice to find new ways to use it.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Creamy Chicken Korma With Sesame Seed Chips!

Chicken breast in a rich spiced sauce served with crispy homemade black sesame seed chips. This one sounds nice and mild, which suits us perfectly. I don't like anything too spicy.

Thursday - Gosuto meal - Sweet 'N' Smoky BBQ Chicken Fajitas!

These sweet 'n' smoky BBQ fajitas are filled with chicken, cheddar cheese, sour cream and vegetables. All wrapped up in soft tortillas. I will probably overfill them and them they will be messy to eat but that is part of the fun of fajitas.

Friday - Chip shop!

It has been a few weeks since we last ordered food from the chip shop. No cooking, no fuss and the biggest drama is deciding what we fancy.

Saturday - Home made pizza!

It has been a while since we made our own pizzas. I will buy the bases ready-made and we can add our own toppings. I will be going for BBQ sauce, smoky sausage, onions, mushroom and a little sprinkling of cheese.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

Or leftover pizza if we didn't eat it all. We always seem to make too much which isn't a bad thing as it means no cooking the next day!

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 22nd - 28th March Week 13 of #Project365

Happy Sunday! I hope you have all had a good week! I've had a quiet one which has been nice but I don't feel like it has been a productive one. I have done the usual housework but not much else apart from dying my hair twice, which I will come to in a moment. The weather was all over the place, very spring looking with sunshine and blue skies but cold as well. On Wednesday I had the heating on and a blanket over me as it was so cold. It feels like we've had all the weather this week. Wind, rain, hail, sunshine and a bit more wind! We don't have much planned for today apart from watching TV and relaxing.

Now for a photo every day!

81/365 22nd March

Sunday was the Tyne-Wear derby! Newcastle v Sunderland and it did not go well for Newcastle. They lost 2-1. I've noticed something with the team. They always do so well in the first half and then they have their little half-time break and then it seems to go downhill. I am sure they go off to the changing room and fill themselves up with Greggs pasties. lol

82/365 23rd March

Our new wheelie bin was delivered. Hooray! It's twice the size of our old one and I think it will be needed now that all our recycling will go into it! As of writing this, we are still waiting for our old one to be collected.

83/365 24th March

I decided to dye my hair. It was the time when I needed to bleach it and that all went well. I then decided to try a new colour: Carnation Pink. I bought it by mistake thinking it was Flamingo Pink and it turns out they are two very different colours. Anyway, I put it on and it did not go on well, it was patchy and I just didn't like the colour, so I just put a Pillarbox Red on over the top and all was good. I don't often have hair disasters. This was one but at least it was fixable.

84/365 25th March

See those little white dots on the ground, those are hailstones! I thought it had hailed earlier in the day but by the time I looked out of the window, it had stopped. This time I caught it and while taking a photo I suffered getting those little balls of ice down the back of my jumper! Brr!

85/365 26th March

Getting the Easter Eggs was easy, a lot easier than I thought it would be. I ordered them with the food shopping but didn't expect them all to be delivered. Every other year there is at least one missing or substituted. Well done Tesco!

86/365 27th March

I had a night out and I just love the toilets in a bar. They are always so much nicer than anywhere else! The décor is always so colourful and fun!

87/365 28th March

I had a lazy day after a late night. I spent most of it watching Friends on TV. It is such an easy show to watch as I have seen it all so many times before and most of the episodes I know word for word.

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