Blankets have been brought out, the curtains are getting closed earlier, the fire is being put on sometimes and hot chocolate is our drink of choice at the moment.
A couple of months ago I got some Lucky Charms hot chocolate from B&M and forgot about it until last week. It's just normal hot chocolate with the Lucky Charms marshmallow pieces. I made one the other night and it was so good. I of course added cream and that was just perfection. I wished I had bought more now.
Half term went in a flash but it was a good one. The girls were very busy seeing their friends and having days out. I don't feel like we did much over the past week, there was lots of relaxing and computer time too. I am happy with how it went.
I am predicting they girls will be busy over the weekend too. Becky has a night shift to sleep off today and Ellie is on about going out with friends. I am planning on going to our local auction as they have shelves full of Christmas things. I am hoping to get some bargains.
Now for a photo every day!
289/365 - 23rd October
Ellie on her way out to play with friends. She still loves her frog hat.
290/365 - 24th October
All I have is a screen shot of a game that I play on my phone. I don't know if playing the farming game Township for 850 days in a row is a good or bad thing. It is the only game ever which has kept my attention for so long. To be fair some days I've just opened the app so I don't lose my streak.
291/365 - 25th October
Pieces from a Christmas game that we have been sent to try out.
292/365 - 26th October
The jigsaw board that I won from the auction over the weekend. Got it for £3 and it has been put away for Christmas.
293/365 - 27th October
My girls ready to go into town for a look around the shops.
294/365 - 28th October
Becky was eating her lunch while on her laptop. I don't usually let her eat on her laptop but she was actually checking her college emails.
295/365 - 29th October
One of the shelves at the local auction full of Christmas stuff. I am so excited for today. As well as all the Christmas stuff they are encouraging people to dress up for Halloween, the best costume wins a meat hamper.
I was going to use "Half Term" but I used that during the last half term so thought I would go with happy! There has been a lot of happiness this week. The kids have been off school and college, they've spent time with friends and it has been a really good week.
These are the first school holidays which have felt pretty normal, well normal since the virus reared it's head. Ellie went out to play with some of her friends on Saturday. They went to the woods and messed around as kids do. I know this because Ellie's friend videoed it and put it on YouTube. hehehe I always know what Ellie is up to thanks to her friend vlogging everything. When it started to get chilly two of Ellie's friends came back here and they played Fortnite. One on the xbox, one on Stu's PC and Ellie on hers. It was madness, shouting between the living and dining room but it was good, it felt normal, how it used to be.
Becky's girlfriend came to visit on Sunday and stayed until Tuesday afternoon. They were happy to spend some time together. Between work and college they are appreciating every minute they get together. If either of them do complain about not seeing each other I remind them of the lockdowns when they had to make with just video chatting.
Becky was worried about being paid as she had trouble opening her payslip which was sent via email in a PDF document. The password wouldn't work, Becky emailed and it was sorted out in no time thankfully. She has a feeling they had the information that was the password wrong as they issued a new payslip and she got straight into it. She has been underpaid which she wasn't too happy about. Ugh. The hours she did for her induction haven't been added to the hours she has worked over the past month. She never filled in time sheets for the induction as she assumed someone else would, it was only the week after she started filling them in herself after she was showed. She is going to speak to a manager this morning after her night shift. It should be easily sorted and she will have extra money at the end of November which will come in handy for Christmas.
On Wednesday Becky took Ellie into town. Becky has always said that she would treat her sister to a fun day out when she got paid and they had the best time. They had burgers and chips for lunch, looked around the shops and had a Starbucks, cakes from Greggs. They used to be as thick as thieves years ago but over the last year or so they have grown apart a little as they have different friends, interests and there is the 5 year age difference so it was nice that they got to spend some quality time together.
I feel happy knowing my girls are so happy but the highlight of my week was getting a Christmas delivery slot with Asda. They were released yesterday and when I went to choose mine there was loads of choice. I think I will do what I did last year and try and get one with Tesco too for the day before my Asda slot and then whatever they don't deliver I can order from Asda.
Halloween is almost here and I thought I would get into the mood by doing a Halloween tag that I found online. I found the questions ages ago and forgot to take note of who I copied them from.
Scariest horror monster or villain?
Samara, her with the long hair out of The Ring. That creepy girl is the reason why I don't watch horror films! When I first saw it I was all for taking the TV out of my bedroom so she couldn't crawl out of it and kill me!
Have you ever played with a Ouija Board? Yes when I was a teenager. It was the "in" thing to do. One of my friends must have been pushing the glass, surely?
Name something you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark forest or in an abandoned building?
The scary answer would be a zombie or ghost but realistically in a forest it would be an animal like a fox or bear. In an abandoned building it would probably be a group of teenagers hanging out. Eek! hehehe
The creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?
I haven’t had really creepy things happen. I am convinced that if I am the last person downstairs on a night that someone is chasing me up the stairs when I am on my way to bed.
Favourite horror or Halloween-themed song?
This one. Spooky, Scary Skeletons (Undead Tombstone Remix). I heard it on TikTok probably this time last year and it's one which has got stuck in my head!
If you were dared to spend the night in a “haunted house”, would you do it?
If I had a bed to sleep in I would, no way if it was an abandoned house with nothing in it.
Are you superstitious?
I'd like to say I'm not but I am. If I break a mirror I do worry if I would be cursed for 7 years. I knock on wood, I won't walk under a ladder and worry when it's Friday the 13th.
If you got trapped in one Halloween movie, which would you choose?
Casper! He's a friendly ghost so not scary at all. hehehe
Do you prefer gore or thriller movies?
I would probably choose gore, thriller one's play with my mind too much.
Ever made a potion of any sort? Yes when I was a kid. I would always be in the garden mixing things and sometimes in the kitchen if I could get away with it. I remember being young and mixing talcum powder, some sort of body lotion and shampoo together and making such a mess. I got in big trouble. Now the only potions I make are cocktails. hehehe
Creepy dolls or Creepy Clowns? What is worse?
Dolls! I got given one years ago, I don't know why someone thought I wanted one but it was put in the cupboard under my sink right at the back and it stayed there for years. I kept checking it was still there, just in case!
What's your favourite thing about Halloween?
Seeing my girls getting dressed up and getting way too excited!
Do you get scared easily?
Yes!
You’re home alone but you hear footsteps in your house, what do you do? Ring Stu and lock myself in the bathroom. If you could only wear one Halloween costume for the rest of your life, what would you be? Morticia Addams. It would work for every occasion. Perfect. Would you ever go to a graveyard at night?
When I was a teenager I used to live next door to one. A lot of the graves were unmarked and it was made into a playing field. It didn't bother me in the slightest when I was with friends but did get a little creeped out if I was alone.
In a zombie apocalypse what is your weapon of choice? I watch The Walking Dead so it would be Daryl's crossbow or Negan's baseball bat.
Would you rather go to a Halloween party or go trick or treating? A Halloween party. I hate trick or treating and only used to go because of the kids.
Do you have to watch something happy after watching a horror movie so you can go to sleep? Oh yes! Usually I would watch an episode of Friends which is always on the TV.
How old were you when you saw your first horror movie? I was about 12 years old when I watched my first proper horror film. It was the Stephen King one "It". I rented it from the local corner shop on video. My mother wasn't best pleased but by the time she had realised what my brother and I were watching we'd seen enough to be scared.
What was your first Halloween costume? A witch.
If you could have a spooky Halloween pet (black cat, owl, bat, rat, wolf), what would you pick?
We always like to do a little baking in the run up to Halloween and this year is no different. It is a bonus that it's half term and that gives us more time to have some fun in the kitchen. Recently I was sent this recipe as a suggestion to try, Mummy Sausage & Pumpkin Pies.
In the large mixing bowl, combine the flour and butter by rubbing it together between your fingertips, until a crumb consistency is achieved. Add the water and bring together with your hands to form a pastry dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and pop in the freezer to rest while you make the filling.
Take the dough out of the freezer and, on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a large rectangle (2-3mm thickness) then portion into 12 smaller rectangles.
Place 9 of the pastry rectangles onto the tray and spoon the sausage filling into the centre of each one leaving an index finger width border around every edge.
Beat the egg, then use your finger to egg wash the edges of each pie.
Cut the remaining 3 rectangles into 1 cm strips and lay them over the filling of each pie, using the egg washed edges to stick them. Trim if necessary.
Use your finger to egg wash the strips then bake the pies for 20-25 minutes until golden. Allow to cool slightly before placing two edible eyes on each one and serving. They can also be enjoyed cold.
Will you be cooking up anything spooky in the kitchen in the run up to Halloween?
Recipe from the Easy Peasy Baking campaign, launched by UK Flour Millers, making baking simple. You can find more Easy Peasy Baking recipes and information on the campaign over on the Fab Flour website.
Ellie loves building things anything from Lego, K'nex and at the moment she is really into the Geomag contruction kits. Her dream is to become a structural engineer so building kits are fantastic for her.
Through constructive play, a child will learn what will work and what will not. Overcoming problems to build structures in a particular way will always aid creative thinking and problem solving skills. Construction toys provide an understanding of how pieces fit together and encourage comprehension of differing directions, shapes, and space.
For ages 8 years plus the Geomag Mechanics Gravity Loops and Turns Construction Set is a fascinating.It is a Swiss-made 130 piece set and is made from 74% recycled plastic and winner of numerous awards.
On opening the box it is clear so see which parts are which. It comes with clear instructions on how to put the track together too.
Mechanics Gravity Magnetic Track harnesses the invisible forces of magnetism and gravity through original and surprising means. The spheres inside the circuit are set in motion by an innovative magnetic cannon that uses the force of attraction of the accelerating magnet. Gravity is the innovative evolution of the Geomag Mechanics line.
Developed with expert players in mind, the new construction system is based on an innovative "gravity motor": this uses the weight of the Geomag spheres to kickstart the mechanisms and movements of the Geomag Mechanics structures.
The pieces easily slot together and the set can be taken apart again easily. This would be a great Christmas present and a fun activity to do over the Christmas holidays. No batteries or electricity is needed as the motion is provided by the invisible forces of Gravity and Magnetism which is a massive bonus when it comes to children's toys.
Key Features:
Mechanical and magnetic construction system.
A STEM product that can stimulate scientific learning.
Winners of numerous awards.
Suitable for children aged 8 + to develop their imagination and curiosity through the science of magnetic construction.
The 130 plastic mechanical elements are at the heart of the Gravity system.
Made using recycled plastic.
This is a STEM product that can truly stimulate curiosity and inspire to learn more about science. It is a great set and can be bought for around £34.99 from The Entertainer. Do keep an eye out on the price though, as of writing this a few days ago it was on offer for £26.24.
I was sent the Geomag Mechanics Gravity Loops and Turns Construction Set free of charge in exchange for this blog post.
Last weeks meal plan went really well, we ate everything but just swapped a couple of meals around. We tried Heinz Original Beanz Burgerz which were nice but nothing amazing. I don't think I will rush to buy them again, they were a little too spicy, I expected and have preferred them to taste more of traditional baked beans.
It's half term here this week and of course Halloween so I expect it to be a fun week. The kids are having a day out in town together, Becky has said for years that when she got a job she'd treat her sister to a day out. They're going to go to Starbucks, Primark and as an extra treat the cinema which I will be paying for, I would rather Becky took Ellie to see the new Boss Baby film than me having to sit through it. I am not a fan of those films. We are putting the Halloween decorations up today and to be honest I don't know what the kids are doing for Halloween. No costumes have been asked for so they're either making do with what they have or are not dressing up. I am not asking or else I might jog their memories and have to pay for something. hehehe
On the menu this week we have:
Monday - Potato waffle fries with tomato passata, onions, salami, pepperoni and cheese on top.
The weather really has changed this week. It's been big coats and gloves for me. The kids are still going out without their big coats although Ellie did give in and wear a jacket yesterday when she went out for friends but that was more to look good than to keep warm.
We have had so much rain. I did think early on in the week that I wasn't going to get any washing out on the line but thankfully I managed to get a few loads dried there between the rain downfalls.
Poor Ellie got soaked going to school most mornings this week and Becky got soaked coming out of college on Wednesday when the rain was at it's worst. The rain was so freaky on Wednesday, one minute it was sunny the next a grey cloud would appear from nowhere and it would chuck it down then the blue skies would come back. We even had some thunder.
What a rubbish week of weather we've had here. The rain has been awful and it's certainly got colder. I went out the other day with a winter coat on, a jumper underneath and gloves. I've not been up to much this week past week, just the usual jobs around the house, seeing my dad and that's about it.
It's half term now and we're looking forward to a break from school and routine. We still don't know what we're doing for Halloween. Ellie is on about going Trick or Treating with her friends but we'll see, I think at the moment it depends on the weather.
Now for a photo everyday!!
282/365 - 16th October
When there is reduced sushi I always get Ellie some, there was none on Saturday but there was smoked salmon and she said that was the next best thing. Reduced from £4.10 to £1.68. In hindsight I wished I had bought more and put it in the freezer for Christmas, there was tons of it.
283/365 - 17th October
A glass photo block that I am reviewing.
284/365 - 18th October
I saw a woman on TikTok saying that every empty box that she finds put away in the kitchen cupboards will be wrapped up for the kids to open on Christmas morning. It's mean but I am so tempted to do it. lol My youngest is so guilty of this. These are two things that I found just today in the cupboard, empty!!
285/365 - 19th October
I did go to bed early but Stu was still awake watching The Simpsons. I couldn't help but watch.
286/365 - 20th October
Opened the curtains to see a water company worker doing something with the water thingy on our path. I opened the door and he said he was fitting a new meter. We should have had a letter about it but it was probably just addressed to "the occupier" which I tend not to read. Oops.
287/365 - 21st October
Sat at my dad's work and happened to look up and saw his cat creeping across a cabin roof. The poor thing thought he had found something to pounce on but it was just a box of tools that my dad had left on the roof after fixing a leak. The poor thing thought his luck was in. hehehe
288/365 - 22nd October
A non-uniform day at school. My girl drives me crazy, complains that it's cold out but still won't wear a coat. She did at least put a hat on.
This has been a week of nothing. Nothing exciting happening and I've had nothing much to do apart from the usual housework. I am not complaining, it has been nice to nothing and have a week of peace and quiet.
I mentioned last week that we had a yearly gas safety check and our boiler needed a little fix of a new part which might be hard to come by as the boiler is quite old. The boiler man said he would get back to us and we heard nothing from him until the landlord got back in touch with him and said he couldn't find the part so we'd need a new boiler. The landlord isn't daft and rang the boiler part company and asked if they had the part and they had plenty. We have a feeling that the boiler man was just hoping to put a new boiler in and then get extra money. It turns out now with the found part it's going to cost about £150 instead of a couple of thousand. That boiler man won't be coming back next year to do the checks.
The kids have had a quiet week at school and college. They haven't been up to much really, just plodding on with their work and there is nothing much to report. Ellie has gone from having homework every evening to nothing! They seem to do this every year, go in all guns blazing at the start of term and then in trails off.
I went and had a look around the local auction yesterday and there was nothing in that I really fancy bidding on. There was a lot of Christmas decorations but I know we already have more than enough. Becky and I spent a good couple of hours there just chatting to the people who run it. Talking about nothing in particular but having such a laugh. My sides were actually aching from laughing.
We are very excited about the half term holidays starting today. We have nothing much planned for next week apart from Becky and Ellie are going to have a day out in town. Becky said when she got her first pay from work she was going to treat her sister to a few hours out, a drink from Starbucks and a look around Primark. I have said I will pay for them to go to the cinema as the new Boss Baby is showing now and they loved the first one.
There was me thinking I had nothing to write about but I've done well talking about nothing. lol
I do love this time of year. It's cold but there are some days when the sun is shining so I can still get the washing out on the line, I like the dark nights, cosy oversized jumpers, half term, comfort food and all the best TV is on. It is tempting some days just to stay under a blanket but I want to make some memories and have some fun. I have came up with a few ideas of things which I want to do before winter arrives.
Go for a walk to the next town over through the fields, on the footpaths of course.
Go to a Fireworks Display. The one locally is back on again this year along with the fairground and food stalls. We can't wait.
Start watching Christmas films.
It's half term next week so I think we will get a good start on our Autumn bucket list and I already have a few things planned as well as a couple of lazy days.
Disposable sanitary products contribute millions of tons of plastic to landfill every year. Each woman can use between 5 and 15 thousand pads or tampons during their lifetime, the vast majority of which end up in landfill or polluting the oceans. Most disposable pad brands are over 90% plastic and contain synthetic additives, many of which are damaging to both women’s health and the environment.
Reusable pads are much better for our world and ourselves and recently I have been sent some to try out from Trade To Aid.
Reusable pads and the Trade To Aid reusable pads are designed in the same way as disposable sanitary pads and are used the same way too. Instead of throwing them away reusable pads can be removed, washed and reused. The whole process is quick, easy, clean and comfortable.
Made with a super soft bamboo charcoal layer, a highly absorbent microfibre core and a recycled waterproof membrane. The pads are free from the synthetic additives and nasty chemicals found in disposable pads, they are kind to your body.
I was sent the Reusable Sanitary Pads (Pack of 6) box to try out which contains 2 heavy flow pads, 2 medium flow pads and 2 light flow pads and a waterproof wet bag.
These pads have the same tried and tested design as standard disposable sanitary pads and work the same way. You fix them to your underwear via the two small clips that are attached to the wings, a lot like the sticky wings on disposable pads. Once you have finished with a reusable pad, you remove it and fold it up and place it in the sealable waterproof bag until it is time to wash it.
Many women put off using reusable pads because of the thought of washing them. If you are out an about you can put the pad in the wash bag supplied with the pads or if you are home just place it in a bowl of cold water to soak. Cold water helps lift out bloodstains. Soaked pads can be washed in a standard dark 40-degree wash or by hand. You can use light detergent but fabric softener will leave a residue on the pads, which you don’t want. If you are worried about disinfecting the pads then you can add some white vinegar to the wash too which is perfectly safe and fine for your washing machine and great for other clothes too! Apart from the soaking washing reusable pads is the same as washing any other clothes! Drying them on the washing line in direct sunlight is ideal but when this isn't possible drying them in front of a radiator is fine. The pads are designed to be absorbent so they’ll absorb a lot of water and will take a while to dry.
These arrived just at the right time. I had been on my period for a couple of days so it was the perfect time to try them out because I didn't have such a heavy flow. They were so soft to touch and when I tried them on they were so comfortable. Way better than plastic, disposable pads. I liked that they came in different sizes depending on what your flow is like because not every day on your period is the same. I didn't have to change them quite as often as disposable pads and towards the end of my period usually my skin is started to get irritated with these it wasn't. I do at least one load of washing a day so washing the reusable pads has been easy. I have a bin in the bathroom half full of water and that is where I have been soaking the pads. Stu did roll his eyes when he noticed the pads hung on the line, worried about what the neighbours would think but to be honest I don't care.
I have realised that to use these for all of my period I will need more than the six that I was sent and I do intend to buy more as I have got on so well with the one's I was sent to try. The average woman in the UK spends some £13 a month on sanitary products. That works out to over £1,500 a year so once I have bought another couple of packs I will actually be saving money.
Trade to Aid have joined the fight against period poverty. For every pack of reusable pads sold, Trade To Aid donate a pack to someone in need of a better period. Trade To Aid is a non-profit social business and they use every penny of the profits to donate packs to a woman in need in a refugee camp, a conflict zone, or a natural disaster. The profits also go towards funding menstrual education and hygiene programmes.
The pack of 6 reusable sanitary pads cost £29.97 and I think that is a fantastic price considering how much you will save in the long run. Reusable pads will last 5 years or more and also vastly lower your carbon footprint and contribution to landfill.
Have you tried reusable pads before? How did you get on?
I was sent the pack of 6 reusable sanitary pads free of charge in exchange for this blog post.
I like to write my random thoughts down, those thoughts that don't fit into a blog post but I want to mention them and share them with you. You can read my previous mind dump here.
These are some of the things that I have been thinking about.
Getting a cold worries me so much. We've all had a bit of a snotty nose here, it was just a cold lasting a few days but in the back of my mind I was always thinking could it be Covid?
The petrol shortage made me so glad that neither Stu or I drive. It was something which I didn't have to worry about.
It's my birthday next month and I am excited! I am hoping to go out for a meal and hoping that the pub has started selling their Christmas meals. Fingers crossed!
Do you know what's worse than the kids leaving and empty loo roll in the bathroom? Them just leaving a couple of sheets on the roll! So annoying especially when we keep the new rolls in the cupboard at the other side of the bathroom.
Squid Game was amazing, watch it if you haven't!!
Making new friends is brilliant! I have a new friend one of those where you just click and chat about random things.
Ellie is going to have her Covid vaccine at school soon and it is an understatement to say I am worried. I have read about the side effects and one is swelling of the heart. Her heart needs no more pressure than it has. She has had open heart surgery and has leaking valves. But, if she doesn't have the vaccine the outcome could be much worse for her and the way things are at school it feels like it's a matter of time before she catches it.
Spiders and daddy long legs are set to take over the world or it feels like it at the moment, there are tons of them in here every night!
Just don't lie to me, someone who I trusted has and now I doubt everything that they say. It was a silly lie that they didn't need to say but that lie has me wondering about everything they have ever said.
The Strictly results getting leaked every week is annoying. I always seem to see who's leaving on Twitter. Grr.
We had the chance to go away over Christmas but we have decided just to stay home. I don't want to run the risk of catching anything. My dad is sure he caught the virus the first time a couple of years ago when he went away.
Shopping for the kids Christmas presents is so much harder now they are teenagers! They just want clothes and money but I want them to have presents to open which are a little bit more exciting.
I have got such a dodgy hip. Exercising is great but my hip is not a fan. It comes from when I slipped on some water in the kitchen about 10 years ago. I am working through it but it's a sign that I am getting older.
Becky gets paid for the first time from her job soon and it will be more money than she's ever had for herself. She got her child trust fun money but that has been set aside for driving lessons. I am really hoping she is going to be sensible with it. She has said she's buying everyone Christmas presents and I hope she doesn't get too carried away.
Winter is coming. We've had our heating on a few times already over the last month or so. I don't want it to be cold. I liked the weather a the end of September when it was chilly but still warm enough to go out without a coat.
Last weeks meal plan went well, really well. We did swap a couple of meals around but ate everything that I had planned. Hooray!
We should have got 3 meals from the two chickens that I cooked on Sunday but I forgot to put chicken into the pie with the leftover veg from the roast dinner. My family didn't question it and enjoyed the pie and it meant there was more chicken for the Irn-Bru chicken which I cooked in the slow cooker. It went down really well. It reminded me a lot like the diet cola chicken we've had in the past. We are going to try it with Dr Pepper next, my youngest has suggested Tizer but I think that's pushing our luck. lolWe ended up making our own pizzas, well putting toppings on pre-made dough and treated ourselves to onion gravy with the sausage and mash! Yum, yum!
When I was doing the food shop for some reason I thought that Becky's girlfriend was coming to visit and to stay for tea tonight so I had planned to cook spaghetti bolognese as I know she loves it but I was wrong, Becky is only coming back from her girlfriends today after being there for a couple of days, it's next week she's visiting. Oh well, I have the bolognese stuff so will still make it.