Thursday 31 March 2022

A fun icebreaker tag!

It has been a while since I have done a tag like this but I found this one in my drafts from ages ago and thought it was a bit of fun.

Question marks

Do you eat pizza with a knife and fork?
Only when I am out in public, in a restaurant. I hate the thought of making a mess. When I go to our local cafe I always eat the egg and sausage sandwich with a knife and fork because of the runny egg. Everyone always laughs at me.

What fictional family would you most like to join?
The Pearsons from This Is Us. Even though they have their problems it is such a loving and wholesome family.

Would you rather be reincarnated as a cat or a dog?
A cat! They do seem to have the best lives! Lazing around, they have more freedom than dogs and they sleep lots.

Who was your childhood famous crush?
Peter Andre. I was obsessed with him! 

What movie do you wish you could watch again for the first time?
I would have to say one that has a big twist at the end like The Sixth Sense or Fight Club. I remember watching those for the first time and was gobsmacked with the endings, so clever!!

What is your go-to karaoke anthem?
Bon Jovi - It's My Life!

What is your favourite type of sandwich?
It depends what mood I am in and where I am. If I am home it's a simple ham and sliced tomatoes but if I am out it's a prawn salad and a hot one would be a bacon one.

Pick your favourite decade. Tell us why.
The 90's. For me it was the decade of fun. I was at secondary school for the first half, college the middle and then living the free and single life. The music was the best and the films were fantastic. Titanic, Armageddon, Clueless and The Matrix.

What is the best thing you have bought so far this year?
I would have to say the sun loungers that I got over the weekend from our local auction. Two with covers/cushions and one with just the frame. All for £16. 

Imagine you can instantly learn any language. Which would you choose?
Japanese. It seems such an interesting language and knowing it would really annoy Ellie. She loves anything from Japan and has been trying to learn it but hasn't mastered it yet.

Are you more productive in the morning or at night?
I would say when it comes to housework it's in the morning but anything like writing blog posts I am definitely more productive on a night.

What is your most used phone app?
TikTok. I hardly use my phone for other apps, but I can got lost scrolling through TikTok for hours. I prefer to use my laptop for most things. 

What is the weirdest thing you have in the room with you right now?
A watering can. Stu was watering the front garden earlier and obviously didn't bother taking it back through to the back garden. Hmmf.

What is a weird fact you know?
The inventor of the Pringles can is now buried in one.

There is a free, round-trip shuttle to Mars. The catch: it will take one year of your life to go, visit, and come back. Are you in?
Yeah, why not! It certainly would be the trip of a lifetime!

Wednesday 30 March 2022

(Ad - Gifted) Dino Yogurt Eggs from Fruit Bowl - Recipe!

 Easter is coming, it's next month and when I think of Easter I think of chocolate but there are alternative Easter treats out there which are healthier and that's where Fruit Bowl comes in with their Dino Yogurt Eggs.

Fruit Bowl are all about making sure the snacks that end up in little hands are packed with fruity goodness, and not an ounce of anything else.

Dino Yogurt Eggs from Fruit Bowl

Dino Yogurt Eggs are made with real fruit and feature juicy raisins covered in a creamy yogurt shell, with red, green and blue speckled yogurt dinosaur egg shells made using all natural colours. We love them here, even when my girls are not that keen on eating fruit they will eat these. They are so good and they are such a treat.

Individually wrapped and great for outdoor Easter Egg hunts, each bag features T-Rex, Pterodactyl, Velociraptor, or Triceratops characters on the front. They are perfect for when your mini dinosaur is peckish to prehistoric proportions or topping an eggstra yummy Easter baked treat like the scrumptious Dino Egg Rocky Roaaard recipe below.

Dino Egg Rocky Roaaard recipe

Dino Egg Rocky ROAAARD.
Total cooking time: 25 mins
Cooling Time: 3 hours
Servings: 20

Ingredients:

300g of milk chocolate, roughly broken into pieces (cooking chocolate or one with at least 35% cocoa solids works best).

60g of golden syrup.

125g of butter or baking spread.

140g of Fruit Bowl Dino Yogurt Eggs (7 packs).

90g of mini pink and white marshmallows.

3 x 16g of Fruit Bowl Raspberry Peelers, chopped into approximately 1cm pieces (Any other flavour would work too).

2 x 18g of Fruit Bowl Strawberry Fruit Flakes (Any other flavour would work too).

100g Nice biscuits.

Method:

1. Line a 20cm x 20cm springform cake tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Put the biscuits into a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin to break them up. Pieces should range from dust to up to 2cm.

3. Put the chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a small heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool the mixture for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, put the broken biscuits, chopped peeler pieces, fruit flakes, 4 packs of the Dino Yogurt Eggs and the mini marshmallows into a large bowl and lightly mix with a spoon.

5. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the top and mix until the chocolate coats the mixture. Be careful not to over mix it.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with the back of a metal tablespoon. Scatter the Dino Yogurt Eggs from the other 3 packs over the top and press them in lightly with the back of the spoon.

7. Pop in the refrigerator to set for 3 hours.

8. Once set, cut into 20 square pieces and enjoy with your friends and family!

Dino Yogurt Eggs are available to purchase from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons and Tesco stores nationwide, as well as online at Ocado and Fruit Bowl’s website for RRP £2.00.
 
I was sent some Dino Yogurt Eggs in exchange for this blog post free of charge. This recipe belongs to Fruit Bowl, you can find out more information on their website.

Tuesday 29 March 2022

What a difference a good doctor makes.

We haven't had much luck with doctors over the last couple of years and it has frustrated me so much. It has got to the point now when I go with the kids to their hospital or doctors appointments ready for an argument. It shouldn't be like that!

thank you doctor

It all started when we moved here and our GP referred Becky instead of Ellie to Audiology for a hearing check. It was a medical mix up. In the end it was all sorted out but because the pandemic was in full swing we only had a telephone appointment with the audiologist. He was in lovely man who had time for us and was a great help. He wrote a letter to Ellie's school confirming Ellie was deaf. It is hard to get the extra support because Ellie's deafness isn't visible. She doesn't have a hearing aid yet, that is a work in progress and he also referred us to a hearing support network through our local council who liaise with the school. We were supposed to see him at the hospital when it was safer, after Covid but that didn't happen, goodness knows where he went but each time we've been to audiology since I have looked for his name on the list of doctors and he is never there.

At the end of 2020 Ellie went for a hearing test and a check up and we did not get on with the doctor! He hadn't read any of Ellie's notes, did not know why we were there, he seemed confused that we had travelled to Scunthorpe from Newcastle when we had actually moved house and rolled my eyes so much. When he said that Ellie shouldn't go to nightclubs or spend time in factories she turned to him and said that she was only 13 years old so the chances of that happening was slim.

We have seen a couple more doctors to do with Ellie's hearing who haven't read her notes and then the worst appointment ever when we were told Ellie had small, old bleeds on her brain that were found during the MRI scan before she gets hearing aids fitted. The doctor was less than helpful, did nothing to reassure us, wouldn't answer any of our questions, mumbled and used medical words we didn't understand and wouldn't explain. I was so angry, upset and worried! A complaint has since been made. 

When we had Ellie's heart check a few weeks ago I was dreading it! In hindsight I could have taken Stu along but we thought it was still one parent per child. I was really starting to stress myself out as the appointments were running half an hour late but I know it's pretty normal. We took a whole afternoon of one doctors time when my girls were diagnosed with holes in their hearts. These things happen but as soon as we walked into the doctors room both Ellie and I felt at ease and the cardiologist told us that he likes to chat, likes to answer any questions and has time for us!! Wow! Usually we feel rushed but this was so different. 

The cardiologist chatted to Ellie about all sorts. Roblox, PE lessons, what she wants to do when she leaves school and told us it's good that she wants to be an engineer but not in the army as with her heart defect she wouldn't pass the medical tests which was interesting to know. It was a clever way to get information from her but still talking about things which interested her.

He said it has been a while since he got to do an echocardiogram (heart scan) on a child Ellie's age and said younger kids wriggle about, jump off the bed and some have to be pinned down, in the nicest way possible. He told us that earlier that day he had to scan 8 superhero action figures before a little boy would let him anywhere near him. He was one of those doctors which just has time for his patients. While doing Ellie's scan he talked us through what he was looking at, pointing everything out even the stitches around the hole which was patched. It was fascinating to hear and see. I have had the basics shown to me before but not in that much detail.

The cardiologist answered all of our questions and I had a lot after not seeing a heart specialist for over 2 years. I had mentioned that I was unsure about Ellie having her Covid Vaccine after reading things online about the side effects and he seemed upset that I didn't have someone to contact to ask these questions from the hospital and his team. We had a person when we used to live in Northumberland, someone based at the Freeman Hospital and we were told that when we moved here we would have the same but that didn't happen. He gave me his card and that has a phone number and email address on and said if I have a question to get in touch even if I think it's stupid, there's no stupid questions when it comes to the heart and my kids health.

I also found out that since the pandemic started the hospital has been in the process of switching from paper notes to notes on the computer and he found that the doctors would only look on the computer and not through paper notes and certainly not through a folder the size of Ellie's. He said hopefully now that we have had a check on her heart all the doctors that we see in future for other things will get a grasp of her whole medical history.

Ellie has now been discharged from the children's department as her next check up will be in two years when she will almost be 16 years old but we will get to see the amazing Cardiologist once more at his teenage clinic in Hull. When we left his room and said goodbye we were taken by another member of his team to explain the transition from children's to adult cardiology and he said Ellie will be seen by the same cardiologist for each check up or a member of their team, at Hull.

Becky had her first visit to the cardiologist out patients clinic in Hull a couple of weeks ago, the same one that Ellie will be going to for a check on her heart and the nurses and doctors there were amazing too. They had so much time for us, they were friendly and again explained everything. She doesn't have to go back for 3 years so we will back there with Ellie before Becky goes again and I feel really happy going there. 

I feel so much more relaxed about the girls heart appointments now. A good doctor really makes such a difference. A good doctor makes us feel at ease, reassures and will answer any questions that we have! I am glad we have at least a couple now.

Monday 28 March 2022

Our weekly meal plan! 28th March - 3rd April. #MealPlanningMonday

Our weekly meal plan

Can you believe later this week we will be going into April! Where is this year going? The kids break up for the Easter holidays on Friday and Ellie is the lucky one with nearly 3 weeks off school, Becky only gets 2 and a bit. hehehe

Last weeks meal plan went well. We ate everything apart from the chicken wraps, I ended up making a quiche with the leftover pastry from the Leftover roast dinner pie. It was the first quiche that I've ever made and I will be making more. I always thought there was more to making them than there is. It's basically just an omelette with a crust. lol We did change things on Sunday, with it being Mother's day I wasn't cooking and I wanted something really nice so we got a little Chinese takeaway. The kids said it was a treat for me but I think it was more of a treat for them. hehehe

This week we are getting another Gousto recipe box as there are a few recipes which I would like to try. We did have a little issue with delivery. It got to 5pm and I hadn't had the usual text saying it was out for delivery so I got onto the live chat and they chased it up. It didn't arrive until after 9pm which wasn't ideal as I did want to have an early night with the clocks going forward and losing an hours sleep. Ugh.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto - Chunky cottage pie with buttery greens.
Tuesday - Gousto - The ManiLife PB&J beef burger with smoky wedges.
Wednesday - Gousto - Creamy chicken potato-topped pie with crispy skin-on mash and garlicky greens.
Thursday - Gousto - Creamy garlic mushroom Gnocchi.
Friday - Pizza.
Saturday - Chicken fried rice, spring rolls and prawn crackers.
Sunday - A roast dinner of some sort.

I am linking up with Karen over at Cat's, Kids, Chaos who is the host of the meal planning linky. If you blog about your meal plan do come and link up!

Sunday 27 March 2022

A buzzing blossom tree. #MySundaySnapshot

I have always said that I would love a pretty blossom tree in my back garden. I was walking past the church in town the other day and saw this tree and the blossom and couldn't resist taking a photo. I was slightly nervous though because of all the insects buzzing! The bee's were loving it though.

A blossom tree

My Sunday Snapshot

Saturday 26 March 2022

Week 12 of #Project365. 19th - 25th March. A photo every day for a year!

What a glorious week of weather we've had. It really feels like spring is here and summer is on it's way. I've sat out in the garden, had plenty of washing out on the line and I've even seen and heard the ice cream van go past a couple of times and had a cheeky pint in the pub beer garden.

We have had a good week. Ellie got her school report for the spring term and she is doing so well. Her predicted grades for her GCSE's are amazing, I am regretting telling her I would give her money for every grade C and above and Becky got the results back for the exams she did earlier in the year. She of course passed them all.

I seem to have been busy all week. Doing little jobs around the house, meeting up for coffee with friends, going to see my dad and still finding time to keep up with the housework. I am thanking the sun, it always gives me so much motivation.

Now for a photo every day!

Becky in her new bedroom and Fortnite
Mum plant pots and roses
Quiche and hair dye
My greenhouse and me

78/365 - 19th March
We finally got around to swapping the kids bedrooms around. Ellie now has the smaller room and Becky the bigger one. It was hard work taking everything of Becky's old room, putting it in ours then moving Ellie's things into Becky's old room and finally everything of Becky's into her new room but it's done now and both rooms look great. They wanted it that way and so far it's working. Becky is loving the extra space and Ellie is finding it easier to keep her bedroom tidy. It was a great way to declutter too!

79/365 - 20th March
A new season of Fortnite. I loaded it up but didn't play, I wasn't queuing for over an hour. Ugh. I had a few games eventually and I am not a fan of the new season. I know Fortnite is all about fighting but I am not liking the tanks, new things in the game and not being able to build. Hmmf.

80/365 - 21th March
A Moonpig parcel was delivered for Becky and it turns out it was my mother's day present. The silly sausage forgot to pick a certain day for delivery, ideally it should have came yesterday but it was an early treat for me. She rang from college saying I had to open it and water them. lol They are gorgeous, the pots and the roses.

81/365 - 22th March
I had leftover pastry from making a leftover roast dinner pie and decided I would try to make a quiche. It was my first time making one and I must say it turned out well. I thought there was more to making them than there is.

82/365 - 23th March
Time to dye my hair again. I stuck with the pillar box red. The top half looks red but the bottom more pink. It's fine, I love it.

83/365 - 24th March
My little greenhouse is amazing!! Lots of different things are growing so well. The flowers and sunflowers especially.

84/365 - 25th March
Off to meet Stu from work. I love that he finishes early on a Friday, especially when the sun is shining.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Friday 25 March 2022

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

Improvements

We have had a pretty productive week. We seem to have got around to quite a few jobs that we just haven't had or made time for and we've made quite a few improvements.

I have been wanting to dye the living room curtains for a while, they're a dusky pink while everything in the room is mostly red they have faded and needed a bit of spruce up. The dye I bought was tulip red but when I put it next to the curtains it didn't look that much different but I went ahead and dyed them anyway. They look brighter and a little more red so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Stu got around to painting the back gate. It's been on our to do list since not long after we moved in here then a little while ago when we had the storms the gate blew off it's hinges and my dad came and fixed it, put up some extra bits of wood and they just looked out of place so a lick of paint has made everything match. He also found the brass numbers and put them on the gate too. It looks so fancy.

painting the back gate

For months the girls have been wanting to swap bedrooms. Up until the weekend Ellie had the big room and Becky the small bedroom. We just haven't found the time to swap the rooms with Becky working night shifts over the weekends and Ellie at school during the week, we have struggled to have a whole day together to get it done. Saturday was the day and what a job it was. We took everything out of Becky's room and put it into mine and Stu's, gave it a good clean and then moved Ellie's things into it, then cleaned Ellie's old room and put all of Becky's things back into it.

The whole reason they wanted to moved bedrooms was because Becky wanted more room and Ellie wanted less because she seems to think that a small room will be easier to keep tidy. It seems to be working so far. Becky is loving all of the space and Ellie is loving the lack of space to make a mess. lol

Last weeks Word of the Week was Dentist, about the faff we had with them. Ellie had an appointment to have a filling yesterday or so we thought. We got a phone call asking where were we as we were late for the appointment on Wednesday. Ugh! It turns out when the receptionist booked the appointment she did indeed say Thursday but said the 23rd and she went with the date and I went with the day that she had said. As I never got the appointment through to my email, Becky had been sent it by mistake I never thought of looking at it to check. They ended up fitting Ellie in to get her filling, it's a good job Stu was just home from work as I had a hair dye on my head when they rang. lol It's the first time Ellie has had a filling needing an injection to numb the area and she was so funny, she couldn't talk properly and was spitting all over. She's fine now.

This weekend is going to be a relaxed one and we have no jobs to do, well apart from digging the garden up. I will get around to that eventually.

I hope you have had a good week?

Word of the week linky

Thursday 24 March 2022

A Gin & Tonic drizzle loaf - Recipe!

We all know that mother's day is coming up and as a mother I know that most other mother's are fans of cake. Buying one is great but making one is even better!

Made with only 8 ingredients and boasting the citrus tang of grapefruit and oranges or lemons and limes, add a hint of gin for a sophisticated bake that's guaranteed to be a hit with any gin loving mum!

Gin & Tonic drizzle loaf

Makes a 2lb loaf.

Ingredients

1 Grapefruit/orange or 2 x lemons/limes
175g of Self-raising flour
175g of Caster sugar + 75g for soaking syrup
175g of Unsalted butter, softened
3 Eggs
120ml of Gin split into 50ml and 70ml
75ml of Tonic water
150g of Icing sugar

Equipment

Knife
Fine grater/zester
Large mixing bowl
Electric hand whisk
Fork
2lb Loaf tin lined with baking paper/ loaf tin liner
Saucepan
Spoon

A Gin & Tonic drizzle loaf

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 165°c (fan).

2. Take whichever citrus you are using and cut half into slices for decorating (half grapefruit/orange or 1 whole lemon/lime). Zest and juice the other half using the fine grater/zester to zest and the fork to get the juice from the fruit.

3. In the large mixing bowl, combine the self-raising flour, citrus zest and 175g of caster sugar. Add the butter, eggs, 50ml of gin, 2 tbsp of citrus juice and mix with the electric hand whisk until smooth. 

4. Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin and bake for 35 minutes until golden and springy to touch. Remove from the oven but leave in the tin.

5. While the loaf is cooling slightly, pour the remaining citrus juice, tonic and 75g sugar into the saucepan and heat on a medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes until the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to cool slightly before stirring in the remaining gin (70ml). Set aside 3 tbsp of the syrup for the glaze.

6. Poke the loaf all over with the fork and drizzle with the syrup from the saucepan. You can do this while the loaf is still warm.

7. When the loaf is completely cool, remove from the tin. Wipe clean your mixing bowl and then use it to combine the 3 tbsp of reserved syrup with the icing sugar to make a glaze and pour over the top of your loaf, slightly pushing it down the sides with the end of a spoon to create a drip effect. Decorate with citrus slices and serve.

 This recipe is 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.

Wednesday 23 March 2022

Two years since the first lockdown.

Can you believe this time 2 years ago Boris Johnson ordered us all to stay at home because of Coronavirus? It seems like such a long time ago but at the same time it feels like no time has passed at all. My Word of the Week a few days before the big announcement was Worry and there was a lot of that but we stayed home and we actually enjoyed the first lockdown mostly. Life seemed so much easier back then. There was of course the worry of catching the virus but we were staying home and having barely any contact with anyone.

Lego house

This time 2 years ago we didn't know anyone who had caught the virus or who had died from it. Myself and my family are lucky that we went so long without the sadness of worrying about people we knew who were ill, we just saw the news stories.

During that first lockdown we got to spend lots of time together as a family, the weather was great and even the home schooling was fun. It was relaxed and Ellie got to pick and choose what she learned. The school wasn't really prepared for the lockdown so there were no structured lessons through Zoom or much work to do, that came in the 2nd or 3rd lockdown, I can't actually remember, they all seem to have blurred into one.

Playing in the garden and plant pots
Gardening

We spent so much time outside in the garden and I feel so lucky that we had that extra space. The girls played together and actually got along and we finally got around to sorting the garden. Digging the flower beds up and planting lots of different things, painting the garage and doing a few other jobs. We then moved on to decorating the house which needed doing. That lockdowns gave us that chance to get stuff done.

Shopping was interesting but stressful. It was the closest we came to people for weeks, those who worked in shops. I couldn't get an online delivery for at least a month and to be honest I didn't really try, there were people who needed the online deliveries more than us. We got through without running out of loo rolls and pasta. I got my first delivery during the lockdown at the end of April and I couldn't have been happier.

The girls spent time writing letters and cards to my great aunt who was home by herself and they really enjoyed doing them and she loved receiving them. I spoke to her a lot during the first lockdown. She was so lonely but carried on.

Making cards

I'm not going to lie and say it was all fun. Becky missed her girlfriend terribly and they did try to push their luck just as the first lockdown started by trying to meet up to go for a walk but that obviously didn't happen. Ellie had a bit of a panic in the April when she didn't want to leave the house at all to post a card, we decided then it was time to go for daily walks just to get out of the house.


Life has changed so much since that first lockdown. In some parts for the better. We appreciate loved one's and the NHS more, I shop locally and we have got so much done around the house. We have all been vaccinated, even Ellie and all of my family apart from Ellie has had their boosters. My dad and his partner caught Covid in November 2020 but so far me, Stu and the girls have managed to avoid it. I don't know how with there being so many cases at the school over the past couple of years and now with Becky working at a care home I feel that we have been really, really lucky.

Sometimes I think life was better in the lockdowns. There was less pressure on us with work, school and college but we have to move on. I am still very wary of going on public transport and to shops but I still wear a mask to try and stay safe. Covid hasn't gone away, like everyone keeps saying we just have to learn to live with it

Tuesday 22 March 2022

(Ad - Gifted) Last minute Mother's Day gift ideas.

Mother's day is almost here and I thought I would do a round up of products that I have featured on my blog which would be perfect for that special lady in your life! 


The In Full Bloom Range from Mad Beauty

Live life in full bloom with our delightful, giftable floral bath and body range, capturing the essence of an English country garden on a summer’s day. How cute are these! They make me feel warmer just looking at them.


Vegan and eco-friendly candles from Vegan Bunny!

Vegan bunny are a family owned small brand focused on Vegan and eco-friendly products. It was born with a vegan mindset evolving into a plastic free, carbon neutral & reduced marketing concept. Their candles are made with natural ingredients, natural waxes & pure essential oils free from toxic artificial fragrances, Zinc & pesticides. The main ingredient on every tin is love!


OR, je vis - The Ultimate Care Gel Cream!

OR, je vis has a lightweight gel formula composed of high performance molecules of anti-ageing ingredients which stimulate the natural defences of the skin. With continued use, the skin regains it's balance, its comfort and its luminosity.


A Home workout set from AMONAX!

There's a new gym that takes less than a minute to get to, is never crowded, always plays your favourite songs, is stocked with the best training equipment and has no membership fees. That gym is your home! I have never wanted to join a gym and prefer to work out from home.

The home workout set from AMONAX is a must have, well rounded workout set for anyone who is looking to have a good workout. This set includes a Convertible Ab Wheel for abs training, a pair of Push Up Handles for press-ups, and an adjustable Skipping Rope for calorie burn.


A craft subscription box from Craftiosity.

Each month a limited edition craft kit is sent out from Craftiosity. It could be macrame, ceramics, book binding or something completely different! Beautifully packaged, the box will arrive full of inspiration and all the materials, tools and instructions to make a complete project.


Introduce loved ones or yourself to the citrus notes of Glenashdale with the Glenashdale Discovery Set. An awakening blend of grapefruit and green leaf.

The Scents of ARRAN this Mother’s Day!

This invigorating fragrance is a zesty blend of freshly rasped lemons and essential oil of grapefruit and finished with the clean, crisp lift of bergamot. Each Set includes a 30ml Bath & Shower Gel, Shampoo, Body Lotion and Soap. They really do smell amazing and I have been using them very sparingly as I want them to last as they are so nice. 


Bird feeders from Henry Bell!

We have the Essentials Range Four Arm Complete Feeding Station includes everything you need to attract a range of birds to your garden. At 228cm height when assembled, with push button connections this makes a great contemporary feeding solution in cool grey and will look good in any garden. It includes four feeders on hooks, a seed tray and a water bath.


Mother’s Day gifts from The Bay Tree!

With Mother's day coming up The Bay Tree has some fantastic gifts for the special people in our lives. Wax melts and burners, wreaths and lots more!!


No Longer Last On The List! A self-growth guide for tired, busy women!

No Longer Last On The List by Jo Bevilacqua is A self-growth guide for tired, busy women; helping you to eliminate doubt, set boundaries and prioritise your own importance, without guilt.

Jo wrote this book as a self-growth guide for tired, busy women to help them eliminate doubt, set healthy boundaries and prioritise their own needs without feeling guilty. I am guilty of feeling guilty when I choose to do something for myself instead of doing something for my family. That is too much guilt to be carrying around.

What are you hoping for on Mother's day?

I was sent all of these products free of charge in exchange for the blog posts that they were featured in.

Monday 21 March 2022

Our weekly meal plan! 21st - 27th March. #MealPlanningMonday

Our weekly meal plan

Last weeks meal plan went pretty well. We did swap a couple of meals around and had fish and chips instead of the scampi and we ended up getting takeaway pizza instead of having home made. We had been busy in our defence, we swapped the girls bedrooms around. Ellie is now in the smaller room and Becky the bigger one. They are both happy with the new set up. Becky loves all the space and Ellie thinks that the smaller room will be easier to keep tidy. We'll see. Becky is talking about getting a double bed but I don't think one will fit so we're looking at one's bigger than a single but smaller than a double.

We have a pretty relaxed week with just school, college and work. I was going to say that we are free from appointments this week but I have just remembered that Ellie is at the dentist for a filling on Thursday. Ugh. The weather is supposed to be really warm this week so I am hoping to get out in the garden and sort the flower beds out. They need digging up and hopefully I will get some more seeds in. 

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - The roast dinner that we didn't have yesterday.
Tuesday - Leftover roast dinner pie with mash.
ThursdayI am remaking the crispy bacon & leek tart that we got in our Gousto box a couple of weeks ago. We will have it with new potatoes and salad.
Friday - Pizza.
Saturday - Pork and Apple burgers with fries.
Sunday - Sausage, mash and baked beans.

I am linking up with Karen over at Cat's, Kids, Chaos who is the host of the meal planning linky. If you blog about your meal plan do come and link up!

Sunday 20 March 2022

This is what I like to see! #MySundaySnapshot

Hasn't the weather been lovely this past week, well apart from on Wednesday when it was grey and rainy all day. It feels like spring is here. I've been out in the garden planting things. This year I am growing cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, mint, strawberries, sunflowers and hopefully lots of flowers.

On Monday there was blue skies, sunshine, washing on the line and the grass being cut. It really was nice to see. Brighter days are here!

My back garden

My Sunday Snapshot linky

Saturday 19 March 2022

Week 11 of #Project365. 12th - 18th March. A photo every day for a year!

 We have had another good week with another heart check. Becky had her routine heart check on Thursday and it went brilliantly! There is no change in her heart, the valves are still leaking but not enough to impact her life at the moment. She isn't back for another check up for 3 years. Chances are she will get to old age without any further issues. The doctor did say that in a few years they could do more genetic testing on the girls to see if they will pass the heart defect to their children but the doctor said not to worry about things like that as the girls are a long time off having children of their own.

The sun has been shining and I have been out in the garden doing a few bits. It really does feel like spring has sprung and summer is on it's way. I was out yesterday without a coat and it felt lovely.

Now for a photo every day!!

Leek & bacon tart
Oaka revision books
Carrots and mini greenhouse
My eldest and tickets for a show
My fella painting the back gate

71/365 - 12th March
The last of our Gousto meals. Crispy bacon & leek tart with zingy potato salad. This was the one that I was looking forward to the least but I really enjoyed it, so much so that we are having it again next week.

72/365 - 13th March
We were sent some of the topic packs from Oaka Books to help Ellie with the revision for her GCSE's. She is getting on really well with them. She still hates doing revision but these are a lot more fun that boring text books.

73/365 - 14th March
Stu was messing about in the garden, clearing some weeds and found the carrots that I planted last year. I thought they hadn't grown but there they were.

74/365 - 15th March
It feels like spring is here so I put my mini greenhouse up. I love it and it was such a bargain. £17 from Wilkos. I've got some things in there already growing. In the greenhouse it's warmer than on the kitchen windowsill where I grew things last year.

75/365 - 16th March
We had a bit of a blip with the weather on Wednesday. It rained off and on all day and Becky came in from college soaked. She would have been a lot less wet if she zipped her jacket up. lol

76/365 - 17th March
All I have for today is a screenshot of the tickets I booked for my dad's partners birthday. We're all booked in to see a Bon Jovi tribute band. We have seen them before and we had a fantastic night out.

77/365 - 18th March
Stu finishes work early on a Friday most weeks and he likes to get jobs done around the house. Yesterdays job was painting the back gate. It's been on our to do list for about 2 years.

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Friday 18 March 2022

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

Dentist

The girls had their first check up at the dentist in just over 2 years thanks to the pandemic and every day this week I have had dealings with our dentist. It has been a bit of a drama but not because of my girls teeth but because of admin. Ugh.

On Monday to remind me I had 2 texts, 2 emails and a phone call which I thought was a bit excessive. The text messages sent links to fill in online forms about medical history and things like that and I filled the forms in for Becky and added her email and mobile number so she could deal with her appointments in the future and when I went to use the 2nd link for Ellie it said the link had already been used. It hadn't. I then had another phone call reminding me to fill in the forms for Ellie, I explained the link wouldn't work and she did the forms over the phone.

On Tuesday the girls went to the dentist and had their check up. Becky's teeth were fine and Ellie needs a small filling. They were both in and out within 8 minutes which I thought was pretty quick but thought nothing about it until we got home and I got a phone call saying Becky hadn't paid her bill and they need to book Ellie in for her filling. The receptionist forgot to do it when we left.

I always thought that teens in full time education when I am still claiming child benefit had free dental check ups and treatment but it turns out once they hit 19 years old they have to pay. If we had known that I would have made a point of the girls not sharing a 10 minute appointment. Surely if Becky was paying she should be entitled to the full 10 minutes, not the 4 minutes that she was sat in the dentist chair.

On Wednesday Becky got an email for Ellie with her appointment for her filling, it should have been sent to me. I told her when she was in the dentist paying her bill she should tell them to change Ellie's contact details back to mine. She did just that and the receptionist said nothing can be done as they are a family unit. Surely that couldn't be right? If someone with parental responsibility has to accompany the child to the dentist surely they should be getting the appointments too, not the sister.

I held off writing an email on Wednesday afternoon when I was still angry and wrote it on the evening when I had calmed down a little. By the time I sent the email I was angry again. They were breaking their own rules, on the bottom of the email they sent it says "This e-mail message is confidential and is intended for use by the addressee only.". Becky was not the addressee. lol

Thankfully it's all sorted now, a different receptionist emailed back yesterday saying sorry for the confusion, the details have been changed for Ellie. What a faff but now Becky will get her own appointments through and I am back in charge of Ellie's appointments.

I hope you have all had a good week?

Word of the week linky