The Woodland Trust’s guide to an eco-friendly Christmas!

Are you dreaming of a green Christmas? With the devastating impact of climate change all around us and the nature crisis making headlines on a daily basis, many of us are thinking of ways we can make a difference for this year’s festivities. To help, the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity the Woodland Trust, has compiled a guide to simple ways we can all fight for nature and climate and reduce our impact on the environment while we shop.

Christmas is traditionally a time for excess but your celebrations needn’t cost the earth! Every single purchase from the Woodland Trust shop including Christmas cards and gift wrap makes a contribution to the Trust’s work with woods and trees, meaning you can fight climate change and help create havens for wildlife, while also ticking off items from your Christmas to do list. And this year every product in the Trust’s Christmas range is eco-friendly, whether it’s FSC-certified wooden garden tools or bird feeders made from recycled plastic. And if you’d rather move away from giving traditional gifts completely, the Woodland Trust can still help with a selection of green ‘virtual’ gifts and unique tree and woodland dedications in woods across the UK.

Here are a few great ideas on how to go green this Christmas:

Ditch the glitz.

Buy eco-friendly cards and gift wrap. The Woodland Trust’s range of Christmas cards and wrapping paper is FSC-certified and guaranteed to be plastic and glitter-free. New for this year is fabric gift wrap, in a delightful winter bouquet design, made to be re-used year after year. You won’t even need sticky tape!

Give a tree a home.

Trees are for life, not just for Christmas, so what better way to join the fight against climate change and give a gift to nature than by planting your own tree at home. Go for a holly or yew sapling for a colourful Christmas vibe or choose a fruit or nut tree to give wildlife a tasty treat.

Or dedicate one!

If space is an issue, or you need a gift in a hurry, why not dedicate trees to friends and family this year? Choose from a single tree in a wood of your choice, or areas of woodland from a quarter of an acre or more. Each dedication is unique and surprisingly affordable and comes with its own certificate, map and wood information.

Buy greener gifts.

We’re all looking for simple ways to reduce, reuse and recycle and the Woodland Trust shop makes it easy. The strong and stylish reusable jute and juco shopping bags literally help save trees.

Go plastic free and save trees.

Support woods and trees with every sip with a reusable insulated drink cup made from recycled plastic coffee cups. Proceeds from the sale of every Now Cup go to the Woodland Trust.

Give nature a gift too.

Don’t forget wildlife this winter. The Woodland Trust’s range of outdoor products is the perfect gift for nature with bird feeders, baths and nesters and bee skeps all designed to bring some life to your outside space.

Choose a ‘virtual’ gift.

Virtual gifts are the ultimate environmentally friendly present for anyone who really wants to go green. Your donation to the Woodland Trust will directly help trees, woods and wildlife and could be used to plant trees, create a hedgerow or keep bluebells blooming.

What are you doing to go green in the run up to Christmas?

A brilliant birthday surprise.

I did mean to get this up and posted last week but never got a around to writing it. I had such a busy weekend for my birthday, then my actual birthday and by Tuesday I was exhausted. I went back to bed and then spent the rest of the day catching up on all the other blog things that I hadn't done over the previous days.

On Saturday the plan was to see the Christmas lights being switched on locally and then go with Stu and my girls for am early birthday meal out. We all dressed up a little and even the girls wore clothes which weren't tracksuits. hehehe That happened but with a big surprise. My friend who I haven't seen since we left Northumberland came for a visit and surprised me with her husband.

 

Stu and her had been conspiring and planning for about a month. lol I had no idea. She came up behind us when we were waiting for the Christmas lights to be switched on and I can't repeat what I said. There were quite a few swear words and then some happy tears. It was the best surprise. I stood there in shock, she was the last person that I expected to see.

We went to the local pub and had a fantastic meal and a few drinks. I thought the meals to start with were expensive but the food was so good and there was a lot of it. I had planned on taking lots of photos but never even got my phone out. We were just enjoying the moment. It was such a lovely evening, we talked and talked and had a good catch up. Then on Sunday she came for a look around our house and the town where we live. She also brought me some Pease Pudding, it's one thing we can't get in North Lincolnshire, I think it only exists in the North East. I have made home made before but it's not the same as proper Dicksons Pease Pudding.

We went out for a Sunday lunch and after my friends had left my family said I could open a few of my presents. I got some new Harry Potter pj's and a giant snuddie, it is so cosy and I never wanted to take it off.

I said on Sunday night that I had the best birthday and it wasn't my actual birthday until Monday. lol

I had a little lie in on Monday morning and Tesco arrived with the shopping and my birthday cake. It wasn't the one I wanted but it was just as good. A Banoffee one. I opened some more of my presents and got some good one's. I think my favourites were the Grey's Anatomy t-shirt and the Churros maker. I can't wait to give that a try. I made time to watch the final ever episode of The Walking Dead before I ended up seeing any spoilers. I was happy with the ending and it is all set up now for the spin off shows.

When it was almost lunchtime Stu, Becky and me went to the pub. We had lunch there and of course stayed to watch the England world cup match. Didn't the lads do well, I hope they keep it up.

We managed to get home just as the rain started and goodness me it really came down. I got changed straight into my pj's, watched another football match and then it was time to order tea. As it was my birthday I chose an Indian takeaway, it was so good and even the girls enjoyed it. They were never a fan of Indian takeaways but not they love it. There was more football and of course cake.

I know I say it again and again, every year but it was the best birthday. I think the fact it lasted for a few days made it special. I feel so lucky that so many people wished me happy birthday, sent me gifts, came to visit me and made my day special.

Our weekly meal plan! 28th November - 4th December. #MealPlanningMonday

Just writing this blog post has made me realise how close we are to Christmas, we go into December this week! Eek! This year has flown over! 

Last weeks meal plan went really well. We went to the pub on Monday for my birthday to watch the England match and of course we had some food. They were only serving bar snacks which we couldn't complain about since they're usually closed on a Monday. We had hot dog and chips and I struggled to eat it all as there was so much. The hot dogs seemed huge but were really nice.

The Indian takeaway that I had for my birthday went better than expected. My family are not big fans of Indian takeaways until now. Becky played it safe and had a Korma, Stu chose a curry he's never had before a Dopiaza, I had a Kashmiri and Ellie had fried chicken but they really enjoyed their meals and it wasn't that expensive either. We will be ordering from that takeaway again.

We ate everything over the past week but I did end up swapping a couple of meals around as I forgot to get the beef for the stew out of the freezer and by the time I realised that I should have filled the slow cooker it was well in to the afternoon. Oops. It didn't matter, we just had the fajitas a day early.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Hog roast with sage & onion stuffing in buns.

Tuesday - Chicken stroganoff cooked in the slow cooker with tagliatelle pasta.

Wednesday - I am going to make more chicken stroganoff than we need on Tuesday and put the leftovers in pies which we will probably have with mash and veg.

Thursday - Toad in the hole with mash and veg.

Friday - Home made fish, chips and mushy peas.

Saturday - Home made pizzas.

Sunday - A roast dinner of some sort.

What are you eating this week?

Good things come from the North East. #MySundaySnapshot

My friend and her husband came from the North East to visit us over the weekend and she didn't just bring her self which was good enough she brought me Pease pudding too! We can't get Pease pudding here in North Lincolnshire unless it comes out of a tin and that stuff is not good.

Pease pudding is a pale yellow colour and is nothing like mushy peas. It’s made by soaking yellow split peas in ham stock and has a creamy, subtle flavour. I have tried making it myself in the past and it was OK but it's just not the same as shop bought.

Traditionally Pease pudding is served with pork but I only ever have it in sandwiches. So every day this week I have had ham and Pease pudding sandwiches for lunch. One day I had an early lunch and then another sandwich mid-afternoon. hehehe

Week 47 of #Project365 19th - 25th November. A photo every day for a year!

What a brilliant week I have had, I will go as far as saying it was mostly perfect apart from catching Becky's cold at the end of the week. Hmmf. It's not a bad cold, just an annoying runny nose which should be fun as Ellie and I are off to the cinema today, I will be taking plenty of tissues. We're off to see Matilda the Musical which we have been really looking forward to since we saw the trailers months ago. I'm sure a Tango Ice Blast drink will make me feel better. hehehe

Now for a photo every day!

323/365 - 19th November

My girls sort of dressed up for my early birthday meal out. They are not the girliest of girls so this is as dressy as they get. Becky only realised after the photo was taken she had forgotten to brush her hair. lol It was a lovely evening.

324/365 - 20th November

I got a snuddie as an early birthday present, a Harry Potter one of course and I have hardly taken it off. I think I might have to buy myself another one as it's so cosy, I could do with a spare when one is getting washed and dried because I found out yesterday when I washed it, it takes ages to dry.

325/365 - 21st November

My actual birthday and I had a lovely day. I ordered a Lemon Curd birthday cake to come with the food shop but it was substituted and the picker chose well. They took a risk and sent a Banoffee one but it was so good. I am glad it was substituted. 

326/365 - 22nd November

I bought the Christmas Pudding flavoured crisps from Tesco just to see what they are like and they're actually quite good. Over the week I've eaten the whole sharing bag and I am planning to buy more.

327/365 - 23rd November

Every week Ellie's geography teacher emails with what they have been learning over the past week and it's really helpful and interesting to see what they've been doing. It also helps me help Ellie with revision.

328/365 - 24th November

I was sat here and saw something out of the corner of my eye moving, it was a spider coming down from the ceiling. I screamed and Stu removed it. Phew. 

329/365 - 25th November

It was so nice to see blue sky after almost a week of rain. It was also good to get some washing out on the line.

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

Last week my Word of the Week was thanks and I feel like I could use that word again. It was my birthday on Monday and so many people made the whole weekend perfect! My friend and her husband came for a visit, travelling down from Northumberland to surprise me, my family made an effort getting dressed up for my birthday meal, all the food I had was amazing, I am so grateful to the wonderful people who sent me cards and gifts and everyone who wished me happy birthday. I couldn't have asked for more.

I have a whole blog post written up about my birthday which you will be able to read next week. I had planned to post it yesterday but I never got around to finishing it as I have felt so tired from all the excitement over the weekend. I'm not as young as I used to be. lol Years ago, before kids I used to be out all weekend on an afternoon and night and still feel great come 6am Monday morning ready for the working week. I had one night out on Saturday, Sunday lunch out and an afternoon at the pub on Monday and I had to go back to bed on Tuesday as I was exhausted. lol

I would go as far to say the week has been perfect. Everything I had planned has gone to plan, well apart from me forgetting to fill the slow cooker one day. I'd not even got the meat out of the freezer so there was no hope. All the things I was looking forward have been way better than I expected even my substituted birthday cake from Tesco. I ordered a Lemon Curd one and they sent a Banoffee one which was amazing, The last episode of The Walking Dead was a good ending. I was happy with it. England won their first World Cup game and the whole week has just been the best. 

Stu has had some more days off from work, using his holidays up and it has been a real treat having him at home. When he is at work he is out of the house for about 12 hours a day which isn't perfect so having some time together has been special. We haven't actually done much apart from watch football which has been fun.

Ellie is on her best behaviour because she wants to go on a school trip a few weeks before Christmas. I would say she has been perfectly behaved apart from a little blip mid-week when I got a text saying she had a detention for repeatedly being out of bounds at school during lunch. I thought she would have been messing about in the big puddle which is like a small lake but it turns out she was inside walking around school with her friends when she should have been outside. Oops.

Becky got a cold at the perfect time. She started with a cold on Monday evening and then spent all day in bed for her night shift on Tuesday and slept most of Wednesday and was just about over it by the time she woke. I thought I had got away with not catching it but I am not feeling too great today. Nothing massive just a really snotty nose. Ugh!

I hope you have all had a good week?

Top 10 Toys for Christmas 2022 from Amazon!

My girls are older now and aren't into toys. Hmmf. I do miss buying toys and seeing my girls excitement on Christmas morning when they have got the one toy they really wanted and then there was always the fun of getting it out of the box and putting it together. hehehe

Ocean predators, airborne avocados and dentist kits are just some of the toys to make Amazon list of Top Ten Toys for Christmas 2022. Made up of predictions by Amazon experts. this year’s top ten list captures the latest in toy trends including pretend play, top franchises like Star Wars, tech-led educational toys and toys under £20 for both great value and fun.

All of the prices were correct when I wrote this blog post last week but they could have changed with Black Friday coming up.

Learning Resources MathLink Cubes Numberblocks - £25.00

The fun loving Numberblocks friends are now available in a MathLink Cubes Numberblocks Activity Set. MathLink Cubes are ideal for maths activities in the classroom and at home. They are made from durable, high-quality plastic and are super easy for children aged 3+ to click together and twist apart.

PLAYMOBIL City Life Recycling Truck - £29.99

With a park, a shopping centre and a residential area, there's lots to see and do in the PLAYMOBIL city – every day brings something new. The children find it particularly exciting when the bin collectors drive through the streets in their big PLAYMOBIL recycling truck. The two refuse collectors skillfully hold on to the back and jump off as soon as the lorry stops in front of the next house. The bins are opened, loaded onto the vehicle, lifted up and emptied. Meanwhile, the light flashes away in the background. People love to come and watch! As soon as the lorry is full, the rubbish is driven to the large PLAYMOBIL landfill and the vehicle is emptied. The journey continues!

Melissa & Doug Super Smile Dentist Kit - £41.99

This 26-piece dentist play set is the perfect way to teach good dental health practices through realistic dentist role play for kids, allowing them to give cleanings, treat cavities, and fit retainers and braces on an over-sized set of toy teeth, as well as helping to ease a child's fears or feelings of stress associated with a visit to the dentist.

Osmo - Little Genius Starter Kit - £79.99

Your child’s first Osmo learning experience, designed to take 3-5 year olds on a hands-on learning adventure. The games in Little Genius Kit will spark their imaginations, learn critical skills and have a blast! Children interact with actual hand held pieces & an iPad, bringing a child's game pieces & actions to life (No WiFi necessary for game play). An Osmo Base is included, an iPad is not included, both are required for game play.

CRAYOLA Colour 'n' Style Mermaid Friends: Hair Braiding Salon Playset - £26.99

Give your Colour and Style Mermaid Friend a marvellous makeover. Clip on the included clothing accessory then personalise with the pens to draw fun patterns and designs and give her a cool new outfit. Add colour to her hair and style it your own way and then finish off with a custom make-up look. When you’re finished, wipe the body and clip on clothes with a damp cloth or paper towel, rinse the hair with cold water, let it air dry and then you’re ready to design her all over again. What style will you choose next?

Squishmallows Tally the Grey Cat - £8.99

Grow your Squishmallows Squad with this 7.5-inch plush. Bring this adorable plush on long car rides, airplanes, movie marathons and more. Each Squishmallows is made with ultrasoft, high-quality materials. Squishmallows make the perfect gift for plush fans of all ages, each made lovingly with soft, high-quality materials!

Throw Throw Avocado by Exploding Kittens - £24.99

A Sequel to Throw Throw Burrito, The First Dodgeball Card Game - Collect matching sets of cards faster than your opponents while simultaneously ducking, dodging and throwing new squishy airborne Avocados. A Simple and easy game for kids and adults - Clear some space and put away the antiques, because you've never played a party game quite like this. 

Pictionary Air Star Wars Family Drawing Game - £42.99

Sketch your adventures inspired by a galaxy far, far away…. in this Pictionary Air Star Wars edition! Gather the forces for a twist on the classic family drawing game that has you drawing clues in space and seeing it on screen, with a little help from R2-D2, BB-8 and their friends. Players can also cast their drawings from their smart device to their TV. This family game brings big fun to any game night or party! Compatible iOS or Android smart device and app are required to play.

LEGO Friends Horse Show Trailer - £89.99

Kids who love horses and cool vehicles will adore this feature-filled, brick built trailer set, packed with cool accessories to spark endless hours of horse care play. This dream LEGO horse trailer includes a toy car with trailer, 2 toy horse figures and a dog figure plus riding accessories for horse show fun.

Jurassic World Ocean Protector Mosasaurus Dinosaur Action Figure - £44.99

Help save the ocean with the Ocean Protector Mosasaurus! Dive into thrilling action and adventure play inspired by Jurassic World: Dominion with this colossal-sized queen of the ocean that's actually helping protect our waterways! This toy is made from 1 pound of recycled plastic that is sourced within 31 miles of waterways in areas lacking formal waste collection systems. The realistic sculpting and moveable joints really bring this movie inspired creature to life in a huge way! 

Are any of these toys on your kids Christmas lists?

(Ad - Gifted) Gift ideas from ARRAN Sense of Scotland.

 Treat loved ones to the gift of festive wellbeing this year with the help of ARRAN Sense of Scotland. From beautiful body care to hygge home fragrance finding the perfect Christmas gift has never been easier.

For three decades the family run business has been creating vibrant, evocative scents which are proudly made in Scotland and inspired by the Isle of Arran's breath taking scenery. From luxury fragrance to affordable stocking fillers there really is a gift for everyone. ARRAN Sense of Scotland has something your mother, father, sister, brother or closest friend.

Earlier in the year I tried out the Glenashdale Discovery Gift Set which was amazing and so fresh smelling. Lemons, grapefruit and notes of bergamot was a real boost in the morning.

The Hydrating Hand Cream Gift Set has everything you need for nourished, hydrated hands all in one collection. Each set contains three travel size hand creams in ARRAN’s most popular fragrances: Glen Rosa, After the Rain and Glenashdale. The perfect Christmas gift for those who love pampering their paws. 

The Body Care Gift Sets feature a full-sized bath & shower gel and body lotion in ARRAN’s three most popular fragrances: After the Rain, Glen Rosa and Glenashdale and beautifully presented in a signature gift box. The perfect Christmas gift for those who love smelling beautiful from top to toe. 

Recently I have been trying out the Apothecary Seaweed and Sage Discovery Set. You can introduce your loved ones or yourself to the fresh, mineral richness of Seaweed and Sage with ARRAN's Apothecary Discovery Set for just £10.00.

Apothecary seaweed and sage is an invigorating fragrance infused with lemon, geranium, and orange formulated with mineral rich seaweed extract. The seaweed and sage infused formulation has cleansing properties, providing prolonged skin hydration. ARRAN's Apothecary Discovery Set. Includes 30ml Shampoo, Bath and Shower Gel, Body Lotion and Soap.

I am loving this and Stu does too. This is the good thing about this is that it is unisex so would make a great gift for anyone in your life.

You can give the gift of ARRAN by creating your own unique scent experience. Simply select your chosen items from the bath, body, and home fragrance collections, add your own personalised gift note and let ARRAN take care of the rest. The team will place your items in a bespoke ARRAN gift box all wrapped up and delivered directly to their door, ensuring you can give a thoughtful and tailored gift this year.

Do you fancy any of these things for yourself or a loved one?

I was sent ARRAN's Apothecary Discovery Set free of charge in exchange for this blog post.

Finally a hearing appointment.

Way, way back in January Ellie had her yearly hearing check. She is deaf in one ear and gets the good ear checked to make sure it's still good. It was a good appointment as she was offered a CROS hearing aid. She wouldn't need surgery and wouldn't need to miss much school. We were told that she needed a MRI scan which could be done on the same day that she is fitted for her hearing aids. That didn't happen. They decided they wanted to see the results from the MRI before giving her the hearing aid in case they found something which meant the hearing aid wouldn't work which was fair enough.

We went for the MRI scan a couple of weeks later and it showed that she had a few tiny, old bleeds on her brain. We were shocked to say the least the the doctor was less than helpful, he told us nothing apart that Ellie needed to see a neurosurgeon, he would refer us and refer Ellie to get her hearing aid. He wasn't the nicest man, could hardly string a sentence together, didn't answer any of our questions, reassure us or show us any care. The nurse did most of the talking and tried her best.

Eight months later we were still waiting. We did have an electronic letter saying we're still on a waiting list and will be seen soon, it turns out that wasn't for either of the appointments the doctor referred us for, it was for something else. Thankfully we saw Ellie's cardiologist for a check on her heart in March and he said the bleeds were most likely caused by her heart defect either before or during her open heart surgery. It's apparently quite common and that put our minds at rest a little.

Ellie has a wonderful lady who goes into school a few times a year to check she is getting the support that she needs and she always rings me to let me know she's going to see Ellie and she asked if we had any hearing issues and I mentioned the wait time at the hospital and she said that wasn't right, she would chase it up. She did and said that the ENT department had not referred Ellie back to Audiology so she was sat in limbo. She told me to give them a ring and have words which I did. The lovely receptionist at the hospital was fantastic and could see where we should have been referred back to Audiology and can't understand why we weren't. I have a good idea, that useless doctor. I am all for people working into their 70's or 80's but when they are not doing their job properly it's dangerous. 

I rang on the Friday and we had the appointment on the Wednesday. It went really well in the Audiology department. Ellie had another hearing test and they tested the hearing aid on her which she would be getting and it seems to really help her hear more. She now has an appointment in December to get it and tuned in so it is right for her. A month, that was the waiting time, not eight!!

This is the latest results of Ellie's hearing test. On the right is her good ear with normal hearing and on the left her bad ear with no hearing. Those tests are hard to watch. Ellie has headphones on and presses a button when she hears a beep. When they test just her bad ear with a whooshing sound played into her good ear I can hear the beeps through the headphones, it's loud and Ellie can't hear it. It's sad.

We then saw a new doctor in the Ear, nose and throat department who thought Ellie already had her hearing aid as she should have by now. hahaha I explained everything and It turns out the old doctor hadn't been making referrals to other departments for people that he had been seeing! He wasn't doing his job properly. Thankfully for us it wasn't a matter of life and death but for others I dread to think. I was furious but I think I dealt with it pretty well when I was speaking to the doctor. There was a point where I had to hold my hands together because I was starting to wave them around and it's a good job I had a mask on as for a moment I was stood there with my mouth open in shock when he said the doctor is no longer working at the hospital. 

The waiting list for a neuro appointment is about 6 or so months so I said that's no good, we've been waiting 8 already, it's not our fault that the hospital/doctor messed up. The new doctor said he is going to explain everything to Sheffield hospital and will aim to get us seen early in the new year. He also said we had to go to Sheffield which I wasn't happy about as it is quite a distance and the old doctor said we only had to go as far as Hull so he is going to push for a telephone consultation first. I have a feeling we would get all of the way to Sheffield, they would read Ellie's notes on the day and then say it's nothing to worry about as the bleeds were caused by her heart defect/surgery and tell us to go on our way. Two and a half hours there and then back again is a lot of time, money and effort just for a 10 minute appointment. At least if they read her notes before they phone call they will know Ellie's medical history. The new doctor did say that they might want to redo her MRI scan as they don't always trust things from Scunthorpe hospital. I can see why, I don't trust them!

I asked the doctor if we hadn't of rang and chased the appointments up how long would we have been waiting, he just shrugged his shoulders. I can't knock the new doctor, he is just picking up the pieces that the old doctor left. He was apologetic, I kept having to tell myself it's not his fault, it is the fault of the hospital. In the end it has all came good, Ellie is finally getting sorted and that is all that I have ever wanted.

(Ad - Gifted) A Scandi Christmas from The Copenhagen Company!

I love burning candles despite my fella who isn't a fan and says I am just burning money but they relax me and make me happy. The one's I burn always seem to smell pretty amazing too. There's something special about a nice candle, especially at Christmas.

Recently I was asked if I would like to try something from The Copenhagen Company, of course! Their products look fantastic and they are affordable too.

The Copenhagen Company is a family run business which have been supplying companies across the world with luxury home fragrance since 1999. Inspired by Founder Bo’s Danish roots and passion for fine fragrance, the collection includes an array of room sprays, diffusers and candles in a variety of sizes that embrace scents from around the world. With a mission to bring the power of scent and hygge into homes everywhere, they appreciate each and every one of our purchases and for joining them on the journey of sensory discovery.

I was sent the Scandi Christmas Tin Candle to have a look at. Transport yourself to a festive wonderland with this citrus led scent entwined with a blend of delicious spices including cinnamon and cloves, sweetened with a touch of vanilla and held together with the warm and woody notes of sandalwood and cedar.

Top Notes: Orange, Mandarin, Lemon, Red Fruits.

Middle Notes: Cinnamon, Clove.

Base Notes: Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vanilla, Cedar.

Costing just £8.99 I think this would make a lovely little stocking filler gift for anyone who loves candles. Opening the tin I could smell it and it smelled good. When I lit it, it was even nicer.

This scent of candle comes in various different sizes as well as in tealights and in a gorgeous little gift set containing four little votive candles.

As well as candles there is the Scandi Christmas Diffuser which I am betting smells just as good as the candle. You can also get that in a cute little gift set containing four mini 50ml diffusers too.

The Copenhagen Company curate, design and manufacture each product in their own factory by people who care and are proud to be Vegan and cruelty free. They work ethically and sustainably across everything they do, from their solar powered factory to using recyclable products wherever possible. 

I would be happy to receive any of the candles or diffusers for Christmas. Do you know anyone who would love them too?

I was sent the Scandi Christmas Tin Candle free of charge in exchange for this blog post.

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

Last weeks meal plan went OK. A few meals were skipped but it's nothing to worry or stress about, no food went to waste. We had a meal out on Saturday night which was fantastic and made even more special as my friend and her husband from up in Northumberland came to surprise me for a visit. I have had such an amazing weekend and finished it off with Sunday lunch out at the little cafe which we always go to. It was like a proper home made roast dinner and a bargain price too. 

It's my birthday today and if all goes to plan I am getting some shopping delivered this morning with my birthday cake. I did choose a fancy strawberry and cream one but when I checked the order over the weekend it was out of stock so I've gone with a Lemon Curd cake. Ellie is fuming, she says she hates lemon curd and it's not fair. I gently reminded her it's my birthday and I get to choose. This afternoon I am going to the pub to watch the England match. I haven't been to the pub to watch the football since before I had kids but Ellie is at school and she'll be watching the football and both Stu and Becky are off work so we're going to make the most of it.

I have got to the point now where I have just about all I can get for Christmas at the moment. Most of the sweets and chocolate is bought, biscuits, crisps, snack and drinks. My dad is going to take to Iceland in a couple of weeks for the freezer stuff and then it will just be the fresh stuff a couple of days before Christmas.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - A takeaway and it's my choice so I think we will be having an Indians which won't please my family, they're not keen.

Tuesday - Slow cooker beef stew with mash as it went down so well last time.

Wednesday - Chicken fajitas.

Thursday - Some sort of omelette and chips.

Friday - Pizza.

Saturday - Something from Greggs or a Subway while we're out.

Sunday - A roast dinner.

What are you eating this week?

A Sushi reward. #MySundaySnapshot

The only time we go to shop in Lidl is when we go to the hospital and I always end up buying things that we don't really need but on the way back from Ellie's hearing appointment we called in to get a snack, I love their bakery section and Ellie loves the Sushi! 

It is such a big pack for a pretty good price, I am sure it's under £3.00. I am not a fan of it but it is Ellie's favourite food and a tray this size was a real treat for her. She saved it until we got home just so she could use her chopsticks. lol

Week 46 of #Project365 12th - 18th November. A photo every day for a year!

I am so glad this past week is over. It's been stressful but everything came good in the end and it's my birthday weekend. It's not my actual birthday until Monday but I am claiming the whole weekend because I can. hehehe Becky and Stu are off work today and tomorrow so I am going to make the most of having some family time and fun.

Last week I mentioned the nice builder next door and he has been great this week too. Yesterday afternoon I was doing some housework and I had the TV on playing music. It was only when I finished hoovering I realised that it was off and so was everything else which was plugged into the same socket. I had heard the building working and my first thought was he's done something too it. I went and knocked and it turns out he was working at the back of the house nowhere near my socket. He offered to come with his electric tester to see what was going on. Turns out it's just one of the two plug sockets not working, he thinks a wire may have become loose. He did offer to fix it but I said I will get our landlord to just to be on the safe side. With the fireplace being ripped out on the opposite wall and lots of drilling and sanding I am guessing one of the wires has indeed shifted.

Now for a photo every day!

316/365 - 12th November

New toilet rolls without the cardboard in the middle. I thought they seem so strange. There is also more sheets on a roll so the new 6 packs is equal to 12 apparently. It doesn't feel like it, my family seem to be going through the new one's just as quick.

317/365 - 13th November

I annoyed my family by having Christmas music on the TV. I miss watching X-Factor in the run up to Christmas.

318/365 - 14th November

It was foggy here all day on Monday.

319/365 - 15th November

A wet day meant I stayed at home and made things cosy with a blanket, hot water bottle and candles burning.

320/365 - 16th November

Ellie and I stopped off for a burger and chips before going to the hospital for a check on her ears and to test her new hearing aid which she will be getting in a few weeks.

321/365 - 17th November

Ellie picked this gingerbread man decoration from Primark and the little fella has now found a new home in the dining room.

322/365 - 18th November

I got more things to put away for Christmas. I think we have more than enough lager, J20 and Asti. lol

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