Our weekly meal plan! 31st July - 6th of August. #MealPlanningMonday

Last weeks meal plan went well, we did swap Friday and Saturdays meals around as the kids went to Hull for the day, pizza's were the easy option and I didn't want to be cooking the burgers later on Saturday evening when they got in. Becky was very happy that I made the sausage casserole for when she was off work, it's funny how a normal meal can become a treat when you don't have it often. I did pick the right day to make it as it was grey and wet out.

This week should be a quiet week, I don't think we have much on apart from on Sunday, we're off out. Becky has taken a nights holiday from work so she can join in some family fun. After that I am going to go on a no spending thing apart from the food and bills. August is always an expensive month for us with Stu and Ellie's birthday and towards the end of the month we have a few plans too. I also have to buy Becky's birthday presents as her birthday is early on in September. I didn't have a clue what to get her until last week when I saw a TikTok which gave me some inspiration. I am not going to say anything because she has been mooching around trying to see if I am giving any clues away. hehehe I think it's a very clever present which she'll love but will also make her laugh a lot.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Lasagne and garlic bread. Just a one out of the freezer which just needs putting in the oven.

Tuesday - Vegetable fajitas.

Wednesday - Red onion and bacon tart with new potatoes and salad. This is inspired by one of the Gousto meals we have tried in the past but instead of leeks I use red onions.

Thursday - Fish, chips and mushy peas. We usually have this on a Friday but I always seem to do it when Becky is at work and she doesn't have time to really enjoy it, this week she will.

Friday - The Snacksters Doner Kebab or the Big Stack burger. We've had both before and they're probably not the healthiest meal but they're cooked in the microwave and are quick and filling.

Saturday - Pizza.

Sunday - I am not sure yet, we might get a Sunday lunch or a burger from the pub.

What are you eating this week?

A new plant in my garden! #MySundaySnapshot

The other day I noticed a new plant in my garden. According to my plant identifying app it is Common borage. I am guessing something dropped a seed in my garden because I don't remember planting it.

Reading on Google: Borage is best known as a herb, grown for it's delicate blue flowers. These are plucked from the plant and sprinkled into summer drinks, such as fruit punch, where they add a refreshing cucumber-like fragrance. I don't think I would be brave enough to put them in anything I drink. I also read that they are fantastic for attracting bee's and butterflies to a garden which of course is a good thing. 

A photo every day for a year! 22nd - 28th July Week 30 of #Project365

I have had such a nice week, not doing much at all. It has been nice to have some downtime after a busy month. I have spent my week catching up on jobs around the house that I didn't do while Stu had a week off work like putting the piles of clean washing away, cleaning and finishing off buying Ellie's birthday presents for the end of next month. 

I don't have much planned for the weekend but the girls are planning to go to a local Pride event today and if it's not absolutely chucking it down we will be going out for lunch tomorrow.

Now for a photo every day!

203/365 - 22nd July

I didn't take a photo on Saturday!! I am blaming the shots that Becky bought on the Friday night. hehehe Surprisingly I wasn't hungover after my big night out seeing a Bon Jovi tribute band but I was very tired. I was in bed for 10pm which is so early for me especially on a Saturday.

204/365 - 23rd July

Sunday was a lazy day. I didn't do much apart from watch TV and play The Sims. I stayed in my pj's all day and it was lovely!

205/365 - 24th July

We were at my dad's on Monday and he took Ellie off to do some wiring, training for when she starts college in September doing electrical engineering. My dad said she did well and everything was where it should be.

206/365 - 25th July

My pumpkin flowers are doing well but I can't see any pumpkins yet although they might be hidden under all of the leaves.

207/365 - 26th July

A ladybird. I am amazed I got a photo as it was moving so fast! 

208/365 - 27th July

Every year I get my Ellie a box of Japanese sweets and snacks for her birthday. This year's box has arrived and there are so many new things which I've never seen before. She's going to love it.

209/365 - 28th July

Rain, rain and more rain forecast! Ugh! I don't even want red hot weather but a few days when it's not raining would be nice.

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

This week has been very relaxed. It's mostly just been Ellie and I at home, Stu is back at work and Becky is of course still working. I needed this week of downtime!

We have had a really busy July! The country show, prom, the kids have both had their hair dyed, Ellie joined the library, Stu had a week off work, we got jobs done around the house, had meals out, shopping trips, I had a night away and out and I am worn out from it all. Usually I have a quiet life, not going places and doing stuff. Don't get me wrong I've enjoyed it but I have needed this week for a bit of downtime.

I went out, out on Friday night to see a Bon Jovi tribute band and I had the best time. Becky came out for a meal and drinks with me and my dad's partner Sarah before we went to see the band. Becky is a bad influence, I wouldn't have been drinking shots if it wasn't for her. lol, Becky got the bus home when we went to see the show. We sung and danced for a few hours and it was quite the work out. We came out with our ears ringing, arms aching and voices almost gone. It was worth it though.

On Saturday I was worn out, I could have easily gone for a nap on the afternoon but held off and was in bed for 10pm which is early for me. Sunday was a lazy day, I hardly moved and on Monday I thought I had to get moving so we went out for lunch and to see my dad. My dad took Ellie to one of his sheds and had her doing some wiring, it's training for when she starts college in September doing Electrical Engineering. She loved it.

For the rest of the week I have just been pottering about the house, doing all the jobs which fell by the wayside when Stu was off work. I let the clean washing pile up, not on the dining room table this time but in my bedroom, there has been plenty of washing to do and cleaning but I have found that to be relaxing and nice to have a bit of normality.

I am going to enjoy the last few days of July and the downtime that it brings. We have a pretty busy August, Stu and Ellie's birthdays, a beer and cider festival to go to, a family fun day which is happening locally, a singer is on that we want to see at the pub, I need to start and finish shopping for Becky's birthday in September and I have to pack to go away on a little holiday, that is if the trains are still running, the strikes have me worried. Eek! 

I hope you have had a good week?

What I loved in July!

July has been a really busy month. We seem to have had something big on every week and I have loved every moment! I am feeling worn out from all of the excitement but August is going to be a pretty busy month too with my fella's birthday, my youngest girls birthday, preparing for a weekend away and various other things.

In July I loved:

Dry shampoo!

I don't know why but I thought I couldn't use dry shampoo with coloured hair. My hair is bright red at the moment and one day when I really needed to wash my hair I just didn't have time so I used some of Becky's dry shampoo and it worked wonders. I have now realised that I can skip a hair wash mid week by using the dry shampoo and therefore my hair dye will not fade as fast. It sounds like a good plan in theory but I will see how I get on.

The country show!

We have went to it every year that it's been on since we moved here in 2019 and we love it. It is such a fun couple of days. There are horses, sheep, cows, craft stalls, music, motorbikes, floats, vintage cars and tractors, random displays in the main arena, dog shows, fairground rides, lots of different food and so much more! The girls love it because they go off and hang out with their friends. Becky's friend was supposed to be just coming on the Saturday with us but ended up stopping another night and came Sunday too. 

Spending time with my brother!

Over the last 15 years or so my brother and I didn't speak or see each other. We had no issues with each other, life got in the way, family arguments and whatnot but since just before Christmas he has been around more and it has been nice to see him and spend time with him. My girls love him, when we go to my dad's they always ask will my brother be there. lol They said he's got all of the funny and I got the sensible gene. I don't know whether to be upset or chuffed. As funny as he is he has given me some great advice about things over the last few months and I really appreciate him. We seem to have just picked up where we left off all those years ago.

Stepping back from social media!

I have spent way less time on social media this month than I have in the last 10 years! Partly because Twitter had a hissy fit and lots of people moved over to Threads which I do like but I don't get on with things that are just on my phone, I prefer to do things on my laptop and partly because I have just been enjoying time with my family, living in the moment and I've realised I would much rather do other things with my spare time instead of just scrolling through peoples feeds and timelines.

Prom!!

Ellie had her end of school prom and she had the best afternoon/evening! All those months of planning payed off and everything went perfectly! 

Stu having a week off work!

My fella had a weeks holiday from work and it was long overdue. He works 5 days a week with him having a Sunday and Monday off it doesn't give us time to get much done as Sunday is out lazy, stay off electronics, family day and Monday we tend to catch up on everything we haven't done over the weekend. With a week off we had a day out shopping, getting him some shoes and a shirt for a wedding we're going to later on in the year, he cleared out our little shed which has been a dumping ground for everything, he took 2 trailer loads full of stuff to the tip, he ran a few errands which he has been putting off and believe it or not did have plenty of time to relax. 

A night out!

I bought my dad's partner and I tickets to see a Bon Jovi tribute act last year for her birthday and the show that was supposed to happen June 2022 was postponed until this month. We went for a meal out and then sung and danced all night to a guy who looked and sounded just like Mr Jon Bon Jovi. It was so much fun but we could hardly talk or walk on Saturday thanks to all of the singing and dancing. lol It took me until Tuesday to recover from our big night out.

Rewatching shows!

I know what TV shows I like and enjoy rewatching them. I find it easy to put something on the TV for a bit of background noise when I am busy during the day. Over the last month I have watched Game of Thrones, I had forgotten about so much of it and I am back watching The Walking Dead now. I will find something new to watch eventually. I might even give Fear The Walking Dead another try, I couldn't get into it years ago.

The Library.

My youngest joined the local library this month, she had been meaning to for ages but I think she enjoyed me buying her books too much. Now that I've said she has to buy her own books she realised she can't keep up with an expensive habit so joining the library is perfect! Free books to borrow. She has read 4 in the last month and is planning to take them back this week and get more!

What did you love in July?

I am linking up with Erika and Andrea for their Friday Favorites.

A Savoury Tea For Two from Piglet's Pantry - Review!

I always thought that Red Letter Days just did day out, adventure or night's away experiences, I didn't realise they deliver things to your home like afternoon teas, steak dinners, a set where you can create your own perfume or a Calligraphy Home Starter Kit until I was browsing a couple of weeks ago. I had some left over credit from a voucher I won last year and wanted to see what I could get.

We love an afternoon tea here a couple of years ago we tried a classic afternoon tea from Piglet's Pantry and we loved it so when I realised I could get one through Red Letter Days I thought I would treat us to A Savoury Tea For Two, again from Piglet's Pantry.

Ordering was easy, eventually. I tried putting the code into the Piglet's Pantry's website from Red Letter Day's but it wasn't having it so I emailed them and they were quick to reply and sorted everything through email. They were a fantastic help and within a few emails my order was complete. It arrived packed perfectly with the ice packs in and everything was chilled. 

If you don't have much of a sweet tooth Piglet's Pantry have you covered. The Savoury Box is perfect for those that favour savoury products over cakes and scones but still want to enjoy a delicious Afternoon Tea. Stu is more of a savoury person and I thought I would get this box to treat him since he was on holiday from work.

Included in the Savoury Box there are:

Two Cheese Scone's.

Two Ham Hock and Cheddar Quiche's.

Two Traditional Scotch Egg's.

One Traditional Sausage Roll.

One ‘Nduja Sausage Roll.

Two Chutney's - Caramelised onion marmalade flavour.

Four Cheeses - 2 Cheddar Cheese and 2 Red Leicester Cheese.

Two small blocks of butter - which I thought was a great addition.

Two Tea Bags.

Two Banoffee Loaf's

I decided to let Stu, Becky and Ellie had this afternoon tea. I am not a massive cheese lover and they wanted to try a bit of everything. Even though it says it's a tea for two there is more than enough for two people, they were happy sharing and there was enough to go around. It easily fed three with me having a try of the scotch eggs and sausage rolls. Everything was so fresh and despite coming in a box in a delivery van. My family thoroughly enjoyed this delicious treat and their favourite parts were the cheese scones, quiches and scotch eggs which were massive!

Piglet's Pantry have created a delicious twist on the classic British tradition of afternoon tea which can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home or even as an indulgent picnic now that we're in the summer.

Being sold for £42.50 the Savoury Tea For Two is one of the more expensive tea's that Piglet's Pantry offer but it is nice to have as a treat and would make a fantastic gift for someone.

I was not asked to write this blog post, I paid for the Savoury Tea For Two with a gift voucher I won in a competition.

The things I will miss about my girls going to school.

I think this might be a two part blog post. The things I will miss about my girls going to school and the things that I won't miss.

Ellie has left school now, all she has to go back to school for is to collect her GCSE results. It feels so strange. I have been a parent to school age children for almost 18 years if you count the time they went to nursery, when they turned 3 years old.

The school years have been a journey for me and my girls. It's certainly had it's up's and downs. These are some of the things that I will miss about my girls going to school.

The free time.

When Becky started nursery I couldn't believe the free time that I had, a whole 3 hours to myself and as they got older the time increased to 6 hours and when they left primary school and walked themselves to school there was even more time with me not having to do the school run. Over the last couple of years Ellie left for school at 8.20am and didn't get home until at least 4pm because she liked to have a bit of time hanging out with friends. It's only now that Ellie is home I have realised how much free time that I had, I miss it already!

The teachers.

My girls have had some amazing teachers over the years. The reception class teacher they both had who was so kind and caring, the teacher who took the class swimming and ended up in the pool just to prove to Becky it really wasn't that scary, the teachers who did everything they could to stop bullying, the teachers who have made sure Ellie had the support she needed and finally the English teacher who made Ellie love English lessons again.

The fun days. 

Book fairs, class assemblies, dressing up for World Book Day, non-uniform days, bake sales, carol concerts, sports days, Christmas and summer fairs, discos and things like that! As much as I used to complain about them because money and effort was usually involved I do miss them. When the girls were in primary school I joined the PTA and helped with the school events which was a lot of fun, I got to see the kids in school which most parents didn't see. There were a lot less of the fun days in secondary school but they still happened.

The routine.

As much as I hated getting up early in the morning I did like the routine that a school day brought. The girls always had a set tea time and bedtime on a school night, there was homework to do and there was order in our lives. I have said to Ellie now that she has left school and she has the summer holidays our alarms will be set for 8.30am instead of 7am. There's no rush to be up but I don't want her to be staying in bed all morning/day.

The school holidays.

Having the set holidays always seemed like a real treat. 6 weeks for summer, a couple of weeks for Christmas and Easter and another random week here and there. Becky is in full time work and really misses having regular time off. 

The friends we made.

My girls and I have all made friends from the schools they have gone to. I met a person when my girls were in primary school and we are still good friends now. So much so that she came to visit us last year for my birthday, all the way from Northumberland. Ellie has made friends from school which I think she will be friends with for life, if she isn't I will be anyway. lol

The things my girls learned.

I was always amazed when my girls came home from school and told me something that they had learned. It made me so proud of them. Of course there were plenty of times that they came home and I asked them what they learned at school and they said nothing. lol

School dinners.

Years ago we qualified for free school meals for my girls and even though Stu works as we applied when we had less income it carried on until Ellie left school. Some days she did take packed lunches but I didn't really spend much feeding her for lunch. Now we have noticed that the shopping bill has gone up a little making sure Ellie has a filling lunch at home.

Less washing.

The girls would wear the same school uniform for a couple of days, not so much in the summer when it was warm but they would come home and put their pj's on and wear them for a couple of nights. Now there's a new outfit every day and usually new pj's every night. Hmmf. My washing basket is never empty.

The stories.

The girls always used to come home with stories about their school days. Ellie's over the last year or so have been hilarious, especially from her Maths class. Her teacher has said he would buy a lad a meal deal from Tesco if he gets a pass in his GCSE's. There was the drama when there was arguments which was always interesting to hear about as long as my girls weren't involved, the gossip about who was dating who and little tales about what had happened throughout her school day. I am going to miss them.

What did you miss about your children being at school?

Our weekly meal plan! 24th - 30th July. #MealPlanningMonday

Last week was quite the week with Stu being off work, we were quite busy but come to think of it we've have had a quite a few busy weeks lately. I feel like I need a rest from all of the excitement and this week I might get it as we have no plans at all, well none that I can think of anyway while I am writing this.

I had such a great weekend. I had a night away with my dad's partner and we went to see a Bon Jovi tribute band, The Bon Jovi Experience. We have seen them before and they are absolutely fantastic, they put on such a show and even though the theatre we went to is of course all seated we were encouraged to get up and dance, we didn't need asking twice. We left with aching feet, sore throats from all of the singing and aching arms from all of the clapping. lol It was worth it though, it was such a fun night!

Last weeks meal plan went really well! We didn't end up going out for breakfast on Saturday as it was chucking it down but Stu and Ellie got far too much pizza, garlic bread from the takeaway on the Friday night so we had the leftovers for tea on Saturday. It worked out well as I was in no mood to cook, I wanted a lazy day to rest my aching feet. hehehe

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Slow cooker pulled pork in wraps. A nice and easy start to the week.

Tuesday - Sausage casserole, mash and veg. Becky has asked for this and it seems ages since we last had it.

Wednesday - Something with pasta, probably tuna.

Thursday - Chicken katsu curry.

Friday - Pizza - Shop bought one's.

Saturday - Burgers in buns with fries.

Sunday - A roast dinner of some sort.

What are you eating this week?

A little bit of Bon Jovi! #MySundaySnapshot

On Friday night my dad's partner and I went to see a Bon Jovi Tribute band. It's been a long time coming as it had been postponed from this time last year. They are actually the only tribute band to play with Bon Jovi live on stage which I think is quite a claim to fame. 

We danced a lot and sung until we almost lost our voices. It was such a fun night. We will be back to see them when they come to Scunthorpe again next year.

A photo every day for a year! 15th - 21st July Week 29 of #Project365

We have had a fun week with Stu having a weeks holiday from work, he still has a few days left yet as with his normal days off he doesn't go back until Tuesday. We've had a day out shopping in Hull, had an afternoon tea delivered, cleared the garden, garage and shed of rubbish, sold all our electric things which were just collecting dust like an old x-box, games, a tablet and spare computer parts, we've had breakfast out and I had a night out last night that was postponed from last year seeing a Bon Jovi tribute band. It has been a busy but good week.

Now for a photo every day!

196/365 - 15th July

Becky has been buying more rubbish that she's seen on TikTok, she has more money than sense that one. hehehe She bought cheesy noodles this time. They stunk and were not that great.

197/365 - 16th July

We didn't bother going out for our usual lunch on Sunday, the day involved staying in our pj's, drinking lots of tea from my favourite mug.

198/365 - 17th July

All dressed up ready for a day out shopping. Poor Ellie is looking more and more like me everyday. 

199/365 - 18th July

We got an afternoon tea delivered. I used the last of some credit from Red Letter Days to get it, Stu and the girls ate most of it as it was a savoury afternoon tea and I much prefer the sweet treats. They really enjoyed it.

200/365 - 19th July

On of our favourite recipes from Gousto, I kept all the recipe cards to use again and this one has been used more than any other: Thai-Style Pork Patties With Sweet Potato Wedges.

201/365 - 20th July

Hair dye day! I needed it doing before a night out. I am back to red now, mostly. The old pink I had on previously is still showing through depending on what light I am in.

202/365 - 21st July

When we moved here we started using the Co-op shop nearby and every time I go in they ask if I have a card and I have never bothered getting one. I didn't think there was much point until the woman behind the counter said if you have one you get 50p off a meal deal each time. That was it, I signed up straight away. 

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

We have had a lovely week with Stu being home from work. He took a weeks holiday for no reason apart from he wanted a break. His work days are long. To start at 8am he leaves the house just after 6am and he finishes work at 5pm and doesn't get home until nearly 7pm. He booked the perfect week off work as Becky's days off were Wednesday, Thursday and today so we could spend some time together.

On Monday we went into Hull to get Stu some shoes and a new shirt for a wedding we're going to later in the year. We had a look around all of the shops and as it had been more than 6 weeks since Ellie had her ears pierced we decided to get her some new earrings. We got her some sleeper earrings, the little hoops. We went back to H.Samuel for them as the woman was so lovely and made sure to change them in there just because it was Ellie's first time. Her ears looked perfectly healed when she took her studs out but she had such a struggle getting the new one's clicked into place, she got them through the hole but it was a struggle to get the pin part back into the earring to secure it. Her ears bled and by the time we were coming out of Primark half an hour later they looked red and swollen. We went back to H.Samuel where the woman gave them another clean and suggested taking the earrings out until we got home and putting some studs back in. We did and we're back to cleaning them 3 times a day but they're looking OK. I think Ellie will be sticking with studs or earrings which are a less faff to get in for the time being.

Stu has made good use of his time at home and had a good clear out in our little shed, garage and back garden. There was the leftover wood from when we replaced our fence a couple of years ago, the little shed had become a dumping ground for anything that needed to go out which we couldn't fit in the wheelie bin and there was all sorts in the garage. My dad came with his trailer and 2 loads later everything was gone. Stu had planned on putting some concrete down on the path to stop the weeds coming through but it's not been the weather for it. The rest of Europe is having a heatwave and we've had nothing but rain.

As of writing this yesterday I am at home waiting in for a parcel, it has a dress in which I am planning to wear tonight. My dad's partner and I are finally getting to see band that we had planned to see last year but the show was postponed until tonight. We're making a night of it, we're going out for a meal and a few drinks beforehand. I am really looking forward to it although I am still unsure what shoes to wear. lol

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one.

Would you rather - Part 1.

A while ago I saw a post from the blog This Is Where It's At with 80 Would you rather questions. I thought they would be fun to answer them. I was going to do all 80 in one post but I do like to waffle on so thought I would split them into a few blog posts.

Would you rather have the ability to see 10 minutes into the future or 150 years into the future?

I would like to see 150 years in the future. So much has changed in the last 150 years so I can't imagine what 150 years in the future would be like. I just hope A.I hasn't taken over the world and we're living in a world of machines. Eek! I can really see Terminator 2 happening.

Would you rather have telekinesis (the ability to move things with your mind) or telepathy (the ability to read minds)?

As much as I would love to be able to move things with my mind, I could sit here and get the housework done without moving I would like to read people's minds, as long as they didn't know. hehehe My family do things and I always think to myself what we're they thinking. 

Would you rather team up with Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel?

As much as I love the Marvel movies I can't stand Captain Marvel so it would have to be Wonder Woman. She seems a lot less arrogant and a lot nicer.

Would you rather be forced to sing along or dance to every single song you hear?

This is hard, I am not a good singer and I hate dancing unless I've had a couple of glasses of wine. I think I would have to say sing as long as I can do it quietly.

Would you rather find true love today or win the lottery next year?

I have my true love but if I didn't I would still rather find my true love than win the lottery. Money can't buy happiness.

Would you rather be in jail for five years or be in a coma for a decade?

Ahh! To sleep for 10 years. I think I could do that. hehehe I don't think I could cope with being jail so the coma it is.

Would you rather have another 10 years with your partner or a one night stand with your celebrity crush?

I would have another 10 years with my partner. I don't really have any celebrity crushes at the moment so it's an easy choice.

Would you rather be chronically under dressed or overdressed?

I would say overdressed. Being underdressed would have me feeling more paranoid than being over dressed.

Would you rather have everyone you know be able to read your thoughts or for everyone you know to have access to your Internet history?

You can have my internet history, it's really boring. Social media, blog stuff and searching what happens in the next episode of the show that I am watching.

Would you rather lose your sight or your memories?

My sight. I can't imagining not knowing who I was or my family was, how we became or any of my life.

What would you answer for these Would you rather questions?

My favourite summer clothes.

I do love the warmer months, we had a bit of what felt like summer here and then a week of it being quite chilly, another warm week and the past week has been a bit hit and miss so when it is warm I am taking the chance to wear my summer clothes. Last year it hit just over 40°C which is 104°F and was a record for the UK. I don't want temperatures like that again but a little hotter than we've been having would be nice.

In the summer I like to be comfortable so tend to stick to long t-shirts and cropped leggings. I saw a fab t-shirt in Primark a few months ago and have since gone on to buy it in different colours and with different quotes on it.

I always buy the t-shirts in a bigger size than I need as I don't like tight fitting tops when it's warm out, I like a bit of air to get to me.

I got some of these style of cropped jeggings off Amazon a couple of years ago and they have lasted really well. It wasn't these exact one's as I know I wouldn't have paid £27. They are very similar though.

If I am not wearing leggings, or cropped jeggings I am wearing shorts. I only have one pair of shorts that I will happily go out in public in, these type of denim ones, again I didn't pay the £27, I only paid about £10.

Around the house I am quite happy to wear any type of shorts but mainly stick to pj bottom type ones which are cheap and cheerful.

I am not big on wearing dresses but I do have a few favourites, some which are years old and some which I have bough this year.

The first one that has to have a mention is one that I got when I think my youngest was a baby. I think I got it from the online store Simply Be and I still wear it now. It is so comfy, pretty with the floral design and ruffles and looks a bit more formal than just a plain dress. It is very similar to this one off Shein.

I bought the green dress a few months ago from Primark and I was so much in love with the fit of it that I bought it in a different pattern and colour. They're so pretty and I don't want to brag but they look so good on me, hugging and fitting in all of the right places.

Usually I wouldn't dream of buying footwear offline, I like to try it on and make sure it fits as sometimes I go into one shop and I am one size and another and I am a size larger or smaller. I suppose it's the same when it comes to clothes but I am fussy when it comes to footwear. 

When I last did an order from Shein I bought myself a pair of shoes and some sandals. 

The shoes are great for going with smarter outfits but the sandals are amazing! They are the comfiest sandals which I have ever owned and worn. I can see me wearing them out by the end of the summer so a couple of weeks ago when I made another Shein order I bought some more but this time they're all black which I think looks a little smarter and more formal. I did buy them in a size 7.5 which is a little bigger than I normally go for. I am a 6.5 or 7 but I do have chunky feet so I didn't wanted them to be tight. They're perfect!

What are your favourite summer outfits?

I am linking up with Erika and Andrea for their Friday Favourites.

My youngest girls prom day!

We seem to have been planning for prom for months and but it actually was much longer. It's taken me a couple of weeks to get this blog post live because things have been busy and I have had posts scheduled but here we go.

Prom was on the 6th of July and Ellie started getting ready just after half past one in the afternoon and I am glad she did. Nothing went wrong, we just got to take everything at a slow pace.

This is Ellie before she started getting ready for prom. We set ourselves up in the kitchen with everything we needed, hair curlers, make up, false nails and other bits and bobs.

I knew that her hair would take the longest to do. I have the BaByliss Curl Secret gadget and it is absolutely amazing. You just get bits of hair and it sucks them up and does the curling and then it beeps when it's done. The beeps drive me insane but are handy to know how long to leave it on the hair for. It took a good hour to do Ellie's hair and then she decided she wanted it curlier so I went back through it and all in all it took about 2 hours. The make up was easy, well apart from Ellie blinking too much when I was trying to put mascara on. lol

Ellie had a quick bite to eat and before we knew it we were running out of time and it was nearly half past five and Ellie was getting picked up at half past six.

The plan was for my dad to pick Ellie up at half past 6 and take her to the prom in his kit car but he had issues with it and came up with a new plan which I knew nothing about!

Stu, Becky and I were at the school seeing all the cars arrive dropping kids off and were waiting for Ellie's arrival when I saw my brothers big van. I was like what the hell! The closer it came I saw my dad and brother in the front and no sign of Ellie. Turns out my dad's plan was to have Ellie arrive in the back of the van and make her grand entrance going down on the moving platform thing at the back! I was fuming thinking she would hate it but as soon as I saw her face I saw she was having the time of her life. When everyone realised it was Ellie in the back of the van they were like wow, it's Ellie! I don't know if they were more shocked about her arrival or the fact she was in a dress and all dolled up. Oh and she wasn't trapped in the van, the shutter wasn't down and the ramp was folded up. Phew! 

Everyone hung around outside until the last of the vehicles arrived dropping everyone off. Then it was time to do the red carpet. Ellie and her friends hung around until the end, I thought Ellie had chickened out of walking up in front of all the parents and having her photo taken. Her and one of her best friends did the walk which nearly had me crying. "R" was the first friend that Ellie made in the school when we moved house so it was really fitting they did this one last thing together. 

Just as Stu, Becky and I were walking out of the school gates we bumped into Ellie's friends mum. Ellie's other good friend wasn't supposed to be going to prom but she decided to and what a surprise! It just made the whole evening perfect! I almost cried again knowing all of Ellie's best friends were there.

Ellie came home just after half past 10 and was full of beans and keen to look at all the photos I had taken. hehehe What I loved about the prom was that none of the kids had their phones out taking photos and videos, there had been no warnings saying they couldn't, they just didn't! They were there to enjoy the evening and living in the moment.

It was a perfect prom, everything went to plan and most importantly Ellie had a great time.

Have your teens had their prom? How did it go?