The joys of having older children.

My girls are 21 and 16 years old although if you were to ask their age they would say nearly 22 and 17. lol They always like to think they are older than they are. Parenting them has been a journey and it's never going to be over but I feel like we have all levelled up and entered a new stage of life.

I am really loving the age my girls are at the moment. There is a good balance of them needing me but being more independent at the same time. I have found so many joys while having older children. These are some of them.

There is no more rushing around on a morning for me. Becky works night shifts and is usually just getting into the house as I am getting out of bed at about 8am. Ellie gets herself up up now for college and wakes me up for a chat just before she leaves to get the bus. It's so nice not having that rush on a morning. Years ago it felt like I would never have mornings like this again but here we are.

The girls have realised that money doesn't grows on trees and has to be earned. Becky has stopped wasting money and is on a saving spree and even Ellie knows that if she wants money she has to help around the house. It is good that they now know about money, I remember years ago when Ellie had a tantrum about not being able to have a toy from a shop because it was overpriced for what it was. She now knows what things are worth, mostly and that is a good thing. There is also the perk of now that they have their own money they treat me to a chocolate bar or drink while we are out and gifts for special occasions. 

I don't like sharing my worries with my girls but they do pick up on things and are a great support. They have a different perspective and offer some fantastic advice, sometimes. Sometimes their advice is not so good like when they tell me just to go and shout at our neighbour when she's being a bit silly. 

I feel like I could leave my girls home alone for a weekend (I wouldn't) and they would be able to feed themselves, not just snacks and junk food but real meals. Becky is an expert at pasta dishes and Ellie can make quite a few chicken dishes. The perks of this is that they sometime make me food and it is brilliant. I still cook our evening meal each night but sometimes my girls make my lunch and what is even more of a treat is getting a cup of tea made for me. Cuppas always taste better when someone else makes them.

Ellie is my beauty guru! She loves make up and all beauty related things and has introduced me to loads of new products and if I fancy a change from my make up I root around her make up drawers and bags and find something new to try. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't use primer or setting spray and I would still be using a rubbish mascara. 

Often I see drama on the Facebook group for our local area and of course it's only half the story but having girls who know a lot of people locally has it's advantages. I always find out the gossip. hehehe Or they will find out half a story, tell me and my dad or brother who are good for gossip fill in the blanks. hehehe

I am not the I.T expert in our house anymore, especially when it comes to things like social media, streaming music and TV. My girls are quite clever and have pointed me in the right direction many times. If I want to know anything about TikTok, they are the one's I turn to.

As my girls get older they have become not just my offspring but also my friend. We share hobbies, interests, and experiences on a more equal footing. We can chat for hours about what's going on in the world, TV shows and music and have so many laughs together which I couldn't imagine years ago.

Parenting older children is not what I expected, it's much more fun and still full of heart warming moments. I am sure in a few years things will change again but for now I am really enjoying this part of my parenting journey.

What is your favourite thing about having older children?

Our weekly meal plan! 29th April - 5th May. #MealPlanningMonday

We have been having fridge issues. The bottom half of our fridge was been freezing everything. It was 11 years on Saturday since our last fridge broke and just over 11 years since we got this one so it did well. I was looking at buying a new one and I don't understand how just a fridge costs more than a fridge/freezer. We don't really use the freezer part of our fridge freezer, it just stores ice, ice cream and stuff when I overbuy for out big freezer so I was thinking of just buying a fridge but the tall one's cost about £400 and a fridge/freezer with 80% fridge and 20% freezer costs just over £200. It just doesn't make sense to me. lol I thought with a fridge/freezing needing more parts it would cost more. Anyway, we ended up getting a fridge/freezer given to us so we didn't have to buy one. I am so grateful and it's saved us some money, well until we have to buy another one.

Anyway, last weeks meal plan went well. Our favourite meal was the Stuffing Crusted Chicken With Buttery Veg And Onion Gravy from Gousto. Who'd have thought that putting stuffing on the chicken breast and then cooking it would make the chicken taste so different.

I have to show you the stew and dumplings that I had in a giant Yorkshire pudding from the pub on Wednesday evening. It was amazing!! The steak in it was just breaking apart, the mash was so creamy and the roast parsnips were such a surprise. I have said when I have it again I will share with someone else as there was just too much. I could have asked for a doggy bag with the stew that was left and there would have been enough to make a small pie. lol This cost £9.95 which I think is a bargain for what I got!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - We have the leftover veg and some meat from the roast dinner that we had yesterday so I am going to make a pie which we will have with peas.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Pork & Beef Lasagne Tacos With Balsamic Salad.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Indian-Style Spiced Chicken Schnitzel With Spicy Potatoes.

Thursday - Gousto meal - Bacon Frijoles Charros With Soured Cream & Rice. I had no idea what this was but it looked nice. It's a classic bean stew named after Mexican cowboys

Friday - Gousto meal - Sticky Beef Satay Wraps.

Saturday - Pizza.

Sunday - Sunday lunch out!

What are you eating this week?

Week 17 of #Project365 21st - 27th April. A photo every day for a year!

We have had a great week mostly, yesterday we realised the fridge/freezer wasn't behaving how it should, it was freezing things in the bottom half of the fridge. Eek! What made me chuckle was yesterday it came up on my Facebook memories that it's 11 years since we were having issues with our old fridge, that wasn't keeping things cold or frozen. It seems it's the same problem, the thermostat but it's working at different extremes. I can't complain 11 years is good going for a fridge. As of writing this I don't know what we're going to do. I had been looking at new one's but someone we know is selling one so we might just go second hand. It's just an inconvenience at the moment, I am just taking things out of the fridge and defrosting them before we need them.

Now for a photo every day!

112/365 - 21st April

We had the most amazing roast dinner from the pub! The gammon just melted in my mouth, I don't even like cabbage but ate it and enjoyed it and freshly made Yorkshire puddings are the best! I want to go back every weekend and eat it again but after being to the pub a couple of times this week I think we need a break.

113/365 - 22nd April

My seeds are growing, all the one's that I planted apart from the strawberries! I don't know what it is, I just can't seem to grow strawberries and from what I know they should be really easy to grow.

114/365 - 23rd April

I always smile when a recipe from Gousto needs the Henderson's Relish! It comes in such a cute, little bottle.

115/365 - 24th April

We had a good night at the pub playing bingo! I bagged the last full house and won myself £100. I of course shared, kept £40 for myself and gave £30 each my eldest and her girlfriend. They used it to treat themselves. Eldest got her hair cut and treated them to lunch out and the girlfriend got her eyelashes done. lol I am saving my winnings to buy a jacket that I saw in town.

116/365 - 25th April

It annoys me how all day it can be grey and wet and then come about six or seven in the evening the sun comes out and blue skies appear. It seems like such a waste. It was warmer at half six on Thursday evening than it was during the day! 

117/365 - 26th April

Baby pears! It always amazes me how small pears start off on my dad's tree. There is hundreds at the moment but my dad who is quite the expert when it comes to pear trees now says that not all of the buds grow. Only two or three out of bunches of 5 will make it.

118/365 - 27th April

I finally got around to watching the Bon Jovi documentary on Disney+. It was really good, I learned lots that I didn't know about the band and it was really interesting. What made me chuckle was Jon Bon Jovi swearing. I always think of him as straight laced and a good boy. hehehe

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

We have had a good week. Just plodding on with life with nothing much going on unless you count our trips to the pub. I am not a big drinker now but since the pub has reopened with new owners there is more going on there and we are loving it. I am not going to name the pub as that will give too much away about where I live and where I am visiting. I really wish I could though.

The pub serves food every day from midday until 8pm which has made it more inviting. We all went on Sunday for our lunch out. I am glad we booked a table because when we arrived at 2pm there wasn't a spare seat! We had the 3 course Sunday lunch for £19.95 which I think is a total bargain for the amount of food that you get. I had a prawn cocktail to start, honey glazed gammon and veg and then cheesecake for dessert! Usually I won't eat cabbage but I don't know what the chef did to it but I tried it and it tasted amazing! Stu had the beef which was amazing and Becky had fish and chips and the fish was huge! We had a lovely afternoon.

I have been wanting to go to the bingo that the pub has on a Wednesday evening but Stu isn't a fan so I had to wait until Becky had a Wednesday off work. We went along this week, we went early and had tea out. I had stew and dumplings in a giant Yorkshire pudding and again it was amazing but there was too much. I could have taken the leftover meat home and made a pie, there was that much. lol

Becky had never played proper bingo before so I stressed to her that she needed to concentrate and not just mark off random numbers. We started playing and she shouted bingo on the first line! She got a free drink. We carried on playing and on the 2nd game shouted again for a full house winning £10. On the third game she shouted for another full house but someone else did too so she had to share the prize and ended up with another £7.50. On the 4th game Becky's girlfriend won the full house and £20.

There was a table of guys who started to shout it was a fix and I couldn't tell if they were just joking or being nasty, it was hard to tell but everyone else playing were good sports and told them where to go. Phew!

It came to the last game and I hadn't won anything but as time went on I ended up waiting for 1 number for the full house for ages but it came out for me and I won! I felt so much panic while the woman was checking my numbers but I got the full house and won £100! I hate being the centre of attention so it was a total nightmare for me but I just hid behind my hands and then when I was given the money ran outside to ring Stu.  I of course shared it with Becky and her girlfriend. £30 each for them and £40 for me. We all went home with more money than we came out with even after buying food and a few drinks. It was such a fun evening and we will be going back again.

Over the weekend there is loads going on at the pub. They had cheap kids meals last night from 3pm until 7pm with an inflatable disco and a band on from 7pm last night. They're having free bouncy castles today for the kids, tonight they have an acoustic singer on and what really made me smile is that tomorrow if you bring your dog they get a free roast dinner. lol

I am really loving our local pub at the moment. When we spoke to the new owner on the first day it opened he said he want's to make it a pub for the whole community and not make it all about the alcohol and I think they are doing a great job of doing that.

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

What I have loved this week! Week 17. #FridayFavourites

Hello there and happy Friday! I have had a nice but busy week. I am looking forward to a weekend of not doing much. Today I am linking up with Erika and Andrea and share some of my favourites from this past week.

Child Trust Fund!

Everyone born in the UK between 1st September 2002 and 2nd January 2011 was given a Child Trust Fund through the government. I set Ellie's up with one company and it was moved to another and another so it took some tracking down as I forgot all about it when we moved house a couple of times. This week we found it! With Becky's hers was in plain savings account and just gained interest so ended up with a little over £1200 when she cashed it out when she turned 18. Ellie's £500 was invested in stocks and shares and her amount has been going up and down for the last 16 years. I looked at the performance and the lowest it has been is £700 and something during the Covid lockdown and highest was last month at just over £1300. Who knows where it will be when she turns 18 next year. She is very excited to find out.

Wrestling!

Since watching Wrestlemania a few weeks ago I am hooked again and have been watching the weekly shows Raw and Smackdown. I am loving it. I used to be a big fan when I was in my 20's and 30's but went off it. Now it's back in my life and I even found myself looking at tickets for the Clash at the Castle live event and it's £500 at least! Eek! That's a combo package for 2 shows over 2 evenings but wow, way out of my budget.

Bingo!

They've started doing bingo at the pub and I think us going is going to be a regular thing after we won big on Wednesday evening. I won the last full house with a prize of £100. 

Baby Reindeer!

I watched Baby Reindeer off Netflix over a couple of days. The story follows the writer and performer Richard Gadd's warped relationship with his female stalker and the impact it has on him as he is ultimately forced to face a deep, dark buried trauma. I didn't realise that it was going to be so dark when I started watching. After watching the trailer I thought it was a comedy, I was wrong. It's pretty shocking but I am glad that I watched it.

The Tortured Poets Department!

I wouldn't say I am a big Taylor Swift fan but my girls are. All I have heard for the past week is songs from the new album and gossip about it. How certain songs are aimed at her ex's and things like that. I do like some of the songs but my girls love them all!

Growing things!

A few weeks ago I planted a ton of seeds. Sweetcorn, tomatoes, sunflowers, peppers, pumpkins, strawberries and a few other things and they have finally started growing. I am thanking the super compost that my dad gave me. He got it from a fantastic gardener so we knew it was good.

Stuffing Crusted Chicken!

Our favourite meal so far this week is the stuffing crusted chicken that we had with lots of veg. Who'd have thought that putting sage stuffing on chicken breast while it cooks makes it taste so different!

Bananas!

My dad was given a load of bananas, too many for him to use so he passed a load on to me. We have been enjoying them this week. I made banana muffins, we've had just bananas and custard for dessert and of course banana and sugar sandwiches. Yum, yum! 

What have you loved over the past week?

Why I still love watching Friends!

Friends isn't just a TV show it's a warm, fuzzy blanket of nostalgia, laughter and life lessons. I only started watching Friends when the last episode was shown on TV way back in 2004 and even then it took me a good few years to get into it. I was so late to the party but since then I think I have watched each episode about 10 times at least.

Why I still love watching Friends!

The Relatable Characters.

Each of the six main characters has a different personality, making it easy to connect with at least one of them. The clean freak Monica, the a quirky Phoebe, the sarcastic yet sweet Chandler, the geeky Ross or popular girl Rachel there's a character for everyone. I see bits of myself and my friends in each of them which makes it so much more relatable than other TV shows.

The Unforgettable Catchphrases.

One of the best thing about friends Friends is all of the catchphrases and one liners that have drifted into our everyday conversations. Who hasn't tried a Joey-style "How you doin'?" or shouted "Pivot!" while moving furniture? We were on a break!! Could I be wearing anymore clothes?, Unagi, Oh. My. Gawwwwwwd!, This is brand new information, He's her lobster, Joey doesn’t share food! They don’t know that we know that they know and so on and so on! I have used so many of these sayings in real life and then chuckle to myself because of Friends.

The Life Lessons

Friends delivers some valuable life lessons. It teaches us about the ups and downs of friendships, relationships, and the importance of finding your own path in life. It's not just entertainment it's a guide to being an adult!

The Nostalgia!

Watching Friends is like travelling in time, taking us back to the 90s and early 2000s. The fashion, the hairstyles and even the technology (or lack of) remind us of a simpler time. For those of us who grew up during that era, it's a sweet trip down memory lane.

The Re-watchability!

Friends is endlessly re-watchable! No matter how many times you've seen an episode, it still manages to make you laugh and feel warm inside. It's the kind of show you can turn to when you're feeling down or just need a good laugh.

The Love Stories!

Monica and Chandler, Phoebe and Mike, Chandler and Janice, Ross and Emily, Monica and Richard and of course Ross and Rachel! Friends gave us some of the sweetest love stories in TV history. 

The Endless Laughter!

One of the most obvious reasons why I love Friends is the sheer hilarity of it. The humour in this show is like a fine wine, it gets better with age!

Both of my girls now love Friends, Becky especially! She has so many things in her bedroom which are Friends related. Lamps, blankets, Funko Pops, Lego, mugs, duvet sets and even a Monopoly set!

You can’t beat the classics can you? Joey has to be my favourite with Phoebe coming a close second. I know most of the episodes word for word and I think my favourite has to be "The One Where No One’s Ready!". Could I be wearing any more clothes? hehehe or The One with the Embryos, that should have been called "The One with the Contest.".

Do you like Friends? What is your favourite episode?

Crafty ideas to upcycle old baby clothes!

 Nearly all parents will have a box or two of keepsakes of when their child was a baby. Often it seems a shame to store them in a box where no one is going to see them. I know I do! We have at least 4 big plastic boxes of things from where the kids were little. The outfit they wore when they left the hospital, first shoes, party dresses and favourite blankets.

These items hold some of the fondest memories in our lives. There are so many ways to breathe new life into baby clothes and blankets. Whether you pick something from this list or experiment with a different craft.

Here are some different ways to upcycle or get crafty with old things that will help you to remember past times and give them a new place in your future.

A memory bear.

Reusing all those clothes that your child seems to outgrow quickly is a terrific idea. Although sewing a stuffed bear might seem challenging, there are plenty of free, easy to follow patterns available online. You'll have a sweet little teddy bear to treasure for years to come once you're done. You can either give it away as a keepsake, display it as a memory bear, or wait to give it to your grandchildren.

Memory book.

For a project that doesn’t require sewing, you could use old clothes and fabric to create and decorate a memory book or album. Use a large piece of fabric for the cover and fill the

pages with pieces of other items along with photographs of when your kids used to wear them. That way, when you look back and remember times past, you’ll have a piece of them

with you as well as a photo to look at.

Patchwork blankets.

Using a patchwork technique, you can create a new patchwork blanket by sewing square pieces of fabric from old blankets or clothes together. As you may use several items and each patch will tell a different story from when your children were babies, this is a great method to preserve memories. You could even embroider significant names or dates on each piece if you're good with a needle. After that you can pass your patchwork blanket on to other family members and future generations will be able to add their own patches to expand it.

Cushions.

A cushion made from pre loved baby clothes could make a great decorative piece for your bedroom or even a gift for grandparents. They’re simple to make, and you can do all sorts of shapes and sizes depending on what fabric you have on hand. Use the same patchwork method that you would use for creating the blanket. Or try following different tutorials for different patterns and styles.

Christmas decorations.

While Christmas is still a little way off yet, there’s no harm in getting prepared early with some handmade decorations.

Christmas is a time for the entire family to be together, share memories, carry out traditions and perhaps even start some new ones. Now is the ideal time to make cherished ornaments that you can display every year. If you're at a loss for ideas, there are lots of ways to decorate. Make patchwork stockings out of discarded garments, blankets, or muslins. Craft fabric ornaments shaped like snowmen, angels, penguins or polar bears. Your children will love receiving ornaments shaped like their first initials, since they will get to hang theirs on the tree every year.  

If you’ve got some old Christmas outfits taking up storage space, you could also try turning them into a memory ‘reindeer’ instead of a bear.

Repurpose as dolls clothes.

As children get a little older they might enjoy pretending to look after a doll as their “baby”. A really simple way to help them play out the fantasy and get more use out of old clothes is to repurpose them as outfits for the dolls. This can also work for stuffed animals.

Upcycle into new clothes and accessories.

Transforming pre loved clothes into new garments can be a fun and sustainable way to keep them for longer rather than throwing them away. You could add to existing clothes for example, covering pockets with bright patterned fabric can jazz up an otherwise plain pair of jeans. Or make new pockets for clothes, it will give your kids a place to keep all the things they collect when they’re out and about!

There are so many ways to breathe new life into baby clothes and blankets. Whether you pick something from this list or experiment with a different craft, I hope this has inspired

you to think twice before throwing items away or leaving them to gather dust.

Have you tried anything like this before?

We used to rescue animals.

Last week I wrote a blog post "Thinking about getting a pet!" and I said that if we did get one it would have to be a rescue one as all the pets I had as a child and teenager were rescued. There is a story behind every one of them and I thought they were stories worth telling.

The first animal I remember my dad rescuing was a pony that we named Chips as we already had a pony called Scampi and we had a thing about matching names. My dad rescued her from being slaughtered. The person who owned her wanted rid as he was short on money, he said to my dad if you get a trailer to get her you can have her for £30 which at the time was still an amazing price. It was a mad dash but we saved her after the drama of finding our trailer with a puncture and having to borrow one. She was beautiful to look at but imagine a horse with PMS. That was her, she bit, kicked, galloped off with me on her back, threw me off (no wonder the guy wanted rid) but I did love her.

My brother and I rescued a dog. We lived on a farm in a pretty rural area. The nearest house to us was a 20 minute walk so when we saw a dog tied to a nearby gate we thought it was strange especially as we knew the farmer who owned the field and he didn't have a Springer Spaniel. My dad went and asked him if he knew anything about it an he said it had been there since early that morning. My brother and I took the poor thing some water and food and gave it a stroke and it was friendly. We carried on our day and went and checked if it was still there just as it was getting dark and it was and we decided then to take it home. My mother said she was having nothing to do with it but my dad rang around a few people he knew and spoke to the police and they said if no one comes forward to claim it, just keep it and we did and Judy became part of our family.

My dad had a skip hire business and all the yards that had wagons had guard dogs. We had a fantastic one, Rocky! He was very scary unless he knew you. One time a few guard dogs escaped from their yards and got a little carried away and one had pups. Most of the pups were sold but the runt of the litter was going to be disposed of so my dad took it in, hoping it would be a good guard dog. It wasn't! It would be more likely to lick you to death than scare away any intruders. He ended up being called Mouse. After a year or so he was retired as a guard dog and moved onto the farm where he spent his time being best friends with the cows.

Millie the Border Collie was brought home by my dad. He had been somewhere and saw someone mistreating a dog. He had words and the person told him take the dog if you want it so he did. She wasn't a trained sheep dog but could herd the sheep without any instruction. He came home with Muffy the kitten when a farmers cat had too many kittens and some were going to be disposed of. Our older cat was not too pleased and always looked at Muffy like she was a disgrace to the family. She was a menace and if she could get into any trouble she would. lol

My dad used to buy race horses, calm them down and then sell them on as normal horses. His friend had the same idea but had no idea about how highly strung race horses are. This guy was at a loss what to do with these horses so my dad took them in. They were nutcases but were left in a field to calm down for a year and then turned into the nicest of horses. They were given new names with their new attitudes. Rosy and Red. One went on to do pretty well in show jumping competitions and the other was the first horse for a teenage girl.

My mother had the patience of a saint! Have you ever heard the saying you might use when you ask where someone is and they say "gone to see a man about a dog" you never really knew with my dad, whether he would come back with a dog, cat or horse. hehehe

Have you ever rescued any animals?

Our weekly meal plan! 22nd - 28th April. #MealPlanningMonday

Monday again, they keep coming around so quickly! I hope you all had a good weekend. We had a lot of family time. I do like it when Becky has her weekend off work, there's decent stuff on the TV and we do something instead of just lazing about the house. We went out for lunch yesterday and had a lovely time.

Last weeks meal plan went well. We ate everything but did end out going out for Sunday lunch instead of staying in. Our favourite meal was the BBQ Chicken With Crispy Potatoes And Pepper & Corn Salad. When I get Gousto meals I sometimes think that making things like your own BBQ sauce is a faff but then when we taste it I understand that the faff is totally worth it! I swear this was the best BBQ chicken I have ever had and it went so well with the potatoes and pepper and corn salad is so simple but something I have never thought about having.

This week is a back to normal week. Ellie has a full week at college which should keep me on track with what day it is. It's Stu's normal day off work today and we don't have any plans at all but I am sure we will find something to do. I do have a night out mid-week which I am really looking forward to and will probably tell you more about it on my Friday Favourite post. We of course have Gousto again this week with a couple of meals we have tried before and loved and a couple of new one's.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - A fry up. Sausages, bacon, eggs, black pudding, mushrooms, hash browns, tomatoes, baked beans and toast.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Stuffing Crusted Chicken With Buttery Veg And Onion Gravy.

Wednesday - I am out for a meal, Becky is busy so it's just Ellie and Stu for tea and they're having some sort of chicken with cheesy pasta. They have already planned it.

Thursday - Gousto meal - Bacon & Bean Casserole.

Friday - Gousto meal - Hoisin Pork Wraps.

Saturday - Gousto meal - Buffalo Fried Chicken Burger With Ranch-Style Dip.

Sunday - I am going to cook a roast dinner, it's been ages since we had one at home. I am thinking beef with all of the trimmings.

What are you eating this week?

Week 16 of #Project365 14th - 20th April. A photo every day for a year!

Happy Sunday! I hope it is a nice, relaxed one for you, like Sunday's should be. I feel like I have such a busy week. I feel like I haven't spent much time on my laptop at all, I forgot to link up with Project 365 last weekend and only got around to commenting on those who did yesterday. Oops.

We are having a real family weekend, it's Becky's weekend off work and she's staying home to watch the start of Britain's Got Talent and we're all off out for lunch today. I really want the weather to be nice but I doubt it will be, at least it's not supposed to rain! I am so sick of this weather, we had a nice couple of days a couple of weeks ago and I thought that was the start of it warming up. Nope, Stu said there was hailstones in Hull earlier on in the week and we've had the heating on a couple of times as we've been so cold. Come on weather, sort yourself out!

Now for a photo every day!

105/365 - 14th April

Forgotten about chocolate is the best. hehehe I found this hidden away, it was mine but I thought one of the kids had eaten it.

106/365 - 15th April

Ellie went a bit extra with her milkshake and got all the cream and toppings. Best milkshake ever!

107/365 - 16th April

I took a photo of my smashed peppers expecting to have to prove they were damaged to Gousto. I didn't they just took my word for it and said here have £2 credit. 

108/365 - 17th April

Jon Bon Jovi on the TV. It seemed like such a treat as he is rarely on TV giving interviews. He is promoting his new documentary which arrives on Disney+ on Friday.

109/365 - 18th April

My cupboards are still organised a week after I tidied them. I am trying to be a real grown up and not just stuff everything in. hehehe

110/365 - 19th April

My dad was given a load of bananas so passed some on to me. They need using up so I am making some banana muffins this afternoon.

111/365 - 20th April

There's blue sky there, hidden under all the grey clouds. At least it's not raining.

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

We have had a pretty normal week, Stu and Becky at work and Ellie is back at college which has left me pottering about at home. I don't feel back into a proper routine yet as it was an inset day on Monday which meant we had one last day to enjoy the Easter holidays.

I only went into town on Monday for leggings, to visit the bank and get some superglue but came home with a couple of bags full of bargains. We visited Primark on the right day as there seemed to be so many things reduced. It has taken me years to realise but the smaller Primark in Scunthorpe is better than the bigger one in Hull. Last time I was in the one in Hull there was nothing for me, partly down to the fact they only seem to have extra small and small clothes and partly because they seem to go overboard stocking for the season which meant it was all bikini's, shorts and strappy maxi dresses. Scunthorpe's Primark is more realistic with bigger sizes and clothes for all the seasons, it also has all the themed stuff like Shrek and Lilo & Stitch things. 

There's a shop on Scunthorpe high street which sells a bit of everything. Home things, DIY stuff, bags, purses and decorations. I have always hated it but Stu loves it and I only go in to keep him happy. On Monday Stu realised why I hate it. We were stood there looking for superglue when the man in the shop came and stood at the end of the aisle with his arms folded, looking really intimidating. I nudged Stu and joked that I think he thinks we're stealing. He came closer and said he is watching us. That was enough for me, I said you can watch my ass while I walk out and take my money elsewhere. It was loud enough for other people in the shop to turn and look. I know people stealing from shops is a problem but he was on our case as soon as we walked in the shop. Ellie and Stu followed behind me laughing and couldn't believe what I said to him. I wasn't even sorry!

Ellie had a panic during the week. One of her teachers said that to do the Level 2 of her Engineering course in September everyone has to have a GCSE of 4 in maths and in English. Ellie is resitting her English GCSE next month and hopefully she will pass but it left her worried that she wouldn't be able to progress in college. She put her big girl pants on and spoke to her tutor, telling him that last year she had the chance to move up to Level 2 when her maths was re-marked and she got the pass, without having a pass in her English. She was saying it was unfair. Ellie said she got pretty ranty, raising her voice and being bossy. lol Her tutor soon realised that most of the class only heard half of the conversation that the teacher was having and the criteria for Level 2 only applies to new starters/school leavers. Ellie can still do the level 2 in September regardless of her English result! Phew! 

Becky has been planning to go somewhere in a couple of months, she assumed an event that she's planning to go to was in June but I saw something about it and Googled when it's on this year and it turns out it's a month later than usual. It's a good job she has me to keep her right. lol She might be a grown up but I am glad she still listens to my advice. She has been looking at houses or flats to rent over the last couple of months but has come to the realisation that she would be much better buying. She can buy a house and pay a mortgage for less than rent would cost. She is now on a mission to save to get a decent deposit, she has even turned down nights out to save a few extra pounds. 

I am writing this on Thursday afternoon and I have just realised that I haven't had the food shop delivered today, I haven't even thought about ordering. I am blaming the inset day on Monday knocking me off track with what day it is. Oops.

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

What I have loved this week! Week 16. #FridayFavourites

Hello there and Happy Friday! This week seems to have flown over, my youngest didn't go back to college until Tuesday so it has felt like a short week. I am linking up with Erika and Andrea and share some of my favourites from this past week. One thing which hasn't been my favourite over the last week is our weather! There has been days where we have had all 4 seasons over the space of an hour. As I am writing this it is 9°C which to me is winter weather, not spring weather! Hmmf.

Jon Bon Jovi on the TV.

It was such a treat to see Jon Bon Jovi on the TV during the week. He was doing an interview on This Morning promoting his new documentary, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story which is coming out this time next week on Disney+. It's crazy to think the band Bon Jovi has been together for most of my life. They are my all time favourite band. I am so glad he didn't say no to touring again, he had throat surgery and is still recovering.

New clothes!

I was in town on Monday and only really went to buy some leggings to wear about the house but while I was in Primark I saw so many things with the reduced tags on so couldn't resist!

I got Becky the Shrek sweater that she has seen on TikTok. It was supposed to be £16 and I got it for £7, Stu got some t-shirts which were on sale and I got some dresses for the summer. They were all reduced to £5 which was about half price. The only thing that wasn't reduced on my shopping trip was the leggings, the one thing I actually needed. lol

A good return to college!

Ellie went back to college after her Easter break and got straight back to work with an assessment on the first day, one of those that she needs to pass before she can pass the course. It has been marked already and she did indeed pass with flying colours! It was a subject she wasn't confident on, tools! Even though she uses tools in practical lessons every week she does get some mixed up, especially with their proper names. I am sure in about 20 years she will laugh about these things.

Liquid laundry detergent! 

For the whole of my life I have used washing powder but I don't know why but no matter what one I use lately it seems to clog up in the drawer in the washing machine. I am blaming our water, we are in a hard water area and suffer badly from limescale around the taps and in the kettle. Anyway, I decided to use liquid detergent and so far so good. The clothes are still coming out the same but the washing machine isn't getting clogged. Thankfully the one I am using is around the same price as the powder, well as long as my family don't go overboard and only put the right amount in!

Sleeping better!

During the Easter break I was staying up later on a night and staying in bed later on a morning. I love the lazy days but it has been nice to get back into a routine over the past week. I have found myself sleeping better, especially since I stopped wearing my fleecy pj's. They are great in the winter but not so much lately. 

A fruit bowl!

A fruit bowl is one of those things that you can find in most homes but our last fruit bowl got dropped and cracked, it was a wooden one and it has taken me about 3 years to replace it. I finally got one, a nice simple one for £5 and now it has a place in the kitchen.

Saturday night TV! 

I love our Saturday evenings in front of the TV and the shows are changing this weekend. Last week was the last of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and I cried. They have been doing it for 20 years and it's sad that it won't be on our TV anymore but they gave it a good send off. This weekend see's the return of Britain's Got Talent! I do love it and can't wait to see what talent there is this year. It seems to get better and better each year.

What have you loved over the past week?