What I have loved this week! Week 9. #FridayFavourites

Hello Friday and last day of February! This month has flown over. Now that the worst two months of the year are over with if the year could slow down a bit that would be great! I am here today sharing some of my favourites from my week, I am of course linking up with Erika and Andrea.

A family Sunday lunch out!

I love it when we can all get together and eat out and we did just that on Sunday for lunch and we had a carvery at our local pub! I went for the honey roast gammon with a pile of vegetables, all covered in gravy and it was so good. A year ago my girls would not have chosen to have a roast dinner while we were eating out but now they love them, even the cabbage! The pub's cabbage is amazing, there are little bacon bits in it which add something a little special.

Having the windows open!

We have had some warm weather this week and it has been nice to have the windows and back door open letting some fresh air in. It got to 5pm and the living room one was still open and I didn't feel chilly at all! It almost felt like a spring day! Of course it didn't last, the next day was wet and felt chillier even though the temperature outside was the same.

Meeting someone new!

I hate talking in riddles and being secretive but this time I have to. My fella and I were introduced to someone new this week, I am not going to say who they were but we had a very interesting chat with them and that chat has made me feel so much better about things in our lives. It felt like a weight has been lifted off me and there is now less to worry about in life which of course it is a good thing.

Good things happening to good people!

Someone we know is moving into their own flat and I couldn't be happier for them. It is their first home away from family and I am sharing their excitement. (It's not my girl by the way, she is staying here until she has saved enough for a deposit for her own house.) This person is like family and they deserve a bit of happiness!

Cornflake Tart!

Cornflake tart is something that I remember from school dinners. Made with a shortcrust pastry base filled crunchy cornflakes coated in golden syrup piled on top. I saw them in a bakery in town and had to get a couple for my fella and I. They of course were eaten with custard and were such a lovely treat.

Seeds!

While out shopping I bought some seeds, flower seeds which I am planning on planting when I have sorted the garden out a little and the weather is a bit warmer. This year I am determined to have a pretty garden, with blooming flowers and plenty of fruit and vegetables growing.

My fella having a working bank card again!

On Sunday while we were out for lunch we discovered my fella's bank card had stopped working, it could have been really embarrassing if I didn't have my card with me to pay as he couldn't even get money out of the cash machine. It turns out the microchip on the card had given up, to be fair he was due a new one in a few months. He ordered a replacement and it arrived yesterday, phew! He has had to go old school this week and use real money which he didn't like. We have got so used to paying for everything with a card going back to cash was so strange! 

What have you loved this week?

TV shows I wish I could watch again for the first time!

Have you ever watched a TV show so gripping, so heart warming or so downright hilarious that you wished you could erase your memory and experience it all over again? While rewatching has its charms, nothing compares to that first time magic! There may be spoilers ahead if you are late to watching iconic shows. Sorry!

Breaking Bad!

The transformation of Walter White from a mild mannered chemistry teacher to a ruthless drug kingpin is nothing short of extraordinary. The tension, the moral dilemmas, and the oh my god moments that left you on the edge of your seat were masterfully crafted. Experiencing Gus Fring’s icy menace, Jesse’s emotional turmoil and Walt’s descent for the first time? That’s a ride I’d take again in a heartbeat. I remember being so shocked at some of it, especially the deaths!

Broadchurch

Few shows gripped me as tightly as Broadchurch. From the haunting opening scenes to the slow mystery which spanned the whole show! I was late in watching this series and only picked up on it when the 2nd series started and amazingly managed to avoid the spoilers. I soon caught up and was completely glued to every episode. David Tennant and Olivia Colman’s performances were breath taking and the twists left me in complete shock. I want to watch again with new eyes!!

Friends!

There’s a reason Friends is a comfort show for so many people but imagine getting to experience Monica, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe’s antics as if you’d never seen them before!! The first time laughs at pivot or Chandler’s sarcastic quips, the slow burn romance between Ross and Rachel, and Phoebe’s iconic renditions of "Smelly Cat" would feel brand new again.

Stranger Things!

When Stranger Things first premiered it was like nothing else on TV. The mix of 80s nostalgia, supernatural horror and heartfelt friendships immediately captured everyone’s imagination. Seeing Eleven flip a van with her mind or the gang face off against the Demogorgon for the first time was absolutely thrilling and don't even get me started on Max and Running Up That Hill!. Reliving the chills and thrills of the Upside Down from the very start? Yes, please!

Game of Thrones!

While the final season sparked plenty of debate the early seasons of Game of Thrones delivered some of the most shocking and compelling television ever! It took me a couple of times of watching the first couple of episodes to get into it but wow!! Experiencing Ned Stark’s fate, I did not see that coming, the Red Wedding and the moment Daenerys emerges from the flames for the first time was unforgettable. The politics and jaw dropping twists would be just as thrilling if I could somehow watch it all again with fresh eyes!

LOST!

Say what you will about the ending but Lost was amazing TV with its ambitious storytelling and deeply layered mysteries. The first time you step onto that eerie island, see the smoke monster or dive into the flashbacks that build each character’s backstory, you’re completely hooked. Trying to unravel the mysteries with no idea of what’s coming next? That’s the kind of excitement I’d love to relive. I recently rewatched it after many years and it was good but just not as good as seeing it for the first time!

Grey’s Anatomy!

Few shows do drama quite like Grey’s Anatomy. From the intense medical cases to the heart breaking relationships, the first time viewing experience is a whirlwind of emotions. Watching Meredith and Derek’s romance unfold or figuring out who 007 was, gasping at that plane crash, would hit just as hard if I could go back and see it all again!

What would you like to rewatch again for the first time?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge! #6

It's Wednesday again which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. February 26th is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day...have you read a fairy tale lately? What's your favorite fairy tale? Do you believe in 'happily ever after'? 

I haven't read a fairy tale since my girls were little, they used to love them.

I think my favourite fairy tale when I was a child was Little Red Riding Hood. My grandad would always read me the story and was great with the lines What big eyes you have!, What big ears you have!. We had the nice version where the woodcutter arrived just in time, rescuing Little Red and her grandmother. Did you know there's a darker version where she learns her lesson the hard way. Eek! There are lessons to be learned from Little Red Riding Hood. Don’t talk to strangers, appearances can be deceiving and listen to your elders (especially when they warn you about wolves!).

As for happily ever after, I think it exists but not in the perfect ending way that fairy tales suggest. More like a work in progress ever after, where happiness is something you build and nurture rather than something that just happens magically.

2. Complete one of the following sentences with a thought relating to your life currently-

Once upon a time___________

A long time ago________________

In a place far far away....It was warm! People were enjoying the sunshine without gusty winds and rain! Hmmf!

3. Which of the following 'fairy tale foods' is your favorite? Which have you made/eaten most recently? 

porridge/oatmeal (Goldilocks and The Three Bears), an apple (Snow White), a gingerbread cookie (The Gingerbread Man), pumpkin soup/pie/bread (Cinderella), peas (The Princess and the Pea), beans (Jack and The Beanstalk) or a cup of tea (Alice in Wonderland) 

Ohh! I would have to go with a nice cup of tea! I take mine with milk and two sugars. There is nothing better than a cuppa with a nice slice of cake as an afternoon treat. I probably make myself a few cups of tea a day.

4. What's your idea of fun? 

Spending time with my family on a Saturday night in front of the TV. On Saturday we watched Britain's Got Talent and a couple of quiz shows where we get so competitive. Playing online games, listening to music, watching a good movie, spending time outside when the weather is nice and spending time with friends.

5. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in March. Is that right? I guess so.  Give us one noun, one verb, and one adjective that tell us something about your February. To make you think a little harder, you cannot use the words cold or snowy. 

Noun - Love! Thanks to Valentine’s Day and I had a lot to love in February!

Verb - Waiting! For spring, sunshine and lighter evenings! Hurry up spring!

Adjective - Short! The shortest month of the year which just seemed to fly over!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I am watching Stranger Things off Netflix again from the beginning and there is so much that I forgot about. There are things in the 2nd season which I was sure happened earlier on or much later.

A night out in Hull!

Stu and I usually stay home and have a Valentine's Day supermarket meal deal on Valentine's Day but this year we had planned to go to the local pub for a meal out together but it shut it's doors on the 1st of January and has only recently reopened so by that time I had came up with the idea of Stu and I having a night away in Hull. Stu got Friday and Saturday off work, Becky was off work to stay home with Ellie and all was good to go.

I booked us into the Premier Inn in Hull. We would usually stay at a different hotel but as we were planning to go to a few bars for a few drinks we wanted to be at the other side of the city. It seemed like a good idea but no one told us the little foot bridge was closed and we had to take a detour, crossing the bridge next to the duel carriage way which was terrifying! As well as the room, I upgraded for one with a view, not that we got to see much of it. We arrived a little after 3pm and it started to get dark just after 5pm. It was only about £5 more and I wouldn't say it was worth it, a few years ago we stayed a few floors down and saw the same view. 

I think there is something special about getting ready for a night out in a hotel, it feels so fancy and I almost remembered to bring everything that I needed apart from my favourite lipstick. Hmmf. I know exactly where it was at home, I was supposed to take it from the side of the bathroom sink and pop it in my make up bag before we left. This outfit wasn't the original one that I was going to wear, I had planned on wearing a dress but the fluffy jacket I had didn't go with it and that jacket is so warm and it was quite a chilly evening in Hull.

When Stu and I were ready we headed down to dinner. I had booked the meal deal where you get a two course dinner, a drink and and an unlimited breakfast for £26.99. I thought that was a bargain, at our local pub we would spend about the same for 2 courses and a drink and we still had breakfast to come.

I chose a prawn cocktail for starters and a pizza for my main course and Stu chose chicken goujons for starters and a burger and chips for his main course. The food was OK, it wasn't amazing. I asked for no cheddar cheese on my pizza and they took it to mean no cheese at all but it was OK, the last goujon Stu ate was pink and didn't look cooked and the chips with the burger was so salty. We complained and they took note.

When we had finished eating we headed out. We went to Yates. It's a chain pub and it's the first time I have been in and it was huge! Spread over 2 floors and with some fab music playing. They had an offer on, two for one cocktails. We were staying for a couple of drinks so it would be rude not to take them up on their offer, it was basically buy one at £11.99 and get one free. I went for the Mr Worldwide with Smirnoff vodka and Malibu Coconut rum, topped with cranberry juice and finished with Giant Strawbs! It started a trend for the night. Everywhere seems to do 2 for one drinks and I took advantage. hehehe

After we'd had enough we decided to go to a bar that Becky my eldest daughter had told us about. The Star! Lets just say it was very colourful and an eye opener to what the night life in cities is like now. We got there just after 9pm and there was only a handful of people in so it meant getting a seat was easy, later on in the evening when we left it was packed!!

We met some very interesting people and got chatting. One couple who were having a night away from their kids like us, another couple who were originally for New Zealand and had travelled around with the army and settled in Hull, they came and sat near us as everyone else in the bar was about 20 years younger than us. We started oldies corner. hehehe Stu saw a couple of people that he works with but the highlight of my night was a drag queen saying I looked too angelic to be drinking Jagerbomb's that she was trying to sell and I did right sticking to cocktails. hehehe

Lots of the bars in Hull stay open until about 5/6am but by 1am Stu and I were ready to call it a night. I was wanting to get in my pj's and get comfy so we headed back to the hotel and had a late midnight snack of sausage rolls that we had bought earlier. I knew we'd want something to eat before we slept and they were perfect apart from all the crumbs in the bed. Oops.

I woke up just after 6am and had to open the window as the room was quite warm. It had air conditioning but I feared if we had put that on during the night we would have woken up freezing. I went back to sleep and the alarm was set for half past 9. I hit snooze a few times, I did not want to get out of bed but we had breakfast to eat! I do love a hotel breakfast and Premier Inn's do a good one. I had sausage, bacon, an egg, black pudding, mushrooms and baked beans.

We checked out of the hotel, usually we would have walked to the bus station but it was starting to rain and my poor legs were aching from all the dancing I did so we got a taxi and that dropped us off just as our bus was pulling in, great timing!! We hopped on the bus and we were home before the girls had even got out of bed! I felt worn out, I need to remember I am not a 20 something year old anymore, I like my sleep too much. hehehe

When was the last time you had a big night out?

Our weekly meal plan! 24th Feb - 2nd March! #MealPlanningMonday

Half term break flew over like it always does. Sometimes a week doesn't seem enough. Ellie is back to college this week and she worked out that there's only 17 more weeks of the college year which doesn't seem long at all when she has 2 weeks off for Easter and a week off in May. 

Last weeks meal plan went really well, we swapped a couple of days around but ate everything! The biggest success was the Beef Chuck Stew With Homemade Thyme Dumplings! I have never made dumplings from scratch but they were perfect. Before I put them into the slow cooker I put them in the air fryer for 10 minutes to crisp them up a bit as no one likes a soggy dumpling. They were crispy on the top, not hard at all and moist all of the way through. My family were so impressed and quite shocked that they tasted so good!

I don't have much on this week. In fact I don't have any plans at all, not even going to see my dad on Friday as he has plans. Eesh! It's Becky's week where she has a few days off work so I am sure she will keep me on my toes.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Sausage pasta bake.

Tuesday -Gousto meal - Sage & Onion Pork Meatballs With Apple Sauce. 

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Baked Fish Fingers With Lemony Potatoes & Buttery Greens. The girls have said no to the lemony potatoes so I will make them chips and Stu and I will have the potatoes.

Thursday - Gousto meal - Cheesy Sausage & Egg Burger With Homemade Beans.

Friday - Pizza.

Saturday - Gousto meal - Hot Honey Bacon & Fried Egg Pancakes. It is a breakfast meal but it will do for our evening meal. We always like some sort of treat meal on a Saturday.

Sunday - A roast dinner of some sort.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 16th - 22nd February! Week 8 of #Project365

Ahh! Sunday! A day of rest, I do hope so. I did all my jobs yesterday so I am looking forward to doing very little today. We have had a lovely week, it was half term for Ellie from college so it has been quite relaxed. We have had just the right amount of being busy and doing nothing and still managed to spend some time together as a family.

Now for a photo every day!

47/365 - 16th February

I spent Sunday evening watching Clarkson's Farm. I do love the show but did not expect to find myself almost crying about the pigs and the piglets. Bless them. Did you know Jeremy Clarkson's mother designed the first Paddington Bear soft toy as a Christmas present for her kids and then used the money to pay for their private education! That is some useless information for you. hehehe

48/365 - 17th February

My brother came with all of his tools to help us out putting the new fence up! It would have taken Stu ages without him and his nail gun. His super saw helped a lot too. Now we just need another storm to blow the last of the old panels down and then it will all be a brand new fence.

49/365 - 18th February

The girls went to the cinema and had a spot of lunch out. Burgers with chips and gravy and of course a milkshake. They loved the new Captain America film, even Becky who is not usually a big Marvel fan. She only went because she thought Hulk was in it. hehehe

50/365 - 19th February

I started watching Sweet Magnolias. I have heard so many people raving about it since there was a new season released on Netflix. It's totally new to me and I am loving it. It's so wholesome, so far. I am only a few episodes in.

51/365 - 20th February

It was so warm on Thursday! Ridiculously warm compared to the weather we have been having. It was a bit breezy too which made it perfect weather for getting some washing out on the washing line! It made me so happy, it was something I wasn't expecting to do for the first time this year in February!

52/365 - 21st February

The engine of my dad's vintage car that he was working on when we arrived at his. He had got a new part and was busy putting that in. Don't ask me what it was, I have no idea. He enjoys tinkering with the car though.

53/365 - 22nd February

I have found some new sweets to enjoy. Toffino Choco, they were from Sainsbury's and are Polish treats. They are milk toffees with chocolate filling, they're very moreish.

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

The past week has been half term week and it has been lovely for us all to spend some time together. Stu and I, Ellie and I, Becky and I, the girls and all of us together!

Stu and I spent some quality time together on Valentine's Day. We had a night away, meal out and danced the night away in a pub. I have finally wrote a blog post about out night out and it will go live on Tuesday. I spent Saturday and Sunday recovering, I am too old for cocktails and late nights. lol

I've had Ellie home all week and she really is good company. I am going to miss the school/college holidays when she is finished with college, she still has a while to go yet though. Phew! It has been some company for me and she is a great little helper around the house. It has been nice to do things at a slower pace without watching the clock, needing to be places.

Stu had some company on Monday to help finish fixing the fence that came down in the storm a few weeks ago. My brother came with all of his super tools and they worked together to get the fence up. My brother is clever, he estimated how much wood would be needed and he was almost right, there was enough to get the fence up but we needed two more slats to finish it off in the gaps above the concrete fence posts.

On Tuesday Becky and Ellie went to the cinema together to watch the new Marvel movie Captain America: Brave New World. I would have liked to have gone too but I had other things to do. Hmmf. They had lunch out and loved the film. I guess I'll be waiting until it comes on Disney+ to watch it.

Becky and I spent some time together watching TV on Tuesday evening. We of course watched the soaps, they've all been great this week. I don't usually watch them early on in the day when they are available on ITVX or BBCiPlayer but I have this week and watching them on an evening too. It should be called death week, characters on the soaps are dropping like flies. Emmerdale has been my favourite this week with the limo crash, it has kept me on the edge of my seat.

My dad came to see me on Thursday for some help with something on his laptop. We worked together and realised that he can't do what he wants to do until he has some more paperwork sent to him. We tried though. He did make me chuckle, he left and came back 10 minutes later. He realised when he had got out of his car at home that his head was cold. He had left his hat here and his phone so it's just as well he realised as I wouldn't have been able to ring him and tell him.

I am looking forward to a weekend of being together as a family. It's Becky's weekend off work and she has no plans so the plan is to spend tonight watching TV. There's a new series of Britain's Got Talent on.

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one! I am of course linking up with Anne who blogs at Raisie Bay for her Word of the Week linky!

What I have loved this week! Week 8. #FridayFavourites

It's Friday again! This past week has flown over and it has been a good one! I hope you have all had a good one too? I am of course linking up with Erika and Andrea to share some of my favourites from the past week. 

Apple Cider Vinegar!

I just discovered this series on Netflix and watched it all in a few days. It follows the life of two young women Belle and Milla who set out to cure their life threatening illnesses through health and wellness, motivating their growing online communities along the way. All of which would be inspiring if it were true.

A night away! 

My fella and I had a lovely night away for Valentine's Day! It was nice to have a break from our girls and they loved us being away too. They ordered from Uber Eats and loved having the run of the house. Stu and I had a meal out, lots of cocktails and a very late night dancing away in a pub!

No rain! 

After weeks of wet weather it has been nice to have a week with no rain! It has rained during the night but the days have been dry. It has still been freezing cold for the most part but everything seems better when it's dry out and the sun is shining a little. Yesterday was ridiculously warm for the time of the year that it is, it was that warm that I even had washing out on the line drying!

Fortnite!

My girls used to love playing Fortnite, in fact as a family we would play it and then they changed things in the game and we all went off it. This week my youngest re-downloaded the game, then my eldest and then my fella. They have been having a great time playing, it's only a matter of time before I start playing again.

A new fence!

About 3 weeks ago part of our garden fence came down in a storm, it has finally been replaced! Hooray! It looks better and is stronger than ever!

Amazon Prime!

When my fella and I had a night away my eldest signed into the TV in the living room with her Amazon Prime account and has stayed logged in. hehehe I am taking full advantage. I have watched the latest series of Clarkson's Farm and I have just started watching Fallout which at the moment I am not too sure about.

Homemade dumplings!

I have never made dumplings from scratch before but this week I did thanks to the Gousto box and a recipe for beef stew and dumplings. I cooked the stew in the slow cooker and a little while before it was ready added the dumplings! They came out so well and my family loved them! 

A quiet week!

I have loved this week, Ellie my youngest hasn't been at college as it's half term break and it has been lovely taking everything at a slower pace. Little lie in's on a morning, late lunches and just doing what we want whenever we want. She's back at college next week and then we are on the road to the Easter break, April doesn't seem that far away!

The A to Z blogging challenge.

A few years ago I did the A to Z blogging challenge where I shared a blog post for each letter of the alphabet, I have so many more blog posts since last time and thought it was a good way to share some older things here on my blog.

A is for Apple! More specifically pork and apple burgers. They are a favourite of mine and we had them a few weeks ago. Stu made them and loved the recipe as it was so simple!

B is for Becky! I don't write about Becky as much as I used to, she has her own life now and is doing pretty well for herself if I do say so myself. I still stick with what I said a few years ago when Becky came out as gay, I don't care what my girls are as long as they're happy. She is happy, in a same sex relationship.

C is for Christmas! This post was all about how we celebrated Christmas a couple of years ago. Things sure have changed since my girls were little, there's less toys and actually more time to relax when all the cooking has been done.

D is for Doctors! We have had our fair share of dealing with doctors over the years with the girls hears, Ellie's hearing loss and other things but what a difference a good doctor makes after a run of seeing not so great one's.

E is for Ellie! How is it coming up two years since Ellie left school and went to her prom. She still says prom day was one of the best days of her life. The getting ready, getting there and being there with her friends.

F is for Friends! The hardest part about teenagers is letting them make their own choices about friends. It is such a minefield especially when you throw social media into the mix! My girls have learned a lot from the friends they have chosen, some good one's and some not so good one's.

G is for Gousto! I have been getting Gousto boxes for a few years now and I love using them, I wrote a blog post why I love them couple of years ago.

H is for Hot Chocolate! Does anyone miss drinking hot chocolate in the warmer months? Last year I shared some hot chocolate recipes. I never think of drinking it when it's warm out but at this time of year I drink one most days.

I is for ICEBREAKER Pop! A faff free kitchen gadget that makes ice cubes. I reviewed it years ago and actually bought another as it was so good. We always have ice cubes in our freezer now.

J is for Jungle! Every year when celebrities go into the jungle for I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of here I get so many views on my Iceland I'm a Celebrity Bushtucker Trial Game - Review!! It was such a laugh and we still talk about it now when I'm a Celeb is on.

K is for Kim! Me! I did an introduction to me a couple of years ago for a linky which I join in with. Nothing much has changed about me since that blog post apart from my hair colour, as of writing this it's a brighter pink.

L is for Lemon! Lemon & Blueberry Muffins! I have made these a few times over the last year. My girls refuse to eat a normal breakfast so things like this are great to get something in their stomachs on a morning. They can grab and go!

M is for Movies! A couple of years ago I shared lots of my favourite movies, my top 5 from different genres. I think my favourite to write was the Christmas one although it was so hard to pick just 5.

N is for Night! It seems ages since I had a girly night out. I do like the idea of putting some make up on, wearing a nice dress and drinking some cocktails but I think I have got to that age where I would much rather stay in my pj's with a couple of glasses of wine in front of the TV.

O is for Outside! I shared 50 outdoor family activities to do this summer. We do a lot of these things every year!

P is for Pizza! I shared a bit of a story about pizza and how I was allergic to cheese for a long time and how I discovered that I wasn't. hehehe

Q is for Queen! My word of the Week was Sombre around when the Queen died. It really was a sad time and seems much longer ago than a couple of years ago!

R is for Rats! This is one of my most viewed blog posts ever! All about how we had rats under the floorboards upstairs!. I am guessing it is a pretty common thing. I can happily say since 2020 the rats have not been back.

S is for Shein! Last year I bought quite a bit from Shein and I know it's sometimes frowned upon but it's cheap and everything I have bought has been decent quality. I bought some fab clothes for summer and they are all good for this summer too.

T is for Tag! I do love a blog tag and my favourite over the last couple of years to do was the Doctor Who one. All of my family love Doctor Who, especially Ellie. We made a point of watching the new series together.

U is for Update! I have found my Project 365 blog posts a great way to do a little life update. Sharing the normal things which have been going on in my life from the past week.

V is for Vacuum! Years ago I was sent a couple of Dyson Vacuums to review and can you believe the big one is still going! It does get blocked easily and sometimes overheats but it still does the job!

W is for Wrestling! I am a big fan of the WWE, the wrestling and I got back into watching it again last year. I love it! I don't miss a show now!

X is for X-Rays! I only have one blog post to do with something starting with X. All about mine and my families broken bones.

Y is for - Yearly! I love writing the blog post at the end of the year, recapping how it went and what we got up to. Last years was an interesting one to write.

Z is for Zero! I have Zero tolerance for bullies! My girls have had their fair share of bullying throughout their lives and I won't stand for it and neither will my girls.

So there you go. Some letters were easier to choose than others and it took a couple of days with my thinking hat on but I got there in the end.

The Wednesday Hodgepodge! #5

It's Wednesday again which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. Many of our earliest presidents created words or expressions widely used today. Teddy Roosevelt is credited with mollycoddle, pack rat, frazzle, and loose cannon...which of those words/phrases currently relates to your life in some way?

I think I will choose mollycoddle! I mollycoddle my girls, probably a bit too much. They're 17 and 22 years old and I fuss over them and do too much for them but my thinking is that they won't be living with me forever so I am enjoying this time mostly. I've made a rod for my own back though, sometimes I would like them to help around the house more without me having to tell them too.

2. Have you visited many (or any) of the US Presidents homes, monuments, libraries or related sites? If so what's been your favorite? Are there any you particularly want to see? Here's a link to presidential sites listed by state which is kind of fun to read-Presidential Places by State. And since several bloggers who participate in the HP each week live outside the US, here's a link to Presidential Places Outside the US. Have you seen any of those?

I have never visited anything or anywhere to do with US Presidents. I would like to though. Washington DC, the Capital Building, The White House, Washington Monument and Mount Rushmore are all must see sights in my opinion. I didn't even know there were Presidential Places here in England, how interesting!

3. February 20th is National Cherry Pie Day...will you celebrate? Given your choice of cherry pie, cherry cobbler, cheesecake with a cherry topping, or black forest cake which would you choose?

I love anything cherry but my family are not big fans. I would happily eat any of these things but my all time favourite is black forest gateau! I always buy one at Christmas, just a small one and eat it all to myself! I remember last year at our local pub I was so happy to see Black Forest Cake on the menu and I had to try it, it was amazing!!

4. Last time you worked a puzzle of some kind? Something that had you puzzled recently?

Ohh! This question is a puzzle, I can't think of anything! I don't really do jigsaw puzzles or anything like that. As complicated as my life sometime is I don't think there is anything that has puzzled me recently, all my problems have been straight forward!

5. Of the early blooming flowers (January-early March depending on your zone) which one's your favorite? Snowdrops, lenten roses, pansies, violets, snapdragons, reticulated iris, crocus, winter jasmine. Do you have any of these in your own yard/garden?

I really like snowdrops but my all time favourite early of the year flowers are daffodils. They are such a cheery flower and when I see those I know that spring is coming! 

I did have some in my garden until a bad batch of weeds took over and I dug everything up including the bulbs. I planted them further down our garden but they are not showing themselves yet. I tend to buy a bunch of daffodils most weeks with or grocery shop, they're only a pound a bunch so it makes them cheap and cheerful!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I thought January went over pretty quickly despite it dragging a little towards the end but February is flying over! I know it's a short month but it's like blink and you missed it!

What I ate on a random Tuesday!

Years ago when I used to watch a lot of YouTube videos I always seemed to be so interested in what people eat in a day. Just a normal day, not fancy meals out or anything like that. I spotted a video at the start of the year and that was the inspiration for this blog post. What I ate on a random Tuesday in January!

When I was taking the photos I took a photo of the time on the microwave clock so I knew when I was eating what. Past me was so clever because as I am writing this it's a month later and struggled to remember what time I ate everything!

7:26am - Breakfast! Quaker Oat So Simple Sultanas & raisins porridge and a cup of tea.

I don't eat breakfast every day but I was up at 7am and felt like I needed something in my stomach to help me warm up and take on the day. The only thing with eating so early is that by mid morning I always feel hungry again.

10:19 - An mid morning snack! BelVita Breakfast Apricot soft Bake and a Nescafe Aero Peppermint Mocha.

We go through so many Belvita products in my house and we all like different products. I love the soft bakes, my fella prefers the soft bakes with chocolate chips or blueberries and my girls like the yoghurt biscuits. The mocha was a complete treat for me, I have been off coffee recently but have got back into drinking mochas, it's just like a hot chocolate with a bit of a energy boost.

Throughout the day I drank plenty and not just hot drinks. On average I drink about 4 or 5 pints of diluted squash. At the moment I am enjoying Vimto which is blackcurrant flavoured. I used to hate sugar free drinks but this is one of the only sugar free one's that I drink, the original one is just too sweet for me now.

13:09 - Lunch! A picky plate which included pineapple cheese, a tangerine, slices of salami, seafood sticks, some pork pie and grapes, a packet of prawn cocktail crisps and some pineapple and coconut juice.

This is a standard lunch for me lately. I really enjoy getting little bits of everything. The prawn cocktail crisps are my favourite flavour, I am sure Walkers have changed their recipe, I remember a few years ago not being able to eat them as I found the flavour too strong, now they are enjoyable.

15:14 - An afternoon snack! A banana and a lemon muffin!

We eat our evening meal late, when Stu gets in from work so going from lunch until about 7pm would be far too long for me to go without eating so I do like to have an afternoon snack so I don't get hangry. It was simple, a banana and a lemon muffin.

19:14 - Tea-time! Sesame Pork & Mushroom Udon Noodle Stir Fry!

This is one of our favourite meals from Gousto and the meal that got Ellie to eat mushrooms last year, she loves Udon noodles that much she ignored that the mushrooms were there and since then she has been obsessed with eating mushrooms in everything!

On an evening when I sit in front of the TV and my laptop I always have to have a nibble on something and today's treat was some After Eight Dark Mint Chocolate's.

Usually I am not a fan of dark chocolate until it comes to After Eight's. I only ever buy them at Christmas and these were sat in the cupboard all over Christmas and didn't come out until January.

What do you eat on an average day?