The Wednesday Hodgepodge #35

I hope you are all having a good week? It's Wednesday which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. What does patriotism mean to you?

For me patriotism isn’t about waving flags or declaring how great Britain is it’s more of a feeling than putting on a show. It’s that pride that show up when I see the country come together for something like the royal celebrations, big sporting events or even a community pulling through a tough time. It’s loving the small, familiar things that make life here feel truly British: the dry humour that gets us through anything, the endless tea breaks that somehow make every crisis feel a bit smaller, the moaning about the weather that unites us all and even complaining about the government as if it’s a national pastime.

Being patriotic to me is about appreciating where I come from with all the quirks and contradictions. It’s feeling proud of our long, messy history and our old traditions but also recognising how we keep evolving as a country while still holding onto that keep calm and carry on attitude.

2. September-October-November...your favorite fall month? Tell us why. If you live in the southern hemisphere use these months but sub spring for the word fall.

I love all the "ber" months for different reasons. September has the whole back to school routine, October has half term, chilly mornings and Halloween and November for me just seems to have it all! I keep saying it but November is my favourite month, it's a busy one and I have a lot to look forward to with the run up to Christmas before things get crazy, good things on the TV, my birthday and the darker evenings where I can shut the curtains and get cosy!

3. A song you love with the word thanks (or some form of that word) in the title or lyrics?

Thank You for Loving Me by Bon Jovi! It is one of my all time favourite songs. It makes me think about the people who’ve stood by me through all the messy, unglamorous moments in my life. My fella Stu and my dad!

"Thank you for loving me. For being my eyes when I couldn't see. For parting my lips when I couldn't breathe. Thank you for loving me. You pick me up when I fall down. You ring the bell before they count me out. If I was drowning you would part the sea. And risk your own life to rescue me."

4. November is National Peanut Butter Month. Are you a fan? What's the last peanut butter bite you had? Fill in the blank: peanut butter and ______. Oh, and you can't say jelly.

I’m definitely a fan of peanut butter, it is hard to resist! Peanut butter sneaks into both sweet and savoury dishes making everything more tasty. It’s one of those ingredients that can turn a simple snack or meal into something a bit special.

Peanut butter and jam/jelly is not my thing, eek! I much prefer it with chocolate, Reese’s peanut butter cups are a weakness of mine and were probably the last thing with peanut butter that I ate but I do like peanut butter in savoury food too, like the Chicken Satay Noodles recipe I recently discovered. I've made it a few times and my family love it.

5. This week's gratitude question - What event from this past year are you most grateful for?

This is a really tough question to answer because this past year has been full of real life ups and downs that I haven’t really shared on my blog. There have been moments that were challenging, stressful and at times exhausting but looking back I’m grateful that we’ve been able to put those difficult things behind us and move forward. Even more than that I’m grateful for what those experiences taught us. The not so great moments weren’t fun while they were happening but they’ve given my family and me important lessons, helped us grow and brought us closer together.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

These photos appeared on my Facebook memories the day I was writing this blog post. They are from November 2013 back when Ellie, my youngest was just six years old. At that age she was completely obsessed with everything pink! It was pink this, pink that, pink everywhere and she absolutely loved anything that sparkled. Little bits of glitter and shimmer were her thing and actually she still has a soft spot for a bit of sparkle even now. It feels like twelve years ago was a lifetime ago! At the time I couldn’t have imagined her ever moving away from that obsession with pink but fast forward to today and she’s fully embraced a totally different look. Now it’s all about the goth/emo look, everything in her wardrobe is black or dark red. Don’t get me wrong she absolutely rocks it and looks amazing but wow, twelve years ago I never would have guessed she’d go in that direction. It’s funny how kids grow up and change in ways you just can’t predict!

Share our Lives - Habits to make time for reading!

It's that time of the month again, to share some of my life and join in with the other Share Our Lives bloggers. This month the prompt is: Habits to make time for reading. This one seemed difficult for me at first as I am not a big reader of books until I started to think outside of the box, I read blogs and lots of them so thought I would go with that.

Life is busy and it’s amazing we have time to do anything fun but I always seem to make time to sit down each day and read some of my favourite blogs! There’s something so comforting about blog reading. It’s like catching up with a friend who always has something interesting, helpful or funny to say. Whether it’s tips, parenting stories, movie reviews or just someone’s weekend recap, I love it. It is sometimes it's hard to make time to read our favourite blogs but I came up with some ideas to help you out and get your blog fix!

Start your morning with a blog instead of social media!

I know I am sometimes guilty of scrolling on social media at the start of my day. Instead you could use that time productively. Try swapping that five or ten minutes for a blog reading instead. It’s a simple habit switch and it can make your morning feel calmer. I like reading blogs that inspire me or make me feel productive first thing on a morning. It’s a nicer start to the day than being bombarded by news stories and ads.

Use a blog reader app!

You can use blog reader apps like Feedly or Bloglovin’ so all your favourite blogs are in one place. You simply add the blogs you love to your list and whenever those sites post something new, it appears in your Feedly or Bloglovin feed. I prefer Feedly over Bloglovin. Feedly looks a bit intimidating at first but once you sign up and start adding blogs to your list it is quite simple to use. I have used Bloglovin it in the past and only stopped when it went down for a while a few years ago.

Set a time slot and treat it like an appointment!

This one sounds a bit formal but if you can carve out even 10 or 15 minutes a day and actually protect that time it makes all the difference. For me, I’ve claimed mid morning, everyone’s doing their own thing and I feel like I've earned a sit down after doing jobs around the house.

Use blog reading as a mini break!

Instead of reaching for snacks or doomscrolling when you’re feeling bored or need a sit down, read a blog post instead! It’s a quick mental reset that can leave you feeling inspired or at least a bit more cheerful.

Comment or Share!

When you read a blog and really enjoy it, leave a little comment or even share the post with someone you think would like it. It turns reading into a more interactive habit and you're more likely to remember what you read, go back for more and feel connected.

Declutter your blog list!

Sometimes we don’t make time to read blogs because we’re overwhelmed by how many we’ve bookmarked or followed. Give your blog list a little tidy up. Keep the ones that make you smile, teach you something or leave you feeling uplifted. When your reading list feels lighter you’ll be more inclined to dive in.

Pair it with something you already do!

If you want to read more blogs pair it with a habit you already have. Maybe you always have a cup of tea mid morning or like to unwind with a bath in the evening bring your phone or tablet and catch up on a post or two. When you link blog reading to a habit you already enjoy it becomes second nature.

Let go of the guilt!

Don’t feel bad if you don’t read every blog post by every blogger you love. Blogs are there to dip in and out of when it suits you. Some weeks you’ll read loads, other times none at all and that’s OK! The point is to enjoy it and not turn it into another item on the never ending list of things you should do.

I love reading posts from people all around the world and because of reading blogs and commenting I can now call some of those bloggers friends.

How do you manage reading other blogs?

I am linking up with:

Adrienne from Mom Life with Adrienne.

Dara from Not In Jersey.

Jen from Show me & Sweet tea.

Joanne from Slices of Life.

Sarah from Toronto Sam.

Our weekly meal plan! 10th - 16th November! #MealPlanningMonday

We had a nice weekend. We didn't really get up to anything exciting. We stayed home, watched TV and a couple of Christmas movies. I did think about getting the Christmas decorations out of storage but talked myself out of it, I stick to the plan and will wait until after my birthday.

Last weeks meal plan went OK, we ate most of the meals but skipped a couple. Life got busy, plans change and it was easier to grab something quick from the freezer. I’ve actually been trying to use up what’s in there anyway because with Christmas creeping up, I’ll need all the space I can get for festive food and treats. You can’t exactly fit a turkey and three packets of stuffing balls in there if it’s still full of mystery leftovers.

This week I’m keeping things flexible again with a nice mix of Gousto meals, a couple of easy freezer nights and some proper comfort food. I don't have much planned for this week, in fact I have nothing on at all which I am looking forward to. After this week things get busy! My birthday and then all the prep for Christmas!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - A help yourself evening.

Everyone’s fending for themselves tonight which is great for using up odds and ends from the freezer. The girls are quite creative when it comes to pulling together random meals. One will probably find a portion of leftover pasta bake and the other might cook a few of chicken nuggets and some waffles. It’s chaos but it works and it saves me from cooking which is always a win on a Monday!

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Chinese-Style Chicken Curry With Egg Fried Rice And Chips.

We have had this before and it was so good, probably one of the best curries I've ever made. I hope it's just as good this time around.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Beef Bourguignon With Mash.

This one feels a bit fancy but thinking about it, it's just a French stew. It seems perfect for this time of year, filling and warming!

Thursday - Gousto meal - Sausage Meatball & Tomato Sauce With Fresh Orecchiette.

I love a good pasta night especially when I know that this one will go down well with everyone. I might even make some garlic bread on the side.

Friday - Something out of the freezer with chips.

Friday nights need an easy tea. By the end of the week I’m usually done with cooking. It could be anything from fish fingers to pies but whatever it is it will be with chips.

Saturday - Burgers in buns with onion rings.

A classic Saturday night tea for us! I’ll set up a little burger station with cheese, lettuce, tomato and all the sauces so everyone can build their own and there will be onion rings because burgers and onion rings go so well together!

Sunday - A roast dinner of some sort.

Sunday wouldn’t feel right without a roast dinner of some sort. It could be a carvery from the pub or something I make at home. I will see how I feel at the end of the week.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 2nd - 8th November! Week 45 of #Project365

Week 45 seems awfully close to the end of the year! Christmas decorations are coming out, there's festive drinks in the coffee shops and there are mince pies being sold everywhere! I’ve had a bit of an up and down week but it finished on a much brighter note. Friday and Saturday were lovely. I spent Friday with the girls and of course went to see my dad. He was busy but took time out to have lunch with us which was nice and yesterday was a day of pottering about the house and doing a bit of blogging. We have absolutely no plans for today. I think I just want a cosy day at home.

Now before you judge me when you scroll down I promise I don’t eat this many sweet treats every week, I’m blaming Christmas! There are so many festive goodies out already and I can’t resist trying them all. Some of these things are only around for a short time and it would be a shame not to make the most of them. That’s my excuse anyway, and I’m sticking to it!

Now for a photo every day!

306/365 - 2nd November

I missed a photo but I’m sneaking in a dessert photo from my Sunday lunch. You might wonder how I’ve got a photo if I missed one, well I had the exact same dessert on Saturday evening when Stu and I went out for a meal so this will have to do! The chef tempted me with freshly made Bailey’s cream profiteroles which he was trying out for Christmas and I couldn't say no! When I saw them again on Sunday I just had to order them again as they were that good!

307/365 - 3rd November

I treated myself to a truffle yule log from Cooplands Bakery. Tis the season! hehehe

308/365 - 4th November

My garden is still surprising me! Do you remember those little black buds I shared a few weeks ago? It turns out they are Cosmos flowers! Jane and Joyce commented that they thought that’s what they were and you were absolutely right. I love that even in November, there’s still a bit of colour popping up outside.

309/365 - 5th November

I poked my head out of the back door and snapped a photo of one of the many fireworks going off. I thought they would have stopped by now but there was a ton going off Friday and last night too. Ugh!

310/365 - 6th November

Bucks Fizz Popcorn from Tesco! This was an experience. It’s got a fizzy orange tang which is weirdly addictive but I can’t decide if I loved it or just found it interesting. It’s the kind of thing you try once just to say you have, I won't be buying it again.

311/365 - 7th November

Ellie got the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula cream from the tattooist when she got her tattoo and I have been pinching a bit here and there and I forgot how good it is. I always get dry skin at this time of year so it has came in very handy.

312/365 - 8th November

Bacardi Breezer drinks! I feel like I have gone back to the 90's. These were all the thing, on a night out when I was about 20 years old. I bought myself a couple of bottles just for the memories and I forgot how much it tasted just like fizzy pop! Eek!

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

I’ve had an OK week. Nothing to write home about but not awful either. It has been one of those in-between ones where everything feels a bit flat after the excitement of the week before. Last week everyone was off work and school and we even had a little night away so I suppose this week was always going to feel a bit meh!

The week started off great. The girls headed out to town with their friends so Stu and I decided to have a meal out, it would have been rude not to with the pub doing 2 steak meals and a bottle of wine for £30. Bargain! We sat chatting over our meal, enjoying being just us for a bit. Afterwards we wandered off to another pub that had a live band on. It was one of those random, unplanned evenings which turned out better than anything we could have planned. We were back home by 11pm, feet up and watching wrestling on the TV! It started earlier than usual because our clocks had gone back but America’s hadn’t so for once we weren’t staying up until the early hours to watch it live. What a treat! The girls had great nights too with their friends and didn't roll in until half past three in the morning. Eesh!

Then came the rest of the week and my mood dipped slightly. There were a few frustrations that had me muttering under my breath and rolling my eyes. My phone network decided to be stupid and for some reason, it started texting me my balance every ten minutes for hours at a time. At first I thought it was just me but after scrolling through social media, I saw loads of other people were having the same problem. Apparently if you spoke to customer services they could switch the messages off. I spent 50 minutes on hold listening to the worst music before finally getting through to someone who couldn’t have cared less if she tried. She told me the problem was because I’d been using social media and using my data. Except my data was turned off and even if I had been on social media it would’ve been over the Wi-Fi! Her advice was to top up my balance and the messages will stop. What a load of nonsense. At that point I’d lost all patience, I told her she was useless and hung up which wasn’t my finest moment but she really was about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

I had another situation during the week where the poor woman on the other end of the phone was trying to help but her hands were tied by ridiculous rules and then of course on the one day Ellie absolutely needed to be home on time from college, the road was blocked and she ended up having to walk into town to get a different bus which meant she didn't get home until much later.

Wednesday evening rolled around and I decided to stay indoors hiding from Bonfire Night or as I call it the night I turn into a nervous wreck! I’ve never liked fireworks. This year seemed worse than usual too, there were fireworks going off in every direction. I totally get how pets feel now. I turned the TV up, shut all the curtains and tried to pretend it wasn’t happening. The girls went to the local display with their friends and had a brilliant time right up until they realised Becky’s girlfriend had lost her bank card. She did the sensible thing froze it and reported it lost straight away and it turned out she’d done it just in time. A notification popped up not long after showing someone had tried to use it. £63 at a sweet stall! £63, the cheek! I hope whoever it was looked very silly when they tried to pay for their mountain of sweets and the card was declined. Some people really have no shame.

By Thursday I was ready for a bit of calm and something to look forward to. The Celebrity Traitors final! I’ve loved this series and wasn’t sure if the celebrity version would work but they’ve been so serious about it which made it even more fun to watch. I was so excited for the finale until I accidentally saw the spoiler online. It had been released early on a Canadian streaming service and before I even realised what I was clicking on the show was ruined. I still watched but it wasn’t the same knowing what was coming.

We’ve got no big plans for the weekend and that suits me fine. After the chaos of the week a quiet couple of days sounds perfect. I’ve stocked up on some tasty snacks for while we're watching TV tonight: Bucks Fizz popcorn, maple honey roasted nuts and Pigs in Blankets flavoured crisps from Tesco’s festive range. I’m such a sucker for all the Christmas snacks that start popping up this time of year.

It hasn't been a bad week, it has been a mix of little annoyances and nice moments. How has your week been? I hope you have had a good week. I am of course linking up with Anne who blogs at Raisie Bay to join in with her Word of the Week linky.

What I have loved this week! Week 45. #FridayFavourites

This week flew over despite me not getting up to much. I’m here today sharing the little things that I’ve loved from the past week and of course I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea to share them.

Other people having phone problems!

My phone decided to go rogue this week and started sending me text messages every ten minutes for hours on end telling me my account balance. I thought I was losing my mind. I’m on Pay As You Go and pay £5 a month for unlimited texts and calls so my balance doesn’t exactly change unless I add extra credit or the payment comes off. At first I thought it must just be me, I even started questioning whether I’d somehow signed up for balance updates but then I had a quick scroll on Twitter, X or whatever it’s calling itself this week and other people were having the same issue. I could’ve cried with relief! There’s nothing worse than tech playing up and thinking it's just a you problem! I did ring customer support, but they weren’t exactly helpful. I still don't know what's happening but my youngest girls phone has been doing the same since Wednesday so it really isn't just me! I am glad other people are having problems too, it's not a big problem, just an annoyance.

Mini Adventure Golf!

This didn't make it into last weeks favourites as we had a night away on Thursday. We went and played mini, adventure golf and had the best time. I'm sure we didn't play it properly by making up our own rules but it worked. It's a great family activity, Myself and my fella loved it and my girls too! I don’t know why we don’t do things like that more often because it was such a laugh. I have a whole blog post about it next week but it is something we want to do again!

Being home alone!

My family are back at work and college after having last week off and it has been nice to have the house mostly to myself again. Becky has been sleeping after working night shifts but it's like I am home alone. All I have done all week is catch up on the housework that I didn't do last week, nothing at all glamorous, just washing, tidying and pottering around at my own pace. It’s been lovely though! No one hovering behind me asking What’s for lunch or leaving mugs everywhere. I’ve even had the TV to myself which was a real treat!

Gilmore Girls!

I finally finished Gilmore Girls and oh my goodness how did I not realise there were four extra episodes? I must’ve stopped after the end of the seventh season the last time I watched it and just never knew. What a treat! I went through every emotion watching A Year in the Life. I laughed, I cried and I got way too emotionally invested in fictional characters yet again. Even though I’d love to know what happens next I was actually pretty happy with how it all wrapped up.

Steak!

I’ve never really been a steak lover. It’s always been one of those meals I never chose as I felt intimidated about the choices and how much to have it cooked but a few months ago I had a steak and onion baguette at the pub and the taste won me over! So when our local pub had an offer of two steak meals and a bottle of wine for £30 I knew we needed to give it a try. A meal is usually around £15 and a bottle of wine is about the same so it felt like we were getting one meal for free! It was amazing! Proper juicy steak, chips, peas, mushrooms and tomato!. One of those meals that I'm still thinking about almost a week later.

Bonfire night!

That is not my favourite, I am not a fan of the fireworks, it sounded like a warzone here but my girls went to the local display and had a lovely time. They weren't too fussed about the fireworks, they only went for the fairground rides and food vans. It makes me happy when they do things together and get along. Now that bonfire night is over it means I can start getting excited about Christmas.

Stranger Things!

With the new episodes coming later this month I decided to start watching Stranger Things again from the beginning. I forgot how young they all were when it first started, they were just little kids and I love spotting all the small things I missed the first time round. It’s such a good series to rewatch but I can’t wait for the new season. It feels like ages since we’ve had fresh episodes!

What have you loved over the past week?

365 Days Of Gratitude. In October I was grateful for...

October was an OK month, not great but not terrible either. We had some real life things going on which were a bit of a worry for a week or so but we moved past it and enjoyed the end of the month. The clocks changed and that has taken some getting used to. At the moment I am enjoying it being dark at tea time but give it a month or so and I am sure I will be complaining. hehehe

I have seen many people on social media list something every day that they are grateful for and thought I would join in. I did this for the whole of the last couple of years and it has really made me realise that even on the bad day's I have something to be grateful for.

Day 274 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a day home alone to catch up on all the soaps.

Day 275 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for home made cinnamon buns! I made them myself and they taste amazing!

Day 276 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that my dad gave us a lift home from his. The rain and wind was so bad this afternoon.

Day 277 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I was grateful for home made pizza washed down with Terry's Chocolate Orange Baileys! It was nice, tasted like chocolate orange but had such a kick to it!

Day 278 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for lunch out at the pub! I was so excited the carvery had pigs in blankets! What a treat!

Day 279 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I could have a tidy up in the garden. Pulled a lot of weeds and the grass was cut.

Day 280 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I was up bright and early this morning and I had all my jobs done by 11am.

Day 281 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that someone was here when a big spider appeared, to catch it and put it outside!

Day 282 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for two more new fence panels being put up! Only 3 more to go until we have a completely new fence.

Day 283 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful to see my dad again. I've spent time with him 3 days on the trot and it has been lovely!

Day 284 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I could help youngsters out on the bus coming home from Hull Fair. Standing room only on the bus but people weren't moving I shouted at the youth to move down. They listened and young people getting on thought I was a hero. lol

Day 285 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for an early night! I'm off to bed before 11pm, it's a miracle!

Day 286 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Ellie has a good bunch of friends. They may be a little crazy but they're good eggs!

Day 287 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that the girls had a great time at Hull Fair! I dread to think how much they have spent though. Eek!

Day 288 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Stu called into the shop and got some of the fancy, crusty bread to go with tea.

Day 289 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a productive day at home getting little jobs done.

Day 290 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that plans have been made for the weekend. Mostly it's just being at home but my family are all home together!

Day 291 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a long soak in the bath. I even popped the heating on for an hour so it was cosy and warm when I got out.

Day 292 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for my fleecy pj's. It was nice to come in and get changed into them after being caught in the rain!

Day 293 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Stu was off work today so he could help me out with a few things!

Day 294 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I got a food shop delivery slot for Christmas. Asda's have opened their xmas slots already!

Day 295 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a night of good TV! The soaps, Celebrity Traitors, Hollyoaks Later (which was shocking, poor Dodger) and Big Brother.

Day 296 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I won a little on the bingo, just my money back but it was fun!

Day 297 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for my girls who get along and are happy to have nights out together!

Day 298 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Stu is off work now, for just over a week!

Day 299 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I could spend today watching The Gilmore Girls.

Day 300 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that we've made plans for this week with Stu and Becky off work and Ellie off college for the week!

Day 301 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for hair dye! Bye, bye all those roots and grey hair!

Day 302 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for help with the housework. All that's left to do is the girls rooms and that is their job!

Day 303 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I was grateful for a lovely night away!

Day 304 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful to be back home! Hotels are nice but home comforts are better!

What were you grateful for in October?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #34

I hope you are all having a good week? It's Wednesday which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. Besides Thanksgiving, something on your November calendar you're looking forward to?

November is my favourite month out of all of the months, I actually published a blog post yesterday about what I am looking forward to and have planned. I think the big things are my birthday, the new Wicked Movie, Stranger Things and all the Christmas excitement and build up.

2. Dictionary.com's word of the year is '6-7'. Huh? Is it even a word??? I had to consult the internet to find out it's meaning because apparently I'm old and this particular slang is not part of my vocabulary. Is it part of yours? According to the article I read, it's a viral term, more of an inside joke with an unclear meaning driven by social media. What do you think?

Dictionary. com says it's selection each year is a 'linguistic time capsule reflecting social trends and events, but they also admitted to being confused by '6-7'. Some say it means so-so and is sometimes accompanied by the up and down hand motion we associate with the phrase so-so.

What word do you think would have made a better choice?

I saw that too and had the exact same reaction! 6 - 7. Huh? I had to Google it and still don't understand it. I feel old. I think they only picked it because it was everywhere online even though no one really knows what it means. I get that they want to reflect pop culture but it’s not even a word! I have started using it myself though, when my girls ask me something and I don’t have a clue how to answer I say 6 - 7, shrug and move on. Works every time! hehehe.

If I had to pick a word of the year, something that actually sums up 2025 I would go with something like "Aura" because everyone’s obsessed with it these days or "AI something" since it’s creeping into everything!

3. What's a food, trend, activity, or thing people love but you think is just so-so?

Escape rooms! Everyone acts like they’re these epic adventures full of suspense and clever tricks but being locked in a room with puzzles and a ticking clock just screams stress to me. I get that some people love the challenge but it's not for me. I prefer calmer activities.

4. Are you a tea drinker? Hot or cold? How do you like yours and at what time of day? Do you like flavored teas or teas billed as calming, energizing, healing, etc?

Oh! I am a tea drinker. Proper British style: PG Tips, Tetley or Yorkshire Tea which which is my favourite. Hot, strong and always in a mug that’s far too big for my hands. I like mine with a splash of milk and two sugars. I drink at least 3 a day. I need it in the morning to get me moving, another cup with lunch because life’s better with a sip of warmth and then another around 8pm paired with something sweet like a slice of cake or some biscuits. I've tried those fancy calming and energizing teas but no thank you! They taste like someone dunked a flower in hot water and hoped for the best.

5. The November Hodgepodge has always included a weekly gratitude question. Here's the question for today-what are three things that make your heart sing?

My girls! Just those little moments together! Laughing until our cheeks hurt, random chats about everything and nothing or watching them do something utterly ridiculous. It fills me up in a way nothing else does.

Time with my dad! He’s like a human pause button! Just being around him makes everything feel calmer and slower and I really need that sometimes.

Good food! It doesn’t matter if it’s fancy or just comfort food straight from the oven there’s nothing like a full belly to make me feel happy.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Going back to question 2 and my mention of AI. It seems to be everywhere now, creeping into our everyday lives. The apps on our phones, streaming music, in our cars, smart home gadgets and even the way we shop or scroll online. It’s amazing but also a bit unnerving when you stop and think about it. I’ve seen The Terminator movies enough times to know that while we’re not on the brink of a robot takeover just yet it’s a good idea to pay attention. The more we let AI make decisions for us like finishing our sentences, suggesting what we should do next the more we risk losing a little bit of control over our own lives. It’s exciting but also a reminder that we need to stay thoughtful about how much we let it in.

My plans for November!

There is a lot to love about most months but November is my favourite month of the year by far!! There’s something about November that feels like a big warm hug to me. The evenings are darker but that just means more excuses for comfort food, early pyjamas and binge watching tv shows! It is also my birthday month, my blogs birthday and it's time where I get excited about Christmas without feeling the stress of it, it's still over a month away after all!

This month is shaping up to be a busy one and I’ve got loads to look forward to. Here’s what I’ve got planned:

Hopefully a visit to York Christmas Market! I’m planning to take the girls for a proper festive day out. Stu and I went last year and loved it. The food stalls, twinkly lights and cosiness had me grinning like a kid. It got me right in the Christmas spirit and I can’t wait to go back.

The 2nd Wicked movie is being released on my actual birthday and Ellie and I are debating whether to go to the double feature of Wicked and Wicked: For Good. It depends if there’s a break in-between though. I’ll need to stretch my legs, refill my popcorn and get another drink.

I’m hoping for a cosy birthday weekend rather than anything big but there will be a meal out. I am thinking the pubs and restaurants will be serving the Christmas meals by the middle of the month so that's a treat. Of course there will be a cheeky cocktail and cake!

Now is when I start buying food and drinks for Christmas. A few extras in the weekly shop here and there: tubs of chocolate, fizzy wine, sweet treats and bits for the freezer. It’s the easiest way to make December a little less chaotic and spread the cost.

I am going to try and stay well! Every year without fail I catch a cold in November so this year I’m determined to avoid it. I’m taking vitamins, washing my hands like I’m preparing for surgery, getting more fresh air and steering clear of anyone who coughs in a 10 mile radius.

Christmas lunch with friends! Every year a group of friends and I get together for a Christmas lunch and I’m so excited for it. Delicious food, plenty of cocktails, lots of laughter and that warm festive buzz you can only get when you’re with your favourite people. It’s one of those days that really makes November feel extra special.

Stranger Things Season 5! The fifth season is coming at the end of the month, well the first half the rest are out on Christmas Day then the big finale at the end of the year. I am ridiculously excited. I’ve been rewatching from the beginning just to refresh my memory. 

Our decorating weekend! The Christmas tree and decorations will be going up during the last weekend of the month. It’s always a family event, everyone helps with the decorations while I take over the tree. I need it to be just right. It’s one of my favourite traditions and it officially kicks off Christmas in our house.

My goal is to have all the Christmas presents bought by the end of this month. I’ve actually got a decent idea of what I’m getting everyone this year so it feels more doable. If I’m feeling really motivated, I might even start wrapping.

What do you have planned for November?