The Wednesday Hodgepodge #73

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. How do you define beauty?

Beauty, to me, is not about how someone looks, it's about the way someone behaves. Someone can be the prettiest, most drop-dead gorgeous person in the world but if they are unkind and rude to people, it makes them ugly in my eyes! Real beauty is being kind for no reason, giving a nice word when someone needs it, a smile for no reason, being thoughtful and making others feel good about themselves. The way someone treats others always reveals more than their appearance ever could.

Beauty is not limited to people! Beauty is all around us. In a sunrise or sunset, a song that drags you right back to an old memory. Sometimes it’s the view from a hilltop, a meal that just hits the spot or a nice cup of tea that you desperately need. Beautiful moments don't need to be planned, sometimes they just show up when we least expect them.

I think we tend to overthink what beauty means, it took me way too long to answer this question. For me, it’s the little moments, how people make each other feel and noticing the good stuff that’s all around us. That’s what really makes life beautiful.

2. Have you ever taken a trip by train? If so where did you go and what did you think of the experience? If not do you have any desire to do so? Where would you like to go? (You might find inspiration here-The Best Train Trips in The World)

I have travelled by train quite a few times, mostly to York and Newcastle upon Tyne. I enjoy it when everything goes to plan and I like being able to sit back and look out of the window. You see things that you wouldn't normally see from the road. The last trip we had to Newcastle Upon Tyne, we saw the other side of the Angel of the North statue and the rows of bridges across the River Tyne!

Of course, trains have a habit of testing your patience with delays, cancellations and when they are overcrowded. Eek! A good few years ago, we travelled by train over Christmas and it was a complete nightmare with people sitting in our reserved seats, people thinking we were in their seats and people pushing and shoving! I wrote a blog post all about it. Travelling by train makes people angry!

A few years later, there were train strikes when we were travelling, so we had to change all of our plans but it worked out well and we just started our holiday a few days earlier. We'll just forget that in my panic I booked the train tickets for October instead of September. Oops! I realised before we left and it was sorted out quickly! Phew!

If I could choose a train journey anywhere in the world, I would want to ride on one of those sleeper trains that is part of the holiday. Looking at the Best Train Trips in the World list, the one I'd most like to do is the Rocky Mountaineer in North America. The scenery looks amazing and I think it would be such a memorable trip with the glass-domed carriages where you can see right around you. It sounds like a trip to add to the bucket list!

3. Shell shocked, bombshell, bandshell, shellacking, in a nutshell, walking on eggshells...choose one and tell us why you chose it, or how it relates to your life in some way currently.

I don't think any of these relate to my life at the moment so I chose in a nutshell because I'm all for keeping things simple. When I saw this question, I had to Google what a bandshell and shellacking were because I had no idea what either of them meant! You learn something new every day, especially on a Wednesday from the Hodgepodge. Hehehe I think in a nutshell is a good phrase because sometimes you don't need a long explanation or loads of unnecessary details. In a nutshell, I like keeping things simple and learning new things along the way.

4. Tacos, pistachios, oysters, clams, eggs...your favorite food on the list that comes in/with a shell?

I think I am going to be pretty basic and say eggs. I love that you can have them in so many different ways. Fried, scrambled, hard-boiled and my favourite, dippy eggs. There's something about dippy eggs with toast soldiers that I never get bored of but eggs are one of those things that can be eaten any time of the day, breakfast, lunch or even for tea!

5. Are birthdays a big deal in your house? Is your own birthday a big deal in some way? Elaborate.

Yes, birthdays are a big deal in our house. We've had 3 in the last month and a half. My fellas and both my daughters. We love having an excuse to celebrate, have a nice meal out, make a fuss of each other and of course, there is plenty of cake! It will feel strange this week not eating birthday cake. hehehe

I like celebrating my own birthday too. I like having a day that's all about me, doing something I want to do, eating what I want to eat and maybe getting a few presents along the way. It's my birthday in November and it seems such a long way away. Hmmf.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

The TV is getting good here! Big Brother is back on, Strictly Come Dancing is coming soon with new presenters and The Great British Bake off too! Nigella Lawson is taking over from Prue Leith. Sir David Attenborough is returning with Blue Planet III and a whole bunch of celebrities are taking part on The Traitors! It looks like a good line up. I am looking forward to seeing Miranda Hart and Richard E Grant!

Share our lives - I wish I had known!

It's that time of the month again when I join in with the Share Our Lives bloggers. This month's prompt is: I wish I had known!

I wish I had known is such a simple sentence but it really had me thinking and I found this blog post really hard to write, not because I didn't know what to write, I just had too much! There have been so many "I wish I had known" moments throughout my life.

I wish I had known about my girl's heart defects sooner!

This was the first thing that I thought of. I always wonder and think I wish I had known. For so long, the problems with my girl's hearts went undetected. They were both born with holes in their hearts which needed surgery to fix and are left with leaky valves now. I was just an irrational young mother saying to any health professional that would listen that something wasn't right. The day my youngest was born she was sweating a lot and the nurses said it was normal as it was a warm day, it wasn't normal. My eldest couldn't put weight on, she was skin and bones despite me feeding her as much as she would eat. The health visitor told me to feed her fatty food, all the things that in hindsight probably weren't great for her heart. Then there were the constant chest infections and colds they would catch, all normal, apparently. All of those things were because my girl's hearts were working harder than they should. When the reality finally came crashing down it was overwhelming. The appointments, the specialist visits, the what if's but the relief was amazing too. It turns out mother really does know best. If I’d known I’d have fought harder, asked more questions, pushed for more opinions but hindsight is funny like that. You can’t change what you didn’t know at the time.

I wish I had known that losing things gets worse as you get older!

I honestly thought I would become more organised with age but no! The older I have got, the more I have become that person who puts something somewhere safe and then spends the next hour trying to remember where that safe place is. I find myself looking for my phone when it is in my hand and that thing I was looking for is usually right in front of me. Life now has a built-in treasure hunt. lol

I wish I had known to enjoy time with my girls more when they were younger!

When you are in the thick of it raising little ones, you spend so much time constantly looking ahead to the next big milestone. I was guilty of it when my girls were little. I was always wishing time forward: I couldn't wait until they slept through the night, learnt to walk and talk, I couldn't wait for them to start school and so on. Looking back now that they are older, I miss those younger years. I do wish I had slowed right down and soaked in the magic of those everyday moments while they were happening. The endless bedtime stories, sitting in the park shivering while they happily played, them asking why about everything, the disaster zone of a kitchen after we tried baking together, those days out that felt like such an effort at the time but turned out to be our absolute best family memories and even the arguments over their homework. Now that the house is quieter and they're all grown up, those are the moments I'd give anything to have back just for one more afternoon.

I wish I had known that rest isn't something you have to earn!

Ugh, the guilt that used to come with just sitting down on the sofa for five minutes! For years, I had an invisible checklist running in my head and I wouldn't let myself actually relax until every single job was ticked off. I used to treat downtime like a prize that I had to work hard for. I would make the beds, put a load of washing on and have a quick tidy around before my first cup of tea in the morning. Why? No one was here saying I had to work to have a cuppa. It took me far too long to realise that rest isn't a reward! These days I am trying to be much kinder to myself. If I want to spend an hour just sitting there watching rubbish on TV or scroll on my phone, I do it without the guilt trip. The jobs around the house will always be there after I have relaxed for a little while.

I wish I had known sooner that not everything deserves a reaction!

Learning to bite your tongue is definitely one of those things that seems to come with age because I certainly didn’t have that skill when I was younger! I used to be the sort of person who felt like every little comment, disagreement or bit of drama needed an answer. If someone said something I didn’t like, I’d be straight in there, ready to explain myself and set the record straight. As I’ve got older I’ve realised that not everything needs a response. Sometimes people are looking for a reaction and the best thing you can do is not give them one. These days I let a lot more things slide. In real life, I’ll smile, nod and carry on with my day. Online it’s even easier. I can just ignore it, mute someone or block them. Life is too short to spend your time arguing with people who have already decided what they think anyway.

I wish I had known that being a good mother doesn’t mean being perfect!

Being a good mother doesn’t mean being perfect! I used to put so much pressure on myself to get everything right and compare myself to other mums so much. I always felt like I could be doing more and had a little voice telling me that I could have done something better but the older I’ve got, the more I’ve realised that children don’t need a perfect mam. They need someone who loves them, supports them, listens to them and is there when they need them. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way but my girls have never held those against me. They know I love them and they know I’ve always been there for them. That means far more to me than whether I got every single parenting decision right.

I wish I had known how much fun middle age would actually be!

The world tells us that getting older is all downhill and middle age something to dread but no one really talks about the good parts. About the freedom that comes with getting older or the confidence that slowly appears when you stop worrying about the little things. I love being in my 40s. I am comfortable in my own skin, I don't have to impress everyone any more, I have life experience, survived things I once thought I couldn’t and I have become kinder to myself. Middle age isn’t the end, it is just the beginning. Getting older was definitely not something to fear.

What about you? What do you wish you had known?

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.

Our weekly meal plan! 14th - 20th September! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We had a nice quiet one, which was just what we needed after all the birthday celebrations we've had lately. In the space of three and a half weeks, we have Stu's birthday, Ellie's birthday and Becky's birthday. I love birthdays, and I love having reasons to celebrate, but it is a lot when they all come along one after the other. There is always something to organise, presents to think about, cards to buy and, of course, food to eat! I wouldn't change it though. Now we have a few months' break until it is my birthday.

Last week's meal plan went well. I did swap a couple of meals around but we ate just about everything. Our favourite meal was of course the roast chicken dinner yesterday. I even enjoyed cooking it. It's nice to eat out on a Sunday but even nicer to eat it at home, it is just a lot of effort! There are leftovers, of course and I am planning on using them up today.

We are back using Gousto boxes again this week. If you haven't heard of Gousto before, it is one of those recipe box services where you pick a few meals from their menu and they send you the ingredients you need to make them at home. I decided to order another box after I received an email offering me 40% off the next two boxes I bought, followed by 20% off a few more. I do like a discount. I got a little carried away with ordering the meals and when I was choosing the recipes, I ordered the Creamy Chicken, Leek & Carrot Pie without realising that we were already having pie today! I am going to cook the filling and freeze it. Then I can use it another time when we fancy a pie.

I have quite a bit on this week, a mixture of things I need to do and things I actually want to do. I am helping my dad out with some paperwork but it will be time spent with my dad and he will feed me lunch, so that's a bonus. I am also planning on having a mooch around the shops to look at all the autumn things. I don't need anything but that has never stopped me having a look! I also have a few life admin jobs to get done. Nothing exciting but I am hoping to tick a few things off this week so I can feel a little more organised. It seems like a good mix of fun and boring things. Becky is also back at work after almost two weeks off, so that is going to be a shock to her system. Ellie is still plodding on with the job hunting. Ugh!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Leftover roast dinner pie!

We are starting the week with one of my favourite make it up as you go along meals. We had a roast chicken dinner yesterday, so I am planning on using whatever is left to make a pie. I'll mix the leftover meat, pigs in blankets, stuffing and veg with some gravy, pop it into a pie dish and cover it with ready-made pastry. Then it just needs to go into the oven. I am sure there will be leftover mashed potato to eat it with too.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Baked Chicken Thigh & Almond Curry With Rice And Naan!

We have had this before and it is delicious. The curry is made with chicken thighs in an almond and garam masala sauce. Finished with creamy yoghurt and served with rice and warm mini naan bread. I do like trying different curry recipes at home and this is a good one. We have a few favourites that we go back to that my whole family enjoy.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - One Pan Alpine-Style Sausage & Waxy Potato Hash!

This is a one-pan meal and less washing up is always a good thing. The sausages and onions get cooked together with crushed potatoes until everything is golden and crispy around the edges. Then it all gets coated in butter and herbs with a bit of thyme and topped with melted cheese. This is one of the only Gousto meals that Stu has ever cooked. It took him about an hour and a half and he decided there and then he hated making Gousto recipes. I made the same meal a little while later and it took about half an hour at the most and Stu just couldn't understand how. I told him it's because I am a better cook than him. Hehehe

Thursday - Gousto meal - One Tray Fishcake With Peri Peri Wedges & Sweet Chilli Slaw!

This meal seems a bit different from what we usually get from Gousto. Usually I would have to make the fish cakes but these are all ready just to pop in the oven. I'm not complaining, usually by Thursday I am losing the will to cook.

Friday - Chip shop tea!

We are back to having a chip shop tea this week and I am looking forward to it. No cooking and no fuss. The biggest drama is deciding what we fancy. Fish and chips? Sausage and chips? A burger? Kebab? Maybe a pie? There are so many options.

Saturday - Burgers in buns!

We will be having burgers in buns with the usual toppings, such as cheese, onions, lettuce and whatever sauces everyone fancies. We can all put our own burgers together, which is handy because not everyone likes the same things. I think I will make some onion rings and corn on the cob to go with them.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plans for Sunday at all. Everyone can help themselves to whatever they fancy and use up bits from the fridge, freezer and cupboards. There is always something that needs using up.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 6th - 12th September! Week 37 of #Project365

Happy Sunday!! I hope you've all had a lovely week and are enjoying your weekend. We have had a great week with lots of nice things happening! Birthday celebrations for Becky, a nice meal out, sorting the garden, lots to watch on the TV and my dad feeling better after a trip to the hospital. He got bit by something on his big toe, it doubled in size, turned bright red and he could hardly walk. He's got a bunch of tablets, is feeling much better now and is running rings around us again. Phew! I would like to think this would teach him to wear proper socks and shoes when he is out working instead of Crocs with no socks but I don't think he will have learnt his lesson.

We had a lovely quiet day on Friday. My dad popped round to show me he could walk properly again and he ended up staying longer than he had planned. He only put the cricket on to check the score and an hour later he was still watching while having a chat. Yesterday I spent the day having a good tidy up and clean around the house and really enjoyed myself with a playlist of sing-along songs. hehehe Today is all about sport, of course which is pretty normal for a Sunday. F1 and then some football. It's Man City V Man United this afternoon, which I am quite looking forward to. I am also cooking a proper roast dinner today. Chicken, all the veggies, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire Puddings and lots of gravy!

Now for a photo every day!

249/365 6th September

We of course watched the F1 race. It was, of course, full of drama. Is there ever an F1 race that doesn't have something happening!

250/365 7th September

Stu and I had a busy day on Monday pottering around the garden. I did the weeding while he mowed the grass and we also got a few loads of washing drying on the line. It is getting to that point in the year when I am making the most of drying clothes outside. It won't be long until it is too cold, too wet or just too miserable and the tumble dryer will have to do its thing.

251/365 8th September

Becky made lasagne from scratch and did a fantastic job! There were leftovers too, which is always a bonus.

252/365 9th September

Ellie got her certificates through the post from the Mechanical Engineering course that she did in college. It was really nice seeing them arrive and having something official to show for all the work she put into the course. Of course, I had to take a photo because that's what Project 365 is all about. I like being able to capture these little moments.

253/365 10th September

It was Becky's birthday and her presents were sat there for most of the day. It wasn't until about 10pm until she got around to opening them. She was very happy with everything she received.

254/365 11th September

My dad came around with a present for Becky. There is a story behind these ducks. My dad has had them hanging on one of his doors with bath towels on for years. He has always said they would be left to Becky, so she had known for ages that they were eventually going to be hers and then, completely by chance, my dad came across another hanger that was exactly the same! He knew Becky would love it, so he got it and she was over the moon about it.

255/365 12th September

We're back on the Gousto Boxes! I pick the recipes and they send everything I need to make them! The fridge is now full of everything that I need to make 4 meals that we will have next week.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

Over the past couple of months I have had a few things going on in real life that has caused me some stress. Nothing massive and not one big thing, lots of little things which haven't seemed worth writing about. You know when there are loads of small things niggling away at you and you can't really put your finger on one particular thing? That has been me lately but over the last week or so things seemed to have settled and worked themselves out. This is the first week in a few months that I have felt truly happy and relaxed and this week has been full of laughter, celebrations, good times and plenty of things to smile about.

I think Merriment is a good Word of the Week for me this week. Merriment basically means laughter, happiness and having fun and I think that sums up my week quite well. After having a few things on my mind lately, it has been really nice to have a week when I haven’t been worrying about every little thing and have just been able to enjoy myself a bit more. Sometimes you don’t realise how much you need a week like this until you actually have one. I’ve laughed more, enjoyed myself more and just felt like things are starting to settle down a bit.

Becky spent some time in the kitchen earlier in the week and she did make me laugh. She felt like she had been slaving away all afternoon making a lasagne from scratch and a sponge cake. I said that is the story of my life, cooking meals from scratch most days. lol She cooks one meal and thinks she deserves a medal. Although next week and for the next few weeks at least, I will be getting Gousto boxes again. I was sent an email with 40% off for the next two boxes and then 20% off for a few more. I have already picked the meals for next week which I am very excited about.

I have had a busy week of pottering around the house, having a tidy up in the garden, doing some life admin and of course, wrapping birthday presents. It was Becky's birthday on Thursday and she had a great day despite spending most of it in bed after having a night out on Wednesday evening. There were cheap drinks and late-opening bars in town, so she made the most of it. I think she was glad of a quiet family meal on her actual birthday. There is nothing wrong with having a big night out followed by a very lazy birthday day in bed. Sometimes that is exactly what you need. 

I have been on writing this blog post for over an hour as I keep getting distracted by the TV. As I type this I am watching Friday Night Dinner, a British sitcom about a family who have dinner together every Friday night. The two grown up sons constantly wind each other up and play silly pranks. Their parents, Jackie and Martin are pretty strange themselves, while their neighbour Jim keeps turning up uninvited. I haven't watched it since it was on TV years ago and I really did forget how funny it was. I haven't stopped chuckling to myself and sometimes laughing out loud. I was also trying to paint my nails at the time and did a very bad job with all the laughing and then laughing at myself getting the nail polish everywhere. Oops.

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 to join in with her Word of the Week linky!

What I have loved this week! Week 37. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you've all had a good week. We have had a great one. I am keeping this short and sweet because we have a birthday to celebrate and I am having to write this on Wednesday while I have the time. Things seem so busy here at the moment but I am of course linking up with Erika and Andrea to share what I loved this week!

My eldest turned 24!

By the time you read this, Becky will have turned 24. I am sure she had a great celebration as she was off out with friends to town on Wednesday night. I have always thought it strange having a big night out mid-week but apparently it's a thing aimed at students with cheap drinks and the bars stay open late. Then yesterday there was a family meal out. The table was booked at another one of our favourite places to eat and I already know that I am getting the fish and chips as they cook their fish perfectly! Then it's home to open presents and probably an early night as we might have plans for over the weekend.

Harry Potter!

Harry Potter has made its annual appearance in our house! I rewatch all the movies every year and on Sunday I started from the beginning. This year I am trying to spread them all out a little and not rush through them in a few days. I am planning on watching one a week and so far so good. Harry Potter is one of those film series that I can watch over and over and still notice little things I didn't notice before.

Sorting the garden out!

Our garden has gone from looking rather sad to needing a good tidy up in a matter of weeks. A couple of weeks ago, the grass in our front and back garden was dead, burned and all yellow. We'd had such a dry spell and there wasn't much we could do about it apart from wait for some rain because of the hosepipe ban. I really didn't fancy filling the watering can over and over and doing it that way. We've had quite a bit of rain over the last two weeks and it has all come back to life. Suddenly we went from worrying about the grass being dead to realising it needed mowing! Stu did that while I did some weeding. I would have done more but the garden bin was full. I think that was a pretty good excuse to stop. hehehe Stu also fixed the guttering around our little shed. It had been on his to-do list for ages and he finally got around to it. Now the end of the guttering is right above the water barrel so we can collect water to water the plants.

Lasagne!

We went off the meal plan on Tuesday! Becky decided she wanted to make lasagne from scratch with the mince, lasagne sheets and different sauces. It's something I never make from scratch, so it felt like a real treat for the family. They had it with chips and garlic bread. I don't eat lasagne, I am allergic to lots of cheeses, so it's never taken my fancy, although I do always think it smells amazing when it's cooking! Becky also baked a basic sponge cake to have with custard. I didn't complain about that one! It was so nice to have a night off from cooking but Becky did make me laugh, she thought it was such hard work cooking a whole meal from scratch and seemed to forget that I do that probably 4 or 5 times a week. lol

Voicemails for Isabelle!

I watched Voicemails for Isabelle on Netflix this week and this was another one of those films that I put on not expecting much but I really enjoyed it. It is a romantic comedy-drama about a grieving pastry chef named Jill who copes with her sister's death by leaving long, confessional voice messages on Isabelle's old phone number. Unbeknown to Jill, her sister's old phone number had been reassigned to Wes, an Austin, Texas-based real estate agent. I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it but I really enjoyed it. It definitely has that feel good rom com thing going on but there are quite a few moments that really tug at your heart. It was a lovely film and well worth a watch if you fancy something that is funny, romantic but also has some more emotional moments thrown in.

What have you loved this week?

My eldest is 24!

Today Becky turns 24 and I have said it again and I will probably say it every year. I can't believe how quickly another year has gone. Becky has had quite a year and if I had to sum up her 23rd year, I think I would say engaged, making plans, growing up, finding her feet and happily living her best life. There have been some big changes, some exciting plans for the future and lots of moments that have made me sit back and think about how she has grown up so fast!

Becky found the love of her life a few years ago and one of the biggest moments of the past year was when she got engaged. It was the best couple of days for her as her and her partner went off to Newcastle Upon Tyne to see Alex Warren in concert and that is when it happened. It still feels strange saying that my daughter is engaged and now she's planning a future with someone she loves. It really is something special seeing your daughter find someone she wants to share the rest of her life with. She's happy, she's excited and she's looking forward to what comes next.

Of course, getting engaged also means there are now lots of conversations about the future with wedding plans, homes, kids, money and what comes next. She's at that stage of life where there are so many possibilities ahead of her and I am excited for her and to be part of the planning. Another big step this year has been making plans to move out and get her own place. She's now looking for somewhere that she can call home, which I wasn't very happy about at first but we talked things over and I came around to the idea. It's not that I didn't want her to move out. I just would have preferred she saved and bought somewhere rather than rent but it's her life and her choice. I will be there beside her, supporting her where I can and so far, that has been with filling out forms. I keep joking that she needs to buy new ink for the printer because I've lost count of all the printing that she has done.

Becky is living her best life and probably the thing I love most about this past year is seeing her happy. She works hard but she also knows when it's time to have fun and has done so many fantastic things over the last year. Had trips away, been to concerts and shows, had some fantastic nights out and had plenty of downtime too, playing games on her laptop, watching football and binging TV shows. At the moment, she is halfway through Geordie Shore. That was a blast from the past. I used to watch it about 15 years ago. lol As I am writing this she is off to the beach with her friends, like I said, living her best life!

There have also been plenty of those little everyday moments that don't sound exciting when you write them down but are the things I will remember. The chats we have, watching the wrestling together, the laughs we have, the random TikToks she sends me, hearing about what she's been up to and all the little bits of her life that she shares with me. Those are the things that remind me that even though she's growing up and becoming more independent, I am still lucky enough to be part of her life.

At 24, Becky is still young enough to have loads of time ahead of her but also old enough to start making some big decisions and that is exactly what she has done over the last year. If I could wish anything for Becky at 24, it would be that she stays happy, keeps laughing, looks after herself and never feels like she has to have everything figured out.

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #72

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. ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? On a scale of 1-10 how much of a fan are you? (10 is never miss a game and 1 is I'm just here for the snacks). Who's your team? If you're playing along today, but live outside the US feel free to sub your feelings about futbol for the more American sport of football.

I am going to be talking about futbol or soccer as it's sometimes called. Here in England it's just called football, it's the one with the round ball. I am a pretty big fan. I would say an 8 out of 10. As I am typing this, I have football on the TV. Birmingham V Wolves. I don't really have much interest in either team but it is a good match. My family's team is Newcastle United but I have found myself supporting our more local team, Hull who moved up to the Premier League this season. They were not expected to be doing as well as they are. I hope it lasts until the end of the season but there's a long way to go.

2. What's something you currently have a game plan for managing?

At the moment, I’ve got a bit of a game plan for getting organised for autumn. Sorting out the house, getting back into a proper routine after summer, sticking to the meal plan and making a list of things I want to get done before Christmas suddenly appears out of nowhere! I’m trying to tackle things one at a time rather than making a massive list and then getting overwhelmed by it. There are little jobs around the house that I’ve been putting off, things that need cleaning or sorting, cupboards that could do with a good clear out and hopefully, by the time this goes live, I have had a big sort out in the garden, weeding and pulling up the plants which didn't survive the heatwaves!

3. Do you like chicken wings? Hot, mild, or some other flavor? What's a must have food for you on a tailgate menu? I know tailgating isn't as big of a thing outside the US of A as it is inside the US of A, but you can also answer the question this way-what's a must have food for you at a sporting event viewing party?

I like the idea of chicken wings but I don’t like eating anything off the bone! Chicken wings always look so good, especially when they’re covered in a nice sauce but I find eating them far too messy. I’d much rather have chicken without the bone so I can just get stuck in without worrying about sauce all over my hands. If I was choosing a flavour I’d go for something mild rather than really hot.

I’d never really thought about tailgating before, I actually had to Google what a tailgate event was because it’s not really a thing here in England. I’ve seen it on American TV and in films but I never really understood what everyone was doing. Now I know, it actually sounds like such a fun way to spend the day before a sporting event. We don’t really have anything quite like that here. Whenever we go to a sporting event, we usually get the train or bus because there’s no point driving when you're heading somewhere with thousands of other people. Finding somewhere to park would probably be a challenge.

If we were watching sport at home, I’d definitely want pizza and probably a take-away one as watching sport seems like a whole event, so it needs to be celebrated. There would also have to be crisps, dips and plenty of little finger foods that you can grab along with fizzy drinks like Coca-Cola.

4. Teams typically have strict playbooks they follow. What is one unwritten rule or piece of advice in your 'life playbook' you think everyone should know?

One unwritten rule in my life playbook that I think everyone should know is: never pass up the chance to go pee! If you’re leaving the house, go before you leave. If you’re out somewhere and you’re thinking, you probably don’t need to go, go anyway! If someone says, Do you want to use the toilet before we set off? The answer is always yes! There is nothing worse than getting halfway somewhere and suddenly thinking, why didn’t I go before we left? My advice is simple: always go before you leave!

5. This is the week we remember and mourn all that was lost and changed on September 11, 2001. I always include a spot for bloggers to share anything they'd like to share about 9/11. Share as much or as little as you like.

It's crazy to think 9/11 was 25 years ago! It’s one of those moments where you can always remember where you were when you heard the news. I was at home when my mum rang me and told me to put the TV on. The news was on all the main channels, which only happened when something big was happening. At first, it didn't seem real. I remember watching and thinking it looked like something that belonged in a movie. I think that's one of the reasons 9/11 has stayed in people's memories for so long. It wasn't just the terrible events themselves but the way the whole world seemed to stop and watch the news together. Even though I was in England and thousands of miles away, it was one of those days when the whole world seemed to come together. Ordinary people had been going about their day, going to work and doing all the normal things and their lives had changed forever. It’s a reminder that sometimes a single day can change history in a way that none of us could have imagined when we woke up that morning.

6.Insert your own random thought here.

Sunday's are almost my favourite day of the week! On Sunday I slept until gone 9am, scrolled on my phone for a bit, had a shower, did some blog commenting and started writing this blog post all while watching some football. Stu made us a nice lunch, just sandwiches and a cup of tea but food always tastes better when someone else makes it. I spent the afternoon watching F1 and started rewatching the Harry Potter movies. It was a lovely, relaxing day, just what Sunday's are meant to be!

The first September in 20 years without a child going back to school!

It's September and for the first time in about 20 years, I don't have any children going back to school or college and that feels very strange to say. August would normally be spent thinking about the new school year, buying everything the girls needed and trying to get everyone ready for another year of early mornings and school runs. I'd be looking at school uniforms, buying new shoes, sorting out stationery and always wondering how on earth the six-week summer holidays had gone by so quickly but this year, none of that has happened. My girls are adults now. They have their own lives, their own routines and their own plans. They don't need me to make sure they have everything ready for school because, well, they don't go to school any more.

I am finding it all a little strange and what has surprised me most is that I'm missing things I never thought I'd miss.

I miss buying school uniforms. For years, school uniform shopping was a massive chore! Every summer there would be a list of things the girls needed and off we'd go. There were shirts, trousers, skirts, jumpers, socks, PE kits and school shoes. I remember one year I thought I would get ahead of myself and buy the school shoes not long after they had finished school for the summer. Of course, September rolled around and Ellie had gone up a size, so I had to pay twice for school shoes. I probably could have returned the pair that didn't fit but I never thought of that. I even miss the stationery shopping when the girls would try and convince me that they needed the glittery or scented pens, fluffy notebooks or really expensive pencil sharpeners. Buying new stationery made September feel like a fresh start. Now I can walk through the stationery aisle without having a reason to pick anything up. I still of course look though, who doesn't love new stationery?

For years, making packed lunches was a big part of my morning routine. I'd be in the kitchen making sandwiches, putting fruit into lunchboxes, adding a drink and whatever else I thought they might eat that day. There were days when most of it came home again, which was always slightly annoying and then there were the days when they suddenly decided they didn't like something they'd been eating happily for months but I miss those little lunchboxes sitting on the kitchen side.

I spent years wishing I could stay in bed longer and now I can, I don't want to or have to get up to use the toilet and then I am awake for the day. I miss the busy school mornings when we were all rushing around trying not to be late getting out of the door, someone not wanting the breakfast I had made and even the arguments over lost shoes that were always right in front of them! At the time, I probably didn't appreciate those mornings as much as I should have. Now I miss the noise, the chatter and even the school run. There were days when I wasn't a fan of doing the walk to and from school, especially when the weather was awful or we were running late but looking back, it was also time together which I miss now.

For around 20 years, school was just part of our lives. The school calendar was also part of our family calendar and we used to plan everything around it. September meant a new school year, October was half-term, December meant Christmas holidays, then came February half-term, Easter holidays and then another week's break sometime before the summer. It just carried on year after year until suddenly it didn't. I think that's what makes this September feel so different. We can go anywhere whenever we want to within reason.

It's not all bad though there are some big positives to not having children at school any more. I don't have to set an alarm in the morning, I don't have to remember which days are PE days and have their kit ready and I don't have to panic because someone has suddenly told me at 8pm that they need something for school tomorrow. I can make plans without checking the school calendar and I can have a slower morning without someone shouting that they're going to be late. Then there's the money. No more new school shoes, uniforms, stationery, school trips and all those little things that add up to pay for.

We spend all those years working towards this as parents but I don't think anyone really tells you how strange it feels when they get here. Yes, I miss the school days but there are some lovely things about reaching this stage too. I have more freedom, more time for myself and two grown-up daughters who are becoming their own people.

Our weekly meal plan! 7th - 13th September! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We had a quiet one with some family time, F1 and football. It felt like a proper good weekend!

Last week's meal plan went well. Stu ended up cooking sausages, mashed potato and baked beans on Monday, which we all enjoyed and we ate almost everything else I had planned. I was out on Thursday, had a bigger lunch than usual, so we ended up just having corned beef pasties and sausage rolls from Greggs for tea! Yum! We made homemade pizzas on Friday and there were leftovers for lunch on Saturday too so that was a bonus!

I have a few things on this week which will keep me busy and it is Becky's birthday too! How is it even possible that I almost have a 24 year old? She has plans to celebrate with friends and is honouring us with her presence for a family meal out. I am very excited about it as I already know what I am planning to order!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Corned beef hash!

We're starting the week with a proper family favourite! I haven't made this for a little while, so I thought it was time to put it back on the meal plan. It's one of those meals that is simple, filling and doesn't need loads of ingredients, which makes it perfect for a Monday. I'll probably make enough so that there is a chance of leftovers too, some to pop in the freezer and some to have for lunch tomorrow.

Tuesday - Chicken and bacon pasta bake!

Chicken, bacon, pasta and a creamy sauce all baked together with plenty of cheese on top. What's not to like? This one should be nice and filling and it's a good meal for when I might not have loads of time to spend in the kitchen.

Wednesday - Slow cooker beef stew!

We're getting properly into the autumn meals and I love using the slow cooker. I don't use a recipe for this one, I just whack everything in the slow cooker and let it do its thing. Beef, potatoes, carrots and onions all cooked in gravy, with some crusty bread on the side for mopping up all that gravy.

Thursday - A meal out!

For the birthday girl! We are going to one of our favourite places to eat, which reminds me that I need to book a table.

Friday - A help yourself evening!

Everyone can have a look through the fridge, freezer and cupboards and choose whatever they fancy to eat!

Saturday - Chicken fajitas!

This is a meal where everyone can get involved and make their own exactly how they like them. We'll have chicken, peppers and onions with the wraps and all the usual extras. I'm sure there will be plenty of cheese, sour cream and salsa involved too.

Sunday - A roast chicken dinner!

It seems ages since I made a proper roast dinner, so it's time to have one. Roast chicken, roast potatoes and parsnips, stuffing, carrots, broccoli, peas, gravy and of course, Yorkshire puddings!

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 30th Aug - 5th Sept! Week 36 of #Project365

Happy Sunday!! I hope you've all had a lovely week and are enjoying your weekend. We're having a good weekend. The girls were out yesterday with their people and I had a quiet day at home, which was quite nice and just what I needed! I have had a busy week and that shows by my photos. I always take photos of food when I am busy. lol Yesterday I spent the day doing housework, of course, doing some blogging and catching up on the two months of EastEnders that I had to watch. I am still not caught up.

Since September started, it has felt very Autumnal here. As much as the temperature has been hovering around 20C, it has felt chillier since the start of the month. I have actually found myself reaching for a jumper to wear and my blanket to put over my legs. I'm back to not knowing whether to wear a light jacket when I go out. Sometimes it looks grey and gloomy and is actually quite warm and other times it looks sunny and rain will appear.

Now for a photo every day!

242/365 30th August

We've had a week or so of rain and it has really helped the grass in my back garden. It is so much more green compared to a few weeks ago when it was all burned and yellow!

243365 31st August

Official photos are the worst! I needed photos for a provisional driving licence and as much as I know, they're only little passport-style photos. I always find having my picture taken for something official a bit awkward when you are not allowed to smile. I did think about using one of those photo booth things in the shopping centre but they looked like so much could go wrong. So I went to a shop instead where a lovely lady took them and printed them out for me. Much easier!

244/365 1st September

Becky had a day at the beach and brought me a tub of candyfloss back. It was probably about a year ago when she last went and brought me some home. It was a nice little treat. Candyfloss always reminds me of days out and the seaside.

245/365 2nd September

The start of the Carrot & Coriander soup when it was bubbling away in the pan! I usually buy normal carrots, peel and chop them myself but there were none in the shop, so I had to buy the carrot batons instead. It didn't really make any difference apart from cutting out the peeling and chopping. I now feel like I have accidentally found a little shortcut!

246/365 3rd September

I was out shopping and stopped off for lunch. I had an all-day breakfast! It did make me happy that the tomatoes and baked beans were in little metal tubs so I could put them where I wanted. I did like that idea. I don't like my tomatoes touching the egg or making the hash brown go soggy!

247/365 4th September

I was all set to catch up on commenting on blogs on Friday and I couldn't. I thought it was just me until I went on the Blogger Support forum thingy and lots of people were saying no comments were going through on any Blogger blogs. So if you tried to comment and you couldn't, it wasn't my fault. From what I can see, it's all fixed now! Phew!

248/365 5th September

Last week it was the new Gilmore Girls PJs. This week it's a mug! I couldn't leave it in the shop. It was the last one on the shelf and a bargain price of £2.99. I don't think Stu has noticed it, he hasn't said anything but a few months ago put me on a mug ban until I got rid of some of the older ones. Oops. It came from Home Bargains, in case you were wondering.