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

This week my Word of the Week is:

I always think I like to be busy but when I have a busy week I want a quiet life again. lol This past week has been a busy one. Last Saturday seems such a long time ago and it feels like we have been non-stop with life things, trips out and all the normal stuff! I can't complain though, because everything has gone really well, which is why I chose Well as my Word of the Week.

The week started with Ellie filling in a load of forms. It turns out that leaving college and being a fully-fledged adult means there is admin to do and she wasn't impressed. Thankfully, all the forms were all online, which made things easier but some were not easy to fill in. I helped her out a little. We would have been lost without Google explaining some of the questions to us. That's all done and it's another thing ticked off her to-do list. She had an appointment yesterday for the forms and it went well too.

My garden is doing really well considering last week was so hot. I kept on top of the watering and everything has survived. Phew! There were a couple of evenings where I was out there watering everything thinking I couldn't really be bothered but I'm glad I made the effort because it has paid off. My sweetcorn is doing especially well. I've tried growing it for the past few years and this is the best it has ever done. It's taller than it's ever been and looks so healthy. Every year something has gone wrong. Either the bugs have got to it, the weather hasn't been just right for it or I haven't watered it enough. Fingers crossed this is finally the year that I get to enjoy some homegrown corn on the cob!

On Wednesday evening we had a fun time. We went to a pub to watch the England match, which was rather stressful but we got the win and then went to the bike night. It is a big meeting where people turn up on their motorbikes, show them off, there are displays, food stalls and lots of fun things going on. I was so happy smelling all the petrol, it's one of my favourite smells.

This week has felt strange. Ellie is home more now that she has finished college. Becky took a couple of days off work at the start of the week, meaning she has been off work the whole week and Stu had yesterday and today off work. I feel all out of sorts with them home. I'm not used to it but I am not complaining. I have enjoyed all the family time we have had. We're all together over the weekend too and have some fun things planned which I will write about at a later date.

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 27. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a good week. Mine has been a busy one with lots going on. I feel like I am definitely going to enjoy the weekend when I finally get some time to relax. I have plenty of little things which I have been loving and I am of course linking up with Erika and Andrea to share.

Football!

Of course, it had to make my list again! We're into the knockout stages of the World Cup now and it has been good with lots of drama and tension! We went to the pub to watch the England match on Wednesday and it was stressful. They never go about it the easy way. They were losing for most of the match when DR Congo got a goal early on. It took them until the 76th minute to get a goal to equalise and then another 10 minutes later to win the match! We’re through to the next round and we’ve got Mexico next, then if we get through that game, it's Brazil or Norway. Eek!

Cooler weather!

It has cooled down a lot here and I am so glad. After the heatwave last week I was so over being sweaty, not sleeping properly and feeling like we were living in an oven. This week the temperature has been around 22C (71F) which is much easier to deal with. Yesterday it was really windy but warm and sunny, I did think that it would be great to get washing dried outside but it was too windy!

An Irish Bar!

A new Irish-themed bar opened in town a few weeks ago and it’s in an old church building which already makes it feel quite different from anywhere else locally. We popped in last Friday for just a couple of drinks and ended up staying longer than we had planned. There was live music on, people dancing and a really lively feel to the place.

Bike Night!

In Barton, a town near us, there is a big motorcycle meet that takes place every year! As well as hundreds of motorbikes, there were street food stalls, live music, charity stands, the shops stayed open later than usual and it was so busy! The bikes were amazing! There was everything from vintage motorbikes to brand new sports bikes and some customised ones that looked like they belonged in a film. I should have taken more photos than I did but there were just too many people about!

Having my girls home!

This has probably been my favourite part of the week. Ellie has left college so she is home more and Becky took a couple of days off work, which meant she has the whole week off and it has been fantastic having both my girls home more than they usually are. We haven’t done anything big or exciting, it’s mostly been the small everyday stuff which has made it special. The chats we've had, laughing about random things and just being together.

A fly in my laptop!

Over the weekend there were lots of those tiny black flies, thunder bugs outside. I am guessing some came into the house and one ended up inside the screen of my laptop! It shouldn't be a favourite from my week but now I can laugh about it. I watched it crawling around all day Saturday, read that if I switched it off and put a torch at the bottom of the screen it would find its way out. It didn't. On Sunday, it was slap bang in the middle of the screen and I accepted that it was there to stay but by Monday morning it had moved to the top of the screen and is now hidden in the text on one of the bookmarks. It hasn't moved since! Phew! I am so glad it stopped somewhere out of the way.

What have you loved over the past week?

The end of an era: My youngest has left education!

There we have it. My youngest has left full time education. Well, it was last week actually but I spent the weekend trying to take it in that my baby is no longer a student. For the last sixteen and a half years, education has been a huge part of Ellie's life with school runs, packed lunches, parents evenings, school trips, homework battles, uniform shopping, exam stress, college assignments and everything in between. It has been our normal for so long that I can't quite imagine what life will look like without it but here we are!

It only seems like yesterday that Ellie was a tiny little girl clutching my hand as we walked into nursery for the first time, well, clutching my hand going through the gate and then running into the classroom. She loved nursery! Ellie was born right at the end of August, making her the youngest in her year group all the way through school. To put it into perspective, Ellie had just turned three when she started nursery in September, while some of the children in her year group were turning four only days later. Some of the children looked so grown up compared to her and there was my tiny little girl trying to keep up.

Looking back, Ellie didn't exactly have the easiest journey through education. Her primary school years were tough. Anyone who has followed my blog for a long time will probably remember some of the posts I wrote years ago about the bullying Ellie experienced, this post has links to a few of them. Kids can be so mean. It was one of the hardest things to watch as a parent. There were many tears, mostly from me, difficult conversations and lots of sleepless nights where I worried about what the next school day would bring. As parents, we spend years teaching our children to be kind and thoughtful, so it can be heart breaking when other children don't show those same qualities. The bullying seemed to follow Ellie through much of primary school and it knocked her confidence massively.

During her final year of primary school, when Ellie was around ten years old, one of her teachers thought that she might be autistic. Eventually, it became clear that autism wasn't the issue and Ellie was diagnosed with social anxiety. Considering everything she had experienced, it wasn't surprising. When you've spent years being bullied, it chips away at your confidence little by little but despite everything, Ellie kept going.

It wasn't all bad though. One thing that always makes me smile when I think back is that Ellie has always got on better with boys than girls. She had a little group of boys that were her best friends. There were also plenty of happy memories. Her teachers absolutely adored her. She was never the child who loved sitting quietly writing pages and pages of work. She has always been someone who prefers doing things. As soon as she got to do something practical, creative or hands on and she was in her element. There was the year she built a model of Hadrian's Wall and one of the Roman forts. I think it was in Year 4. She put so much effort into it and ended up having it displayed in the school library for months afterwards.

Then there were the World War Two biscuits she made at home. Those sorts of projects were always right up her street, she loved being hands-on, creating things. She also joined the school choir and absolutely loved taking part in school productions and performed in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and later in Beauty and the Beast. They seemed to give her so much confidence. She also played in the school band playing the trombone!

Then came secondary school. The first year wasn't easy because the bullying problems reappeared and Ellie hated pretty much every moment she spent at that school but then we moved house and Ellie changed schools and that changed everything! Ellie started her new school at the beginning of Year 8 and the difference was incredible! She was genuinely happy, made friends, was accepted and that year was probably the first time she truly understood why people say that school days are the happiest days of your life.

In 2020 everything changed again when Covid arrived. Our lives turned upside down, schools closed, lessons moved online and our normal lives stopped. Home learning wasn't exactly Ellie's favourite thing and that's probably putting it politely. I can laugh about it now but at the time it was frustrating. The biggest battle was getting her to turn her camera on during Zoom lessons. She refused but her teachers were incredibly understanding because I don't think we were the only family having those sorts of struggles. At one point, it felt as though Ellie had taken a step backwards with all the progress she had made. The confidence she'd built seemed to drain from her and I worried about how she would cope when schools reopened but all the worry was for nothing. As soon as the school reopened, she settled straight back in. Phew!

We always joked that Ellie never actually got a full secondary school experience. When we moved house, she finished year 7 a couple of weeks early, then Covid with the lockdowns, meant she didn't have much in year 8, 9 and 10 and in her last year in year 11 she finished early because of exams but despite all of that, she thrived. She found her voice, became more independent and learned who she was. When GCSE results day arrived, I don't think any of us quite knew what to expect. Ellie had worked hard but she'd also had so many disruptions but the results surprised us all. She did brilliantly. The last part of secondary school really showed us the young woman Ellie was becoming because on Prom Day she dressed up in not the typical prom dress, made a grand entrance and owned who she was.

After school came college. Just after turning sixteen, Ellie started an Electrical Engineering course. I don't think many people expected her to choose that path but it suited her perfectly. Engineering made complete sense and she loved it, especially the practical side. Whenever she talked about college, it was always the workshop sessions she was most excited about. She loved the wiring, the hands-on work and doing things instead of sitting in a classroom all day!

Life wasn't completely straightforward. Towards the end of her first year at college, Ellie went through some really difficult things. They were some of the hardest experiences we've faced as a family and Ellie handled them far better than I did. There were moments when I looked at her and realised she wasn't a little girl any more. In her third year at college, she decided to move onto a more general engineering course and has now passed with flying colours.

And that's it. No more school, college, no more buying stationery every September, no more waiting for exam results, educational milestones and it is a strange feeling. Part of me is excited for Ellie, she has her whole future ahead of her, part of me is so proud of everything that she has achieved and part of me is wondering how all these years have disappeared so quickly.

When I look back at everything Ellie has faced throughout her education, I think it would have been easy for her to give up but she has never stopped moving forward. Those challenges have helped shape the person she is today. They made her stronger, more determined and now she is a confident, caring and capable young woman who is standing here today with her head held high. I don't think I could be any prouder!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #62

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 do you love most about your country?

There is so much to love about England, I could think I could write a whole blog post about everything that I love.

I think one of my favourite things about England is how close everything is. From where I live I can be in a big city, at the beach or deep in the countryside in under an hour and that is by just using public transport. I could be in London in just over 2 hours and in a whole different country soon after that. Wales and Scotland are about five hours away and France is about six.

Then there’s the history. It’s everywhere. You don’t even have to go looking for it, you’ll just be walking along and suddenly there’s a church that has been standing longer than most countries have existed. There are the castles, Roman walls, cobbled streets and it is all just part of everyday life.

I also have to mention the food. Sunday roasts, all-day breakfasts, fish and chips by the seaside, mince pies at Christmas, hot cross buns at Easter, Afternoon Teas for when you want to feel fancy and of course, baked beans on toast!

2. Your favorite patriotic song?

My first thought was Land of Hope and Glory but while I was searching for a video on YouTube Jerusalem kept popping up too. How could I forget that? It's one of my dad's favourite songs of all time. Both are linked to Edward Elgar and can often be heard at big sporting events. Both also show up in the Last Night of the Proms which is one of those British traditions that doesn't really make sense until you watch it. If you’ve never seen it, it’s not your usual quiet classical concert where everyone sits politely. It’s more like a big musical celebration where people sing along, wave flags and get properly involved. The Proms itself runs across the summer, ending with that final night in September. When it comes on TV it always feels like the end of summer.

3. Red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Something you own besides a US flag with some combination of those colors or decorations as part of its design?

I had to laugh at this one because I realised I don’t actually own anything that combines all three colours in a single design. I have lots of red, white or blue clothes but none all together. My wardrobe does have a lot of stripes though. Tops, jumpers and the odd dress. I don’t think I own a single star patterned item.

4. What's one thing you want more of this summer: fun, rest, adventure, connection, quiet, or confidence? Elaborate.

I think I want a bit more adventure but nothing too big and exciting. I want to change our routine a little and say yes to things we normally talk about but never actually do. Things like going on a day trip somewhere that we've been talking about for years but never actually go on, trying a new cafe instead of our usual one, walking a different route and ending up somewhere I didn’t plan to be.

5. What was your ultimate, go-to summer activity when you were a kid? Do you still do any version of that today? If you answered yes, does participating in this activity as an adult make you feel like a kid?

Camping out with friends. I lived on a farm, so there were plenty of fields where we could pop a tent up and my brother and I even renovated a half-built shed to make it somewhere we could camp out. My friends and my brother and his friends had great fun! I think the most we ever had were about six of us all crammed in with sleeping bags and talking and laughing all night until the sun came up. The best part came in the morning where we would build a little fire and cook our own breakfast. We would cook bacon, sausages, eggs, fried bread and baked beans. Everything tasted better cooked outdoors.

As an adult, I have camped a couple of times and hated it. Once was at a beach where everything was covered in sand and it was too windy and another time was at a proper campsite but it was just too cold. I think the older I have got, the more I like my home comforts and own bed. We have a fantastic tent in the garage, so there is no reason why we can't go camping again but camping as an adult makes me feel grumpy. It was definitely more fun when I was a kid!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

This week is a strange one. My eldest took Monday, Tuesday and Saturday off work, which means she is off for the whole week because of the way her shifts work. My fella has Friday and Saturday off work, which seems odd and my youngest is just coming and going as she pleases, since she has now left college. I am someone who thrives on routine and this week has no routine at all! I've lost track of what day it is and have no idea who I am feeding on what evening.

My July goals & plans!

I’m carrying on with my monthly goals and plans because writing things down really gives me that little kick up the bum to actually get things done. I always feel more motivated when I have a list to look at instead of just thinking I should probably do that at some point. When it’s written down it feels more official, like I’ve made a little promise to myself.

I did pretty well with my goals in June and ticked a lot off my list.

Find Ellie a full time job - Not yet, but she is working hard to get one and could only really apply for full-time jobs over the last week or so since she finished college.

Plant the plants in the ground - Yep, they are all in the ground and are doing well. I planted them just as we were coming out of that hot spell and I didn't think some were going to make it but they revived themselves.

Go and see the new Toy Story movie - Yes and we loved it!

Have a family Sunday lunch out - Yes, we did the weekend before Father's Day as Becky was working.

Watch the World Cup - Of course!

Sit in the pubs beer garden - Yes, I actually sat in a few different ones.

Buy some new sandals - Yes, I got them off Shein and they are very comfy and look good too!

Have a date with Stu - We had a couple and they were nice.

In July I want to:

Go to a couple of local events.

There is a lot going on around where we live and there are a couple of events that I really want to go to. Becky went to one of them last year and absolutely loved it and came home talking about it so much that Ellie and I felt like we'd missed out. This year we have no excuse and we're going!! There is another local event happening too, which is a lot of fun. I am being deliberately vague because you never know who is reading online and I don't fancy announcing exactly where I am going to be. They both involve getting out of the house, doing something different and hopefully having a really good day.

Go and see Moana at the cinema!

The live action remake of Moana is being released in the cinemas this month and I really want to see it. I loved the original film and still find myself singing along to the songs You're Welcome. hehehe. Then there is the fact Dwayne Johnson is in it. Anyone who knows me knows that my love of wrestling started years ago and I have followed his career ever since. I still find it weird him being a serious actor and not a wrestler hitting the Rock Bottom on people.

Try some new recipes!

We have been taking a break from the Gousto recipe boxes for a while and now feels like a good time to try some new recipes. I always end up cooking the same meals over and over again because they're safe and I know everyone likes them. Now I am thinking more about fresh salads, pasta dishes and lighter meals.

Find a fake tan that works!

As much as I would love a natural tan, I don't want to spend hours in the sun and damaging my skin. I've tried quite a few over the years and every single one seems to have some sort of issue. They're either streaky, orange, patchy, smell strange or disappear too quickly! The last one I tried seemed brilliant at first and gave me exactly the colour I wanted but then I made the mistake of sleeping in it. The next morning, I looked patchy and it took six showers to completely remove it. My mission this month is to find a fake tan which works for me!

Go to the beach!

I don't know which beach or exactly when we'll go but I really want a day beside the sea . It feels like years since I last spent a proper day at the beach. There's just something nice about it with fish and chips, walking along the seafront, listening to the waves and maybe an ice cream.

Start planning the girls birthdays!

August and September are birthday season in my house, which means it's time to start planning. I need to think about meals out, presents, possible days out and all the other little things that come with birthdays. I always like to be organised because before you know it the dates arrive and I'm left wondering where the time went.

Change the furniture around in the living room!

I haven't moved the furniture around for quite a while and I think it's time for a change in the living room. I love rearranging it because it makes everything feel new without actually spending any money. The sofa weighs about the same as a small elephant, so I will get one of the girls to help and Ellie can also take responsibility for moving her computer because every time I touch it something stops working.

Walk more!

I have fallen out of the habit of going for daily walks and I want to get back into it. I'm not planning hikes but a quick walk around the block or a walk to the shop to pick up a loaf of bread would be a start. I always feel better after some fresh air and exercise.

Defrost the freezer!

This is not the most exciting goal on my list but it needs doing. Our freezer is supposedly frost free, but I think it has reached the age where that part of it has stopped working and it desperately needs defrosting. The plan is to spend a week or two eating our way through as much of the freezer food as possible before doing it.

Spend more time with each of my girls!

This is probably the most important goal on my list as the girls are growing up so quickly. I know it won't be long before they're off doing their own thing and don't have time for me. I want to make the most of this time while we still have it and already have a few ideas for days out, shopping trips, lunches and little adventures.

What do you have planned for July?

Our weekly meal plan! 29th June - 5th July!! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend. Ours was a quiet one, mainly sat in front of the TV watching sport. There was of course more of the World Cup and the Austrian Grand Prix.

Last week's meal plan went well, mostly. We ate some of the meals, a couple were swapped around and a couple scrapped. We had jacket potatoes with baked beans and salad, which wasn't on the meal plan but it was too hot to spend too long in the kitchen. I love my kitchen but at the same time I hate it. It is always the coldest room in the winter and hottest in the summer!

We have quite a few plans over the next few days which I'm really looking forward to. I won't say too much just yet because I'll be blogging about everything once it's happened. As well as the fun things, there are a few jobs around the house that need doing. One of those is defrosting the freezer. It's one of those things that I keep putting off because it's a bit of a faff but it needs doing. The good thing is that it gives me the chance to use up lots of what's already in there

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Chicken pie and mashed potato!

I made extra mashed potato yesterday, so tonight's tea should be nice and easy. I only have to cook the chicken pies, heat up the mash and warm the peas. The pies are chicken and gravy ones, so if it has cooled down like the weather forecast says, it should be an enjoyable meal.

Tuesday - Mango, coconut & lime chicken fillets with sweet potato fries.

I have these chicken fillets sitting in the freezer waiting to be used. I spotted them reduced in Tesco a couple of weeks ago and couldn't resist. I think I paid around £2 a pack instead of £5 each, or two for £8. I always love finding yellow sticker bargains. I also have four bags of sweet potato fries in the freezer which will go well with the chicken.

Wednesday - Freezer surprise!

Wednesday is the only day without a proper plan because once I start emptying the freezer I'll no doubt come across something that needs using up which I have completely forgotten about.

Thursday - Sausage fried rice!

This sounds like a good recipe to use up some of the sausages in the freezer. I will loosely follow the recipe. I don't have any oyster sauce, so that will be left out and I'll be using a normal brown onion instead of spring onions because that's what I already have. Over the years, I've learned that recipes don't have to be followed to the letter. If you can swap ingredients for things you've already got, it saves money and usually tastes just as good.

Friday - Fish and chips!

Homemade, not from the chip shop! I already have battered fish in the freezer and frozen chips so it will be a nice easy meal to make. I must remember to buy some mushy peas to go with it as we have none in the cupboard.

Saturday - A help yourself evening!

We have a busy day, so everyone can help themselves to whatever they want. I know I won't feel like cooking so for me, it will be something quick which doesn't need much time spent in the kitchen!

Sunday - A roast dinner of some sort!

It has been ages since we have had a roast dinner at home and I feel in the mood for one. It will either be chicken or gammon with roast and mashed potatoes, roast parsnips, carrots, peas, stuffing and of course Yorkshire puddings.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 21st - 27th June Week 26 of #Project365

Happy Sunday!! I hope you've all had a lovely week and are enjoying your weekend! We've had a great week, celebrating Father's Day on Sunday, a few outings, Ellie leaving college, lots of football and thankfully a quiet weekend! I feel like I need it. We have no plans at all for today! I think all the excitement over the last week along with the hot weather has completely worn me out. It has been so hot! It seemed like every day there was another headline saying it was the hottest day of June so far. I don't cope too well when it gets really warm. I spend half the day complaining I'm too hot and the other half wondering why I wished summer would hurry up.

Now for a photo every day!

172/365 21st June

This sign was one of Stu's Father's Day gifts from Becky and I think it is pretty accurate. I said it looks more than a mug shot than a wholesome photo. hehehe

173/365 22nd June

I feel like a farmer. hahaha I have wheat growing in the flower beds. I didn't plant it so I'm guessing a bird must have dropped a seed at some point and nature has just done the rest. It's amazing how things just appear in the garden without any help from me.

174/365 23rd June

We went to the cinema to see the new Toy Story movie and it was so good. The girls were worried about us being the only adults there without kids but there were about 15 people at our showing and only one kid. lol Toy Story is one of those movie series which is good for all ages, as most people my age were only teenagers when the first one was released.

175/365 24h June

There we have it, Ellie has left education! However, many years at school and three at college. It feels like the end of an era. This is the first time in about 20 years that I haven't had a child in education. Of course, I had to get a photo of Ellie. I've taken a last-day-of-school photo pretty much every year, so I wasn't about to stop now!

176/365 25th June

We went to see my dad and he was showing off his vintage truck that he has been painting. It hasn't been the ideal weather for it, so it has been a slow process as it needs many coats. It's coming along really well and you can tell how much work he's put into it from when he first got it.

177/365 26th June

This was about as much effort as I could manage with my makeup for a night out. A little bit of eyeshadow, some mascara and lipstick. When it's this hot I really can't be bothered wearing a full face of makeup because it would have been melted off before I got to the bus stop. I even had my hair tied up in a ponytail. Anyone who knows me knows I hardly ever wear my hair up but it was needed!

178/365 27th June

For a few minutes, I was convinced one of my tomato plants had started growing flowers that definitely weren't tomato flowers. It turns out the flowers were from something else growing behind it which Stu kindly pointed out. He was standing at a different angle, looking, so to him it was obvious.

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

This week has been a brilliant but strange week! Everything has felt like it's off kilter. We've had days and nights out, big life things happening and lots of little things which are different from our normal.

Ellie left college on Wednesday. Officially, it's her last day today but she didn't have to go in for the rest of the week. There were tears from her and her friend when they realised they would never be in college again together. They'll still of course see each other and already have made plans. It's just the end of college and not their friendship. Everything felt a bit off on Wednesday, it's the end of an era. I have gone for 20 years with kids in education and now it is no more. I'm proud my girls have done so well but now I feel like a bit of a spare part. I thought I'd feel relief or maybe excitement for Ellie's next chapter but instead, I just feel strange. It's hard to explain. For so many years, my life has revolved around school and even when they got older, there was always something. Now suddenly there isn't. I know this is exactly what every parent works towards, raising independent young adults who go off and do their own thing but nobody really talks about how odd it feels when you actually get there.

We went to see the newest Toy Story movie early on in the week and it was fantastic. It was strange walking into the cinema with my girls who weren't even born when the first two movies were released and now they're adults. It was also nice because they had air conditioning in the cinema and it was such a relief from being outside! We got the bus into town and had to go to a different stop because workers were painting new lines in front of our bus stop and then there seemed to be roadworks around every corner which made the journey take twice as long, it felt like torture being on the hot bus.

Records have been broken again here in the UK when it comes to the weather. We've had the hottest day ever recorded in June and it's just getting silly now as I am sure we had the hottest day in May too! Schools have been closed, people have been told not to travel, roads are melting and I am trying to enjoy it because I know it is not going to last. We went to my dad's on Thursday and his place was roasting even with fans going. He'd been out all morning and with the door shut it felt like an oven, it was actually cooler outside in the shade. lol We went into the shed where one of his vintage cars is and because of the plastic roof, it felt like a greenhouse! How he works there I don't know! My dad is a strange one, the heat doesn't bother him at all, although my brother and I do have to keep reminding him to drink plenty.

Tuesday is usually the day when I watch Monday night's episode of the wresting and this week I haven't got around to it yet! It made me laugh a bit because if you’d told me a month ago I’d miss wrestling because I was too busy with life I would have rolled my eyes. I am blaming all the football I have been watching. I need to catch up today with Monday's episode of wrestling and last nights episode as there is a live event tonight. That is how this week has been, it has been all over the place. We went out on Tuesday night to watch the England match and I have said never again. They can be playing on top form but if we go out somewhere to watch them, they never seem to win. I know it's just a coincidence but it is a strange one. We went to my dad's a day early because Ellie was out with friends last night celebrating the end of college and even getting the food shopping delivered yesterday felt strange as that is usually a Thursday job.

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 26. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a good week. Mine has been a busy one with lots going on. I feel like I am definitely going to enjoy the weekend when I finally get some time to relax. I have plenty of little things which I have been loving and I am of course linking up with Erika and Andrea to share.

Toy Story 5!

This was such a fun one and probably my favourite thing of the week! My girls and I went to see the new Toy Story film during the week and it was so good. I was so glad they didn't make Woody and Buzz the main characters again. I love them but we've already had so many stories about them. This time it was more about Jessie and it felt new and different. She has always been one of my favourite characters. The plot itself was heart warming and I had a little cry. The writers really know how to hit the parents right in the heart. hehehe

The World Cup!

I've watched so many matches and ended up staying way later on a night than I should but I keep telling myself it's only a few weeks every 4 years! England’s match on Tuesday wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, ending in a draw against Ghana but it was enough to get them through to the next stage. We have our last match of the group stage tomorrow. We went to the pub to watch it and it was such a good night. Sitting outside, watching the big screen, perfect weather and with a crowd watching along makes everything seem more exciting!

Hot weather!

It really feels like summer now! We've had a bit of a heatwave and today is supposed to reach 32C (90F) which is very hot for England. I know some people would laugh at me complaining about that temperature but our houses just aren't built for it and neither am I. lol. When I haven't had to do things, I have tried to move as little as possible. lol I am enjoying it because I know it won't last. Next week is supposed to be colder and wet.

The hosepipe!

This is such a simple thing but it’s been an absolute lifesaver this week. The garden is properly growing and everything needs watering, especially with the warmer weather we’ve had. Usually I just use a watering can and refill it over and over, so the hosepipe has been a great help. It is nice to go out there when it has cooled a little, turn the hosepipe on and have a few minutes peace.

Fizzy pop!

I don't usually drink much fizzy pop but this week I have been enjoying it with lots of ice. I have been drinking it by the pint and I am not even sorry. Pop always tastes good when it is hot out! It’s been one of those small treats that makes sitting down for five minutes feel like a proper break.

Sandals!

It's sandal weather and I have finally found a pair that are comfy and go with everything that I wear in the warmer months!

Pyjama Bottoms!

On Wednesday I went to put some leggings on, which I usually wear around the house but it was that hot and sticky. I thought not today! I reached for some pyjama bottoms and spent the day in them. I wasn't going anywhere and had no visitors coming, so why not? I was so comfortable and actually felt cooler than I would have in leggings. It won't become a regular thing but I came in yesterday afternoon and did the same thing so maybe it will. lol

My youngest has left college!

It was Ellie's last day in college on Wednesday and her last official day today as a student. I don't know how I feel about it at the moment. My baby is all grown up but I am excited about the next stage in her life. There was no graduation ceremony or anything like that but we will be celebrating over the weekend. There were many times over the years when I thought my girl wouldn't complete her education but here we are and she smashed it!

What have you loved over the past week?

British TV that shaped my childhood!

There are certain sounds that will forever live rent-free in my head. The thud thud thud of Contenders ready? Gladiators ready? The little trumpet jingle of Blue Peter and that eerie theme tune from Knightmare that made my living room feel like it had suddenly been transported to a haunted castle. Growing up in Britain, TV wasn’t just something we watched it raised us, entertained us and occasionally scarred us for life. These are some of the TV shows that shaped my childhood.

Blue Peter!

If you grew up in the UK, there’s a 99% chance you’ve tried and failed to make something with sticky back plastic because Blue Peter told you it was so easy. Blue Peter was like an after-school club on TV. You got crafts, pets (I loved the tortoises) and you got presenters who felt like your slightly cooler older brothers or sisters and let’s not forget the Blue Peter badge. That tiny piece of plastic was basically childhood royalty. If you had one, you could stroll into theme parks and museums for free, which in kid currency was priceless.

Knightmare!

Knightmare was a fever dream of a TV show and I still can’t believe it actually existed. You’d get this poor kid shoved in a giant horned helmet so they couldn’t see a thing, then their mates had to guide them through a medieval dungeon full of dodgy CGI monsters. The graphics were not good when you look back now but it was terrifying at the time. I was always shouting at the screen because the kid was about to walk straight into a pit of fire! It was basically the 80s and 90s version of a video game but on the TV and way more stressful.

Byker Grove!

This was meant to be a cool, gritty show for teens but most of us were watching it years before we were anywhere near the age of the characters. It felt grown up. The storylines were heavy with bullying, relationships, even drugs but the one that made everyone gasp was the infamous paintball incident. Poor PJ getting blinded!

Gladiators!

Saturday nights were never boring when Gladiators was on. Forget Marvel superheroes, we had Jet, Hunter and of course, Wolf, the pantomime villain who made kids either terrified or obsessed. The whole thing was way over the top. The giant cotton bud battles or Duel if we’re being proper, were everyone’s favourite. Two grown adults smacking each other while balanced on a podium. That’s quality television right there and the Eliminator course which I always wanted a go at!

Fun House!

No childhood TV list is complete without Fun House. The slime, the games, the mullet were iconic but the real dream was the go-karts. Every kid watching just wanted a go on them. The Fun House itself was basically every child’s fantasy playground, filled with ball pits, foam and prizes that were usually a Walkman or a mountain bike.

Animals of Farthing Wood!

If you know, you know. This animated show was supposedly for kids but it was more like a crash course in heartbreak. The series followed woodland animals trying to survive and reach a new home and along the way, well, let’s just say things happened. Disturbing, emotional, hide behind the cushion things. Whole generations were left sobbing over foxes and hedgehogs.

The Generation Game!

This was family TV at its finest. Bruce Forsyth was the master of cheesy jokes and audience banter and the games were always chaotic. Watching people try to make pottery in 60 seconds or dance with complete strangers was pure comedy and let’s not forget the conveyor belt finale, always with a cuddly toy!

Saturday Morning Chaos - Live & Kicking, SMTV: Live and Going Live!

Saturday mornings were something special. Forget sleeping in you had to be up early for Live & Kicking, Going Live or SMTV: Live. Between phone in competitions, celebrity interviews and sketches that were organised chaos, it was the perfect start to the weekend! Ant & Dec on SMTV: Live was comedy gold. “Wonky Donkey” still lives in my brain rent-free.

Nowadays, kids have all the streaming services where everything is on demand but there was something magical about sitting down as a family or rushing home from school to catch a show before tea.

What did you used to love watching on TV as a child?