The Wednesday Hodgepodge #77

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. Do you think you're driven more by curiosity or comfort? Explain.

I think I am more driven by comfort rather than curiosity. I am happy in my own little world just plodding along, doing my own thing. I am of course curious about what is going on in the world. If something interests me I'll read about it as I like to understand and know things but I don't feel the need to know everything. There's that saying curiosity killed the cat and I reckon that's partly true. Knowing too much stresses me out. I'll read something, overthink it and then my head is full of things that I have no control over. Sometimes it's just easier to bury my head in the sand.

2. What non-food item is in your refrigerator or freezer?

I am boring and only have food and drinks in my fridge but I think there might be an ice pack in my freezer. That is as exciting as it gets here. The ice pack has been in there for about a year and never used which is probably a good thing. The only time I can remember having non-food items in my fridge was when the kids were little and their medicine needed to be kept chilled. I can still remember those bottles of bright, fluorescent yellow antibiotics that used to sit next to the milk.

3. Are you comfortable with silence? If you're home alone, do you like silence or do you need regular background noise? Do you seek out times and places to be silent? What's your favorite place to find silence/be silent?

I am comfortable with silence now and again but I prefer a bit of background noise most of the time. The only time I want silence is when I'm trying to concentrate on something or when I'm trying to drop off to sleep. When I'm home alone I always have some background noise going. I play music when I am doing the cleaning, listen to audiobooks while I'm pottering around and when I'm sat down the TV is always on. At the moment I am watching Ted Lasso. I can't believe it has taken me this long to get into it but it is such a fantastic show!

I think the only place I visit for some quiet time is the bathroom when I need 5 minutes to myself. I love my family but they are sometimes a lot. Now and then the girls will bicker and I will hide in the bathroom for some peace and quiet. Usually, by the time I come back out, they are best of friends again.

4. Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, landscaping...which skill would you most like to possess and how would you put that skill to use today?

My dad and my brother are very useful people to have around, especially when something needs fixing in my house. They are pretty good when it comes to things like carpentry, electrics and plumbing. In the past, my dad has fixed leaky taps, flickering lights and wonky floorboards. Just last week my brother came with his ladder and fixed our leaky roof. He had it sorted in about 10 minutes. What a hero!

I'd pick landscaping as a skill I would like to have. It's something that no one in my family really does or bothers with. I'd love to transform my garden as easy and quickly as ChatGPT can. I put the before picture in and asked it to "landscape this space in my garden, make it pretty with flowers and fix the path." If only things were that simple in real life.

5. Do you lean more towards being too needy or too independent? Which do you find harder to deal with in others?

I'm probably somewhere in the middle and it depends on what mood I'm in or what I'm trying to do. Some days I'll ask for a hand with something and other days I'd rather just figure things out for myself. It all comes down to what else I have going on at that time. I do become needy when it comes to catching spiders around the house, reaching the top shelf or opening bottles, those things I won't or can't do myself.

I don't mind helping out when someone needs a hand with something but I find it hard dealing with people who are too needy. If they come to depend on me too much I feel like saying just figure it out yourself, I had to! It might come across as a bit mean but there's a big difference between someone needing real help and someone who just needs their hand holding to get something done.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

For question #3 I mentioned I have been watching Ted Lasso and I am loving it. I've just watched the Christmas episode in season 2 and I was nearly in tears, it was just so heart warming. Ted is such a sweetheart too. I think we all need to be a little bit more like Ted, he is such a kind man! 

Share our Lives - Hostess Gift Ideas!

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: Hostess Gift Ideas!

If you’re anything like me over here in England, the whole idea of a "hostess gift" feels a little bit strange. I always think that people in the US make it seem effortless, swooping into a party carrying fancy candles, home-made treats or even cute little potted plants. I find it fascinating but here if you turn up on someone's doorstep with anything other than a trusty bottle of wine, there's a strong chance the host might look at you like you have two heads. Still, I've been doing some thinking and researching about what a hostess gift really is. It isn't about trying to impress anyone or showing off , it’s just a little nod of appreciation and a simple thank you!

Here is what I have came up with for the perfect hostess gift:

A bottle of something!

I know, I know! I just said wine is the default but hear me out. You don’t have to grab the exact same supermarket bottle every single time! Mix it up and think about something just a little bit different. You could go for something different from what you would usually drink or hunt down a bottle with a lovely story behind it. If you want to step away from wine entirely, a gorgeous flavoured liqueur is something a bit different. A zesty Italian Limoncello, a winter sloe gin or a cream liqueur. Most people don’t tend to buy these for themselves in a normal weekly shop, which makes it feel like a proper treat.

Chocolate but make it special!

A box of chocolates is the ultimate safety net. We’ve all done a mad dash around the supermarket on the way to someone's house, looking for the fanciest box of chocolates that we can find. No one is ever going to turn down chocolate but if you want to make it feel like you actually planned ahead and put a tiny bit of thought in, try matching the flavours to the time of year. Grab some gingerbread truffles for Christmas, go for fruity ones in the spring and summer months and in the autumn a box of rich, dark chocolates are perfect and feel cosy!

Flowers that aren’t overwhelming!

Flowers are a classic gift but sometimes a massive bouquet is just a pain in the behind, especially for the host. Nobody wants to spend the first twenty minutes of their own get together scrambling around trying to find a vase big enough, trimming stems or rearranging the living room just to find a safe spot for them on a table! Instead, a sweet little jam jar filled with flowers from your garden, a bunch of dried flowers that need no looking after or even a pretty potted plant can be just as lovely. They are also way less hassle for the host.

Something for the home!

A scented candle is playing it safe but how about a small potted herb like rosemary or basil? It looks cute sitting on a kitchen windowsill and it's useful too, especially for someone who likes to cook. They can chop it up and cook with it later! We all know that fresh herbs always taste better than dried ones. A cute tea towel, a pretty mug or some nice coasters are good ideas too. The gift doesn’t need to be expensive or fancy, it just needs to say I saw this and thought of you!

A treat for the host!

This one is probably my favourite because it feels the most personal. Instead of choosing something for the house, pick something that the host can enjoy by themselves once all the guests have gone home. A nice box of biscuits, a pretty notebook, a fancy bath bomb, a bag of really good coffee or something that they wouldn't usually buy for themselves.

Something fun!

If you know your host well enough to know they love a laugh, you can skip the polite, sensible gifts altogether. Some of the best gifts are the ones that don’t take themselves too seriously. A mug with a slogan that actually makes them snort their tea or even a silly little mini cocktail-making kit. It breaks the ice the second you hand it over and while everyone else is turning up with standard flowers, you're the one bringing a giggle. Those are the type of gifts that will be talked about years later.

What do you typically take as a gift when you're heading to someone's house?

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! 12th - 18th October! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! We had a quiet one with a bit of housework, watching TV and not a lot else. This week looks like it's going to be pretty quiet too. No one has any plans apart from the usual and Becky is away for most of the week as she has a week off work. I just have the normal things to do around the house and keeping everything running smoothly.

Last week's meal plan went well. Everything ended up being a day after as we had leftover pizza on Monday. The eating out of the freezer day was skipped, which was fine as it was the coldest day of the week, so we were glad for the meal to eat cooked in the slow cooker. On Friday we got the Bargain Banger meal from the chip shop. 2 large portions of chips, 4 jumbo battered sausages, a tub of gravy and one of curry sauce for £13.95 which is a great price to feed 4. Usually it would cost £23.20!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal - Meat-Free Mince Sloppy Joes With Creamy Potato Salad!

This is one of our favourite meals from Gousto. I remember the first time we had the meat-free mince. I was very curious about it because I'd never used it before. I am pretty sure I didn't even tell my family it was meat-free until after they had eaten it and fully enjoyed it. The sloppy joes are really tasty and messy, which is all part of the fun.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Chinese Takeaway-Style Chicken Balls With Vegetable Fried Rice!

This is just like a Chinese takeaway at home. Crispy chicken balls with a sweet and sour dip and vegetable fried rice. My family won't eat the sweet and sour sauce out of a jar or from the Chinese takeaway but love the home made one!

Wednesday - Gousto meal - One Pot Spicy Lamb & Sultana Stew!

This is something new and a little different and I think it will be one for the slow cooker. It combines lamb with sweet apricots and a spicy sauce. I'm looking forward to seeing how the sweetness of the apricots works with the spices. My family are not convinced by this one but I think once they come into the house after it has been cooking all day, they won't be able to resist!

Thursday - Pies and mashed potato!

There is the choice of beef & vegetable or chicken & vegetable pies. My dad was in the freezer shop Iceland and saw the offer where you could get 10 items for £10 and ended up buying my brother and I 5 boxes of pies each. I think it's a good deal when you think each pie is only fifty pence as you get two in a box. Pie has to be served with mashed potatoes and lots of gravy!

Friday - A takeaway of some sort!

Friday night is an easy night for me. I don't cook and we order takeaway. It could be Chinese or Indian food or even ordering from the fish and chip shop. We will decide on the day what we fancy. This week it won't be pizza as we have that on Saturday, sort of.

Saturday - Gousto meal - Pork Meatball Marinara Flatbreads!

This is another new meal for us and it looks really tasty! Pork meatballs in a tomato sauce served on flatbreads, easy peasy and it is a nice change from normal pizza. I might make some fries to go with it too, as there doesn't look much there.

Sunday - A Sunday roast of some sort!

I'm not sure yet whether I'll make one at home or we'll go out for a meal. The weather we've been having lately makes me want all the roasted vegetables covered in gravy. If we stay home, I'll have a look at what we've got in and decide what sort of roast to make. It could be chicken, beef or pork, depending on what's on offer and what we fancy. I do enjoy making a Sunday roast but I also like going out for one because someone else gets to do all the cooking and washing up.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 4th - 10th October Week 41 of #Project365

Happy Sunday!! I hope you've all had a lovely week and are enjoying your weekend. We've had a quiet one. Becky was sleeping for work yesterday, Stu was at work and Ellie was out with her friend and I stayed home and did a few loads of washing and had a good tidy up and sort out around the house. I love days like that when I can just go at my own pace and do my own thing.

The weekend has been full of sport so far, with a bit of football, wrestling and F1 and we still have more F1 to watch today and later on this afternoon I've decided to watch the new Spiderman movie. It's £15.99 to rent but as I didn't see it at the cinema I think I will push the boat out and pay to watch. I would have spent more going to the cinema to see it when you include the bus fare, cinema cost and of course, popcorn and a drink. hehehe

Now for a photo every day!

277/365 4th October

Another new flower in my garden and I had no idea what it was! I asked my Plant Identifier app what this one was and it said cornflower. I wasn't convinced because I didn't think it looked much like a cornflower. To me it looked more like a daisy, so I had to ask Google as well. Google suggested it was a strawflower and ChatGPT agreed with Google but also suggested it could be a paper daisy. So I am no further forward, it's a pretty flower and that will do for me.

278/365 5th October

Leaves, leaves and more leaves are on the ground! I do love this time of year seeing the trees change so much.

279/365 6th October

My Great British Bake Off treats this week were the Mr Kipling Fiendish Fancies! These are a Halloween twist on the French Fancies cakes.

280/365 7th October

A little while ago, Stu fixed the guttering and pipework around our little shed and on Wednesday when it was raining I finally got to see it working properly. The rainwater was dripping down into the barrel, just as it was supposed to!

281/365 8th October

The slow cooker was filled and I was hungry all day with the smell coming from it. Inside was lamb mince, carrots and a tomatoey gravy liquid. I chose the perfect day to have it as it was quite chilly out.

282/365 9th October

I took this photo just after 6pm and it was already almost dark! It was nice to shut the curtains and this was the first day the family asked for the heating to be turned on. I was mean and said no, have something to eat and then see how you feel. It's funny how a belly full of food will warm you up.

283/365 10th October

It's that time of the year, the Christmas grocery delivery slots are starting to be released. This time it was Morrisons. I could have booked a slot but decided to hold off as I never have much luck with their available items and substitutions during the year, so I dread to think what it will be like a couple of days before Christmas. I will hold out for Asda or Tesco.

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

This week has felt very autumnal with some proper chilly moments and I'm quite happy about it! It has felt like the first proper autumnal week of the season. The weather has cooled down, the evenings are darker earlier and I've found myself reaching for jumpers and blankets. I know I'll be fed up with the cold in a couple of months but at the moment I'm enjoying it.

When I started writing this blog post it was 9C, which is around 48F and it was coming up to 8pm in the evening. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was sitting here at 8pm sweating, with the back door open and it still light outside. Now I'm shutting the curtains at about 5pm, putting the lights on and settling down for the evening. It's nice knowing that when the evening comes around it's time to slow down a bit.

Wednesday was the ultimate cosy day! I woke up and it was raining. My first thought was that I really didn't want to get out of bed. I could have happily stayed under my duvet for the rest of the day but life doesn't work like that and I had things to do. So I got up, got dressed and got all my jobs done. Once I'd finished, I sat down for a bit and within about ten minutes I was feeling chilly. I decided I needed a jumper and went upstairs to grab one. The first one I put my hands on was my Grey's Anatomy jumper and it made me stupidly happy. It's my favourite. It's the little things like that which make it a good day! I lit a candle, made myself a bacon sandwich for lunch and a cappuccino. Cappuccinos are not hard to make but when I make one they make me feel like I have my life together. Sitting there, I felt so content and quite glad that I didn't have to go out.

Thursday was another cosy day, at least in the kitchen! I cooked the mince part of our evening meal in the slow cooker. We had lamb mince and buttery tatties with minty peas but I ignored the buttery tatties part and made proper mashed potato instead. The weather called for mashed potato. I do love the slow cooker at this time of year. There is something really good about throwing everything into it and letting it do the hard work. The hardest thing is having to smell whatever is in there cooking all day though!

I've been enjoying the normal everyday stuff this week. Getting the housework done, catching up with things, cooking, watching TV and just getting on with life. Nothing big has happened and I'm quite happy about that. I've also been enjoying getting back into watching more TV now the evenings are darker. I am halfway through The Gentleman and I've just started Ted Lasso and watch that when I don't have a full hour to watch something.

I'm writing this after a nice hot shower, I've got my PJs on and I'm under my blanket. Celebrity Traitors is on TV and any minute now I know Stu is going to ask me if I want a cup of tea and I'm going to annoy him by saying, No, thank you, can I have a hot chocolate instead? It isn't even the instant stuff, the milk has to be boiled in a pan, which makes it a bit of a faff when he could just make me a cup of tea in about a minute. It's a good job Stu loves me and treats me to things like that. I could of course, get up and make it myself but where's the fun in that?

I've noticed that the darker evenings are making me more ready to switch off too. In the summer when it's still light later on I always feel like I should be doing something, even if I've done everything I need to do. Now it's dark much earlier and I've noticed that I am feeling ready for bed earlier. It might have something to do with feeling cosy and the hot chocolate!

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 41. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you've all had a good week. I've had a nice week and have a few things that have made me smile so of course I am linking up with Erika and Andrea to share what I have loved this week!

Armageddon - The movie!

I saw it being shown on TV last week a few times and it got me in the mood to watch it again. I do love that film. I always laugh most of the way through it and then cry at the end, even though I've seen it about a million times and know exactly what's coming. Armageddon got me thinking about films from the 90s that I used to love and haven't seen in years. I've made myself a list including The Rock, Face/Off, Con Air, Independence Day, The Mummy, Demolition Man and Air Force One that I am planning on watching soon.

Having time to get dressed up!

On Saturday I had the house to myself, so I had a little pamper session before going out. It might not sound like a big deal but it was lovely having the time without feeling like I was racing against the clock. I had a shower and then had time to let my hair dry while I did a face mask and my nails. I did my hair and make up without rushing, had music playing and it put me right in the mood for a night out.

Lots on TV!

All summer there is nothing much on TV and I spend my time using streaming services but now I seem to be watching more and more normal TV. Mondays there is Geordie Coppers, a show following the police in Newcastle City Centre. Tuesday it's Great British Bake Off, Wednesday there's always something to watch, Thursday and Friday Celebrity Traitors and Saturday The Voice UK and Strictly Come Dancing. There's also Big Brother every night too and loads of new TV shows starting!

Jobs being like buses!

You know the saying: You wait ages for a bus and then two come along at once? Well, that seems to have happened with jobs for Ellie this week! She is now hoping the temporary job she has really is temporary and another job can wait a couple of weeks for her to start. This new one is only a Christmas job running until the beginning of January but it's work for the next few months and more experience to put on her CV! Now she has options!

My big tomato!

It finally turned red! I could have left it a bit longer but was scared to because of bugs and I didn't want it to go mushy! I had a basic tomato sandwich with it and it was so good!

Lighting candles!

I light candles all year around but this time of year I get more excited about them. This week I have had a few burning! I've had a blackcurrant and something one on the go and a gingerbread one. My favourite ones are the ones with the crackling wicks. They make it sound so cosy in here and I can just imagine sitting in front of a log fire.

A fixed roof!

It is fantastic to have a brother who is great at DIY. On Wednesday morning, Stu noticed a dripping noise in the bathroom and left me a note telling me. Instead of calling in the experts I just rang my dad who sent my brother with his ladders, tools and what not and of course, he fixed it! Phew! I'm very lucky to have a family who can help with things like this.

What have you loved this week?

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

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

September was another month which flew over. I think it's because we were so busy here. Becky had her birthday, Ellie started full time work and we had lots of things going on. It was a good month but like I keep saying it went too fast!

In September I was grateful for:

Day 244 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Becky brought me candyfloss back from the beach!

Day 245 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Ellie's latest job interview went well. She said it's the best one she's had yet!

Day 246 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino! Tis the season!

Day 247 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a walk out and lunch at my dad's.

Day 248 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I could catch up on the housework! Had the music blasting to help me along!

Day 249 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a day of watching sport. Football and F1!

Day 250 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that the grass has been cut in the front and back garden! It's grown so much over the last week!

Day 251 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Becky had a day in the kitchen! Made lasagne from scratch and a cake for after!

Day 252 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Ellie helped me wrap Becky's birthday presents.

Day 253 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Becky had a great birthday! I think it's time for bed now!

Day 254 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for Costa for lunch! I just had my usual Chocolate fudge frappe, bacon bap and lemon muffin!

Day 255 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a day with just Becky and me at home. We had a nice day, I even convinced her to watch some Harry Potter!

Day 256 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a proper roast chicken dinner cooked by me! We have leftovers for tomorrow too!

Day 257 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a few hours with my dad and brother. It's always fun to spend time with them.

Day 258 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Becky brought me treats home from her shopping trip! A fancy doughnut from M&S and some Percy Pigs.

Day 259 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Ellie takes everything in her stride! So far this week she's had appointments, a job interview, phone calls to deal with which she struggles with because of her hearing loss, things to organise, important forms to fill out and there she is just getting on with it.

Day 260 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for help bringing the food shop in. I stocked up the cleaning cupboard so there was a lot to carry to the kitchen.

Day 261 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for lunch at my dad's. Who'd have though bacon and pear sandwiches would taste so good! The pears were freshly picked off his tree too!

Day 262 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a fun night out! Food, drinks and lots of dancing!

Day 263 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a lazy day! I have done nothing productive and have hardly moved! Perfect for a Sunday!

Day 264 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Ellie got on OK at her job induction. I was stressing all morning but she did great! The biggest excitement was that she was given a proper name badge.

Day 265 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a hot chocolate with marshmallows in!

Day 266 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a whole day in the house by myself. It felt so strange but good at the same time!

Day 267 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful my documents were returned from the DVLA and my Provisional licence is on its way!

Day 268 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a bag of treats from my dad. A pack of bacon, a bottle of coca cola, some black pudding and randomly some beetroot!

Day 269 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I had company all day while Stu was at work, Ellie was out and Becky was sleeping for work. It was nice to spend the day with someone different.

Day 270 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I've made plans with my girls. Got a day with Ellie tomorrow and Becky on Tuesday!

Day 271 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Stu came shopping with me and I got a big chunk of the Christmas present buying done!

Day 272 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a woolly jumper. It has been quite chilly today!

Day 273 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a hot chocolate with a squirt of Bailey's cream in it!

What were you grateful for in September?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #76

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. Let's embrace it shall we? What's something you recently forgot to do? Is your memory these days more like a sieve or an elephant?

I forgot I was supposed to be at my dad's on Monday. We had talked about it on Friday and I said I would pop over to help with some of the admin for his business. He rang me at lunchtime wondering where I was. Oops! I got my shoes on and rushed over. There was no actual rush but I felt bad for forgetting!

I have a memory like a sieve these days. Things can go into my head and then disappear five minutes later. I can remember random things from years ago that I probably don't need to remember at all but if you asked me on Monday morning what I was doing that day, my memory had given up. lol. I think part of the problem is that there is always so much going on. Even when I'm not really busy, there's always things to remember. Appointments, things that need buying, jobs that need doing, people I need to get back to, things I need to take somewhere and those little everyday things don't seem important until I forget them.

2. Share a trick/strategy you have to help you remember things you need to remember.

I write everything down! If it's really important, I write it on the whiteboard in the kitchen. That way I can't miss it because I walk past it all the time. I also leave notes for myself and I put things in the calendar on my phone and I always get a notification the day before to remind me. If I need to take something with me when I go out, I'll put it by the front door or somewhere that I know I'll see it. I think I've accepted now that I shouldn't rely on my memory for anything important. I could tell myself I'll remember that and there's a very good chance that I won't. Writing it down saves a lot of hassle!

3. What's your favorite fall vegetable to cook with? Do you prefer your fall veggies roasted, blended into a warm soup, or fresh in a crisp autumn salad?

My first thought was parsnips! I had to Google if they were an Autumn vegetable and they are. The peak harvest time is between October and February here. I love them roasted with a bit of honey on. I could easily eat a full plate and when I am making them for say a roast dinner, I always make extra so I can snack on them. I also love Brussels sprouts on a roast dinner at this time of year. They were something I hated as a child but I love them now but only ever eat them between now and Christmas!

I'm more of a roasted vegetable person and I do like soup, especially when it's cold outside but if I had to choose between a bowl of soup and a plate of roasted vegetables, the roasted vegetables will always win. The poor crisp Autumn salad doesn't even get a look in!

4. October 5th is/was National Do Something Nice Day. Did you? If so tell us about it. Or maybe someone did something nice for you, and if that's the case please share.

I went to my dad's and helped him with a few things on the computer. He used to be great at getting these things done when they could be done over the phone or in person but now everything is online and he is not great with technology. Everything seems so complicated needing to use an email address, remember passwords and the dreaded verification codes sent to your phone! He doesn't do text messages. lol It didn't take too long to get the admin done and it was nice to be able to help my dad and save him the frustration of trying to work it all out for himself.

5. Nathaniel Hawthorne is credited with the quote "I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house."

Do you tend to spend more time outside this time of year?

Do you actively pause to soak in fleeting moments of beauty in your daily routine? Elaborate.

I don't spend more time outside in autumn but I do try to make the most of those days when the sun is shining. I like to potter about in the garden and of course make the most of drying the clothes on the washing line. There's something satisfying about getting a load of washing on the line instead of putting it in the tumble dryer. I know that's not exactly what Hawthorne had in mind when he wrote his quote but we all appreciate autumn sunshine in our own ways!

I do try to pause and notice the little things too. There's always something to do so it's good to stop for a minute and look around. At this time of year, I'm noticing the changing leaves, the pretty sunsets and how nice it feels to be outside when the weather is behaving itself. It won't be long until the colder weather comes and I am not a fan of that.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Before I saw the questions for today, I already had in mind what my random thought was going to be. It was going to be about me forgetting to go to my dad's on Monday so now I have to think of something else. lol I had a funny moment last week when I was in town which shows I have a really bad memory for faces. I was walking around a shop and a woman said, "Ohh, hello there. I've not seen you in ages". I had no idea who she was, she knew me though. She asked how my dad and brother were doing, so I narrowed it down a little and then had a little chat about them, the weather and it was only when she was walking away that I realised who she was. I must have come across as so stand-offish. Oops! In my defence, I hadn't seen the woman in about a year and she looked so different from when I used to see her in the place she was working. Oops!

The problem with getting dressed in October!

I have a problem with getting dressed in October. Actually, I have several problems with getting dressed in October because this is the month when I never seem to know what I am supposed to wear. I can look out of the window in the morning, check the weather, have a good think about it and still get it totally wrong. It might look freezing but can be quite warm or it might look lovely and sunny but then the wind will be horrible and cold wind that makes me wish I'd put a proper coat on. October really does make getting dressed much harder than it needs to be!

In the morning I wake up and it is cold. Not freezing where I am thinking of putting the heating on but definitely cold enough that I don't want to get out of bed. The duvet becomes my best friend and getting dressed feels like a chore. If I had my way, I would change into my fleecy PJs and stay in them all day. Over the last year or so, I have realised I can't sleep in them any more as I wake up in a hot sweat, thanks to peri-menopause. I will get myself dressed and usually put a jumper on as it's cold when I am out of bed but half an hour later I wonder why I bothered as I am far too warm.

You need to dress for the temperature at 8am but you also need to think about what it is going to be like at 1pm. Then you need to remember that by 6pm it could be cold again. So really, you are trying to dress for three different days while only actually getting dressed once. October is the month when I rely on a T-shirt underneath a jumper so at least I can take a layer off.

The coat is another problem. I have the same argument with myself at this time of year about whether it is finally time to get the big coat out. I will look at it hanging there and think it's not time for that yet and then I will go outside and realise it is actually quite cold and wish I had brought it. So I go back inside, put it on and feel pleased that I have finally accepted that autumn has arrived. Five minutes later, I regret it.

That is the annoying thing. You can leave the house in a coat because it looks cold and then suddenly the sun comes out. Now you are walking around carrying your coat over your arm for the rest of the day. You are trying to hold your handbag, your phone, whatever shopping you have bought and your coat and you are thinking why did I need to bring it? Then the next day you decide you don't need it and that's the day you freeze!

I also don't know when we are supposed to officially stop wearing summer clothes. Is there a date? If it is a mild October day, I am quite happy to wear a T-shirt or a summer dress. I am not ready to suddenly start dressing like it is December just because the calendar has changed. There are still days when the sun is shining and I look outside and think it's not too bad, so I put on a lighter top and head out. Then see somebody wearing a big coat and I start wondering whether I've made the wrong choice but then I see somebody else in a T-shirt and realise that maybe nobody actually knows what they are doing. We are all just guessing.

October has this strange middle stage where my summer wardrobe is still there but I don't really want to wear most of it and my winter clothes are sitting there waiting for me to admit defeat. I don't want to get all the big winter jumpers out too early because once they are out, I feel like summer is properly over. I like autumn but I am not ready for winter quite yet!

I have a wardrobe full of clothes and nothing to wear! None of it is right. A T-shirt? Too cold. A jumper? Probably too warm later. A cardigan? Maybe. A thicker jumper? Too much. A dress? No idea and after trying to work it out for far too long, I will usually end up putting on the same jeans and jumper I wore a few days ago because at least I know where I am with that outfit.

In winter, you know it is cold. You get your coat, your warm clothes and your boots and you get on with it. In summer, you know it is warm and you can put on something light without having to think about it too much. October is somewhere in between. You don't know what you are going to get. Getting dressed should not involve this much decision making!

I think I am just going to accept that I will probably get it wrong quite a lot this month. I will keep my summer dresses out because there will still be mild days. I will keep the jumpers close by because the mornings are definitely getting colder. I will probably continue to argue with myself about the big coat for at least another couple of weeks and I will keep looking at my wardrobe every morning as though the answer is going to suddenly appear. It won't and I will still have no idea what to wear.

Do you struggle to get dressed at this time of year?

Our weekly meal plan! 5th - 11th Oct! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! We had a great one. There was a night on the town, housework done yesterday and lots of catching up on TV shows. We had a bit of family time, which was nice too. There's good about going into a new week with all the jobs done around the house, it doesn't happen often so when it does I feel very pleased with myself.

Last week's meal plan went well. We ate everything and mostly on the day I had planned it too. We ended up not getting a takeaway on Friday night and just helped ourselves out of the fridge and cupboards. We ate out on Saturday evening, just at the local Wetherspoons (a cheap and cheerful pub chain). I had a Tennessee burger. I had to Google why it was called that. It's because of the Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey sauce that comes with it. You learn something new every day! We ended up having the peanut satay chicken burger on Sunday! I think that's enough burgers for me for a while.

We have another Gousto box this week which I am looking forward to. I do love having Gousto boxes because it takes some of the thinking out of meal planning and I get all the ingredients for the meals sent too. We have a new meal to try and two of our favourites.

I don't have any plans for this week, nothing at all and I am looking forward to it. I have some craft things that I can be getting on with and I want to do a bit of baking too. My family are all at work, so I get to be home alone and potter around doing my own thing after I have finished all the boring things like tidying up and cleaning!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal -Thai Style Peanutty Pork Udon Noodles!

This is a new recipe to us. We love a noodle dish and the peanutty sauce sounds right up our street. It's got pork, udon noodles and a Thai-style peanut sauce which sounds like a great combo. It looks like a simple meal to make and that is just what I want for a Monday!

Tuesday - Gousto meal - BBQ Pork Belly With Apple Slaw And Chips!

We've had this one before and really enjoyed it so when I spotted it on the Gousto menu we had to have it again. There's BBQ pork belly, chips and apple slaw and it all goes together really well. This apple slaw is the best and so simple to make! It's simply chopped spring onion, grated carrot and sliced apple with mayo and white wine vinegar! I have made it lots of times, even without having the Gousto meals.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Lamb Mince & Buttery Tatties With Minty Peas!

This is proper comfort food! It's one of those meals that I know we're going to enjoy and I think I've chosen to have it on the chilliest day of the week when it will be appreciated. There's the lamb mince with buttery mashed potatoes and minty peas, so it's simple but full of flavour. Usually I won't eat peas as a side dish but minty peas are different. I love them!

Thursday - Something out of the freezer!

I have no idea what yet but there is always plenty in there to make a meal and there are, of course random things in tubs, like Bolognese, sausage casserole or some sort of curry.

Friday - A takeaway of some sort!

Friday night is an easy night for me. I don't cook and we order takeaway. It could be pizza, Chinese or Indian food or even ordering from the fish and chip shop. We will decide on the day what we fancy.

Saturday - Pizza!

Homemade, shop bought or just frozen ones out of the freezer, I am not too sure yet.

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?