The Wednesday Hodgepodge #56

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 make more complicated than it needs to be?

I make pretty much everything more complicated than it needs to be by overthinking things. I can turn the smallest decision into a whole drama. Deciding what jobs to do first, replying to a message, planning a day out, even choosing what to watch on TV somehow becomes a major life decision. I overthink things, thinking of every possible outcome and I usually end up confusing myself even more. Half the time, the simple answers were the ones I thought of at the start but my brain likes to add extra steps just to keep life interesting.

2. What impresses you?

People who seem to have their life together all the time! You know the ones who's houses are always spotless, their meals look like something from a cookbook and they somehow manage to make family life look easy. They’re organised, never seem rushed, always remember appointments and manage to wear the cutest outfits without them seeming to try too hard. I know social media only shows the good bits and real life can’t possibly be that perfect all of the time but I am still impressed by people who manage to juggle everything while making it all look so easy. Then there's me over here walking into rooms and forgetting why, losing my phone while it’s in my hand and repeating myself to the girls about ten times a day before anyone listens.

3. On a scale of 1-10 how picky of an eater are you? (1=extremely and 10=not at all) If you had to eat a meal made entirely of one color what color would you choose?

I’d say I’m about a 9. I will eat just about anything and try most things at least once. There’s not much that I flat out refuse to eat apart from broccoli and green leafy vegetables but sometimes I will eat them if they are hidden well in a meal.

If I had to eat food made entirely of one colour, I’d pick beige. Beige food is something special. Chips, bread, pasta, roast potatoes, chicken nuggets, crisps, pastries, toast and cake! It might not be the healthiest choice but I would definitely not go hungry. Never mind one meal, I think I could last a week just eating beige food.

4. What does balance in life mean to you? Does your life currently feel 'balanced'?

Balance in life to me means having time for the things I have to do and the things I want to do. A balanced day for me is getting all the boring jobs done like the washing, cooking and tidying up and then still having time left to sit down in front of the TV and watching whatever show I'm watching, playing games on my laptop or enjoying a nice cup of tea.

I think my life feels pretty balanced at the moment. Of course, there are days when everything feels a bit too much or the to-do list never ends but at the moment I am in a good place. I think it helps that I am realising that I don't have to be productive every second of the day, some downtime is good!

5. If you could travel the world for a year what would be your first destination?

If I could travel the world for a year, my first stop would definitely be America and I don't think I would get much further as there is so much that I want to do and see over there. It’s one of those places I feel like I already know a bit from reading blogs, watching videos and following people online but I would love to see it in real life. I’d want to visit some of the places I’ve read about, walk the streets I’ve only seen in photos and I also like the idea of meeting some of my favourite bloggers along the way. Then there are places like Disney World and Land, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Las Vegas, New York City and of course Washington D.C.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I am writing this on Sunday afternoon after being out for lunch and what a good lunch it was! It was just Stu and I who went out and we decided to get the three courses. I had a prawn cocktail for starters, honey roast gammon and all the trimmings for my main and then Chocolate Cremeux for dessert. I had no idea what a chocolate cremeux was before Sunday, it's like a mousse but more denser. It was amazing and the butterscotch ice cream on the top was something else! We finished out afternoon out by having a few games of pool. It was just going to be one but I beat Stu on the first so it had to be best of three. He won. Hmmf. 

Little things we can do to be kinder to bees!

World Bee Day is this week, which feels like a good excuse to stop for a minute and think about the little bees. Not in a big way, I must now grow a meadow way but in a small, everyday way. Bees are getting on with a very important job and most of us are just getting on with our day without really noticing them. Being a bit kinder to bees doesn’t mean becoming a gardener, buying fancy seeds or suddenly knowing what you’re doing outside. It’s mostly about tiny changes, a bit of awareness and letting nature exist. Here are some simple ways to help the little creatures out!

Let things be a bit scruffy!

You know that tiny patch of grass or weeds that you keep meaning to sort out? Leave it! Dandelions, clover, daisies and all those things we’re taught to see as messy are bee cafes. Early spring, especially when there’s not much else about, those little yellow dandelions are like flashing neon signs saying food here. You don’t need a wild garden. You just need not to panic when something grows where you didn’t plan it.

Put water out!

This one is so simple. Bees need water. Not a deep bird bath where they’ll drown, just something shallow. A saucer, an old lid or a plant pot tray. Put some pebbles or stones in whatever you are using so the bees have got somewhere to land, add a bit of water and you’re done. You’ve just created a bee pit stop with about 30 seconds of effort, just keep topping it up with water.

Skip the chemicals!

We’re sold so many sprays for gardens. For patios, weeds, ants, moss and anything that exists outside. A lot of them are tough on bees. If you don’t need to use it, don’t!! Weeds in random places are not hurting anyone and a few bugs on plants is just nature doing its own thing. Less spraying creates a safer space for bees.

Support bee-friendly brands where you can!

It’s one of those little swaps that doesn’t feel like much but really does help. Grab your honey from local sellers, pick brands that look after pollinators or even stick a few quid towards a bee charity if you can. It all adds up more than you’d think.

Don’t panic if a bee looks a bit worn out!

They do this thing where they just run out of steam or get a bit chilly and end up sat still looking like they’re on their last legs. Most of the time they’re fine, just having a rest. If you want to help, a tiny drop of sugar water nearby (not honey) can give them a boost.

Don't panic if they come inside!

They’re not exactly thrilled to be inside either. The easiest way to help them out is turn the lights off, open the window and blinds and give them a minute. They’ll usually figure it out without any drama. There is no need to chase them around.

Talk about bees like they matter!

Especially with kids. Instead of making bees seem scary, just chat about what they do and why they matter. Point them out when you’re out and about, mention little facts here and there. The more normal it is to respect them, the better.

Being kinder to bees isn’t some big lifestyle change. It’s just noticing them, making a few small changes here and there and letting them get on with their thing without interfering all the time.

Our weekly meal plan! 18th - 24th May #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you have all had a good weekend. Ours was a good one, they always are when Becky has her weekend off work and we get to have some family time. It feels like we hardly see each other properly during the week sometimes with work, college, appointments and everyone doing their own thing, so weekends like that are lovely. 

We spent Saturday evening watching the Eurovision Song Contest, which is always a lot of fun! It is one of those nights where you sit there wondering what on earth is going on half of the time but you can’t stop watching. The whole thing is madness and our song was totally crazy. The chorus went like this: Eins, zwei, drei, Darlin', I need something salty, Eins, zwei, drei, With a slice of pepperoni, I'll pay, you can owe me. That'll be a pony?? See, madness! Eurovision makes no sense but it is the best entertainment. We came last with 1 point, Bulgaria won with 516! lol

Yesterday Stu and I went out for lunch. We had planned to leave the girls at home to fend for themselves but in the end, it was only Ellie at home, as Becky got called in to do some overtime because they were short staffed at work. She wasn’t too impressed at first as she had been looking forward to a lazy Sunday but extra money is always handy. So poor Ellie had to make her own lunch while Stu and I went out and had a roast dinner cooked for us, dessert and a couple of glasses of wine at the pub. Hehehe!

Last week's meal plan went well. The only meal we didn't eat was of course yesterdays and the Peri Peri Spiced Basa Fish Cakes With Chips And Spicy Peas on Saturday. We had leftover pizza from the night before and had that with chips. This week is a big week for Ellie. She is resitting her English GCSE exam. Hopefully, this time she will get the pass that she has missed out on for the past few years. This will be her last chance, as at the end of next month she leaves education. Eek!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto Meal - Peri Peri Spiced Basa Fish Cakes With Chips And Spicy Peas!

This is bumped from Saturday! Basa fish cakes mixed with sweet potato, coated in panko breadcrumbs and packed with peri peri spice so they come out crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. It comes with chips on the side, plus peas that aren’t just plain peas. There’s mint and a bit of chilli in there too. It all sounds so full of flavour.

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

This is one of those meals that I am really looking forward to making because it sounds just like a Chinese takeaway at home. Crispy chicken balls with a sweet and sour dip and vegetable fried rice. My family say they don’t like sweet and sour sauce but when I have made it at home in the past, they loved it! Takeaway style meals at home always feel like a treat and it saves so much money compared to ordering an actual takeaway.

Wednesday - Pork and apple sausages with potato wedges!

This is one of our own meals which we haven’t had in such a long time. It’s simple, two packs of pork and apple sausages from the supermarket and homemade potato wedges. Sometimes the simple meals are the best ones. The sausages always smell amazing when they’re cooking and the wedges always go down well with everyone.

Thursday - Gousto Meal - Classic Creamy Chicken Thigh Pie With Mash & Roast Carrots!

This is a one for Ellie. She loves any type of chicken pie! Tender chicken and sweet leeks in a golden pastry. Served with a hearty helping of roasted carrots and creamy mash. I’m really looking forward to this one as you can’t go wrong with creamy chicken and mash together.

Friday - A takeaway of some sort!

Friday night is an easy night for me. I don't cook and we order takeaway. Last week we had pizza from the pizza shop which was so good and there were leftovers for Saturday lunchtime too. Who knows what we will have this week? I am thinking fish shop as it's been a few weeks since we last had that.

Saturday - Gousto Meal - Fried Egg, Bacon, Tomato & Garlic Mushroom Breakfast Baguette!

This sounds like the ultimate weekend breakfast or lazy brunch sort of meal but we're having it for tea. A crusty baguette filled with bacon, fried egg, juicy tomatoes and garlicky mushrooms! It feels like it's going to be a messy one but very tasty!

Sunday - Something with mash & gravy!

As much as I want to go out to eat again for a Sunday roast, we have to be sensible. I am thinking we will have something with mashed potato and gravy. Maybe sausages or chicken?

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 10th - 16th May! Week 20 of #Project365

Happy Sunday!! I hope you are all having a good weekend. I've had a good week and weekend so far! I went to my dad's on Friday and had a good catch up with him. I mentioned in my Word of the Week post yesterday that he said he had something nice for lunch and he didn't disappoint. Bacon, mushrooms and black pudding in a panini rolls. They were so good and I even got dessert too. Rhubarb and strawberry crumble. I told him he'd started something now. Two weeks on the trot I've had dessert. He said nope, nothing was getting started. Next week I can make do with a biscuit or two after my lunch. lol

Yesterday was all about catching up on some blogging and doing my usual Saturday jobs. Jobs like changing the beds, doing the washing and cleaning. I actually like doing the housework on a Saturday. I think it's because I know I can stay in my pjs, blast the music and not have to rush to do anything. Last night we of course watched the Eurovision Song Contest and today Stu and I have plans which I am looking forward to, I will write more about what we've been up to tomorrow.

Now for a photo every day!

130/365 10th May

If you haven't seen Remarkably Bright Creatures yet, watch it!!! It is such a lovely movie. I watched it on Sunday and laughed and cried my way through it. I wasn't really sure what to expect from it before watching but within minutes of watching I knew I was going to love it.

131/365 11th May

Just me! I was on my day out for a day of shopping with Stu. It was one of those days where I didn't know what to wear. One minute it was bright and sunny, the next it was looking like rain and chilly. I went with jeans, a tunic top, my boots and a light, waterproof jacket, knowing I would be in and out of shops so I didn't want anything too heavy and warm.

132/365 12th May

The One Pan Alpine-Style Sausage & Waxy Potato Hash meal from Gousto is one of our favourite meals. We've only had it a couple of times but there are so many flavours in it. The mustard dressing is so good and so simple to make: red wine vinegar, wholegrain mustard, a spoonful of sugar and a drizzle of olive oil! The potatoes are delicious with the roasted garlic paste in and I need to buy some so I can add it to potato which isn't part of a Gousto meal!

133/365 13th May

It was such a grey and gloomy day on Wednesday! I had to take a photo of the moody looking sky. I was expecting it to rain but when I was sitting in the living room, I started to hear tapping. I got up and it was hailstones battering the kitchen window! They lasted a good while and it seems like crazy weather for May! Where's the sunshine and warm weather!

134/365 14th May

Can you believe these flowers were a week old when I took this photo! I got them with the food shop the previous Thursday. Some people don't rate supermarket flowers but I seem to always get a good bunch!

135/365 15th May

My dad has done all the important stuff with his vintage truck, like getting the engine, brakes and gears going and now he's on to making it pretty, doing the painting. He is painting it black and white. It is already looking way better than it was and he is hoping to have it finished by the end of June as at the start of July he is hoping to take it to a vintage car show. I love how much he loves working on it, he gets so passionate and excited about showing me the progress that he's made each week.

136/365 16th May

A cup of coffee in one of my new mugs. I love to sit outside on a morning and have a few minutes to wake up and think about what I have planned for the day.

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

I could have used the word disrupted again this week. On Saturday Stu's bus broke down and he had to wait for another and mid-week, the bus was diverted because of a crash. There is a road near us which is terrible in normal weather but on Wednesday we'd had hail for most of the afternoon, so I am guessing the road was extra slippy. Eek! Thankfully, no one was hurt, which was really lucky as a car had overturned. The weather has been rotten this week, well rotten for what you expect in May. It has been cold, rained and on Wednesday and Thursday we had plenty of hailstones. Eesh!

Anyway, onto this week's Word of the Week. I have gone with treats as we seem to have had a week of them. It all started when Stu and I went into town. Can you believe the last time we were out shopping together was in February! We went to the retail park and had a good mooch around.

First up was Tesco to pick up a few bits for tea. I finally saw the Matilda and Friends cakes and was quite shocked by the price! £16 for essentially 3 slices of cake. I know it says it serves 10 but Stu and I stood there looking so confused. I thought I had hit the jackpot when I went round into the next aisle and saw the same cakes on the reduced shelf. Before I picked them up, I said I would get them if they were under £10. Nope, they were reduced to £14 something which is still way too much to pay for cakes!! I did end up getting a Key Lime Pie which was all mine as no one else in the house likes it! hehehe

Becky had been talking about decluttering her room and I said to her that she needed to use the Marie Kondo method, where you only keep items which spark joy. Well, I was going to do that when it came to shopping, sort of. If something brought me joy, I was going to buy it as it had been a while since I treated myself and that is what I did. I saw these gorgeous mugs in TK Maxx and had to get them.

I love a glass mug and these are so pretty. I didn't just stick to treating myself. I bought the girls a sweet treat from M&S each. A blueberry muffin for Ellie, a pistachio doughnut for Becky and I stocked up on the bird food for the birdies outside. I also bought a little birdhouse from B&M which Stu needs to put up somewhere over the weekend.

On Tuesday Becky was off work and it was our treat day! We have been getting Costa delivered for lunch once a fortnight but as I had it the day before, I didn't really fancy it and neither did Becky, so we ordered from Greggs. Becky couldn't believe that I ordered myself a salad but it was one of the new prawn layered pasta ones. It looks amazing online but it isn't anything special, it is just like what you get from a supermarket with maybe a little more Marie Rose sauce. I got the Mango & Strawberry Cooler to drink and that was good. I can just imagine drinking it on a hot summers day! We also had to get one of the chicken sausage rolls to try. They're nice but not as good as the original.

I was sick of being cold by Thursday afternoon, so as a treat for Ellie and I, I decided to put the heating on. It feels so indulgent putting it on at this time of year, it's supposed to be warm. Hmmf. It wasn't on for long, just enough for us to get that cosy feeling. Stu came in from work and could tell we'd had the heating on and was grateful for it.

I am writing this just before I went to my dad's yesterday and he says he has a surprise for lunch. I think he has either found our favourite pizza from Iceland that has been out of stock for a few weeks, the ham and pineapple one, or he has perfected the scone recipe that he has been trying to recreate. I mentioned it in my Wednesday Hodgepodge post that he is trying to make scones as good as my great Aunty Jean's. I am sure whatever he has planned will be a treat!

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 20. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a good week. Mine has been a really good where there’s been lots of little happy moments and things that have made me smile. As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea to share them.

Remarkably Bright Creatures!

I watched the Netflix version of Remarkably Bright Creatures and loved it so much. It was just such a lovely, feel good film with loads of heart. I did not expect to get so attached to an octopus as much as I did. He had me smiling every time he was on screen and crying a little. It was like a big hug in movie form!

Remarkably Bright Creatures is about an older woman called Tova who works cleaning at an aquarium after losing her son years earlier. She is lonely, stuck in her routine and still carrying a lot of sadness. While working there, she ends up forming an unlikely friendship with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. At the same time, a young man called Cameron arrives in town looking for answers about his past and where he belongs. The story follows all of them as their lives slowly connect together.

Lunch out with Stu!

It nearly ended in disaster. All the tables were full at our usual place, so Stu suggested going to the other side of the retail park and trying somewhere new. I was hangry and decided we should go to another shop and then go back to our usual place! Thankfully, it had cleared and there were lots of tables to choose from. It was such a nice lunch. My usual from Costa: a bacon bap, lemon muffin and chocolate fudge frappe.

Greys Anatomy!

I watched the last episode of the season and a couple of characters were leaving and they did a little montage of clips which got me thinking about the early episodes, which then turned into the thought that I must watch Grey's Anatomy again, all 22 seasons! I forgot how young they all were in the first season but I suppose it was 20-something years ago! My girls asked me why I was doing it to myself, they know I will end up crying and I already have. I will get attached to characters all over again only for terrible things to happen to them. I still love Cristina so much and George was so sweet in those first episodes.

My eldest decluttering her bedroom!

Becky has started properly sorting through her bedroom and I am so happy about it. She has been thinking about moving out and getting her own place eventually. She’s not in any rush but she has been looking and thinking about the future. With a little nudge and a little bit of nagging from me, she realised she really needed to start sorting through all the stuff in her room because there is a lot! She filled four bags with clothes, a whole bag full of teddies and a box of keepsakes to go into storage. There is still loads left to do but she’s finally started and that’s the hardest part sometimes.

Old photos!

My dad showed me a ton of old photos that he was recently given by a relative and they brought back so many memories from when I was a kid. One photo that really made me smile was one of the little red dumper truck my brother and I used to drive around the farm. We loved that thing and probably caused far more trouble with it than we should have.

I remember my brother being too small to properly reach the pedals at one point but that didn’t stop us. Health and safety definitely wasn’t a thing back then. hehehe One time we tied a go-cart to the back of the dumper truck with a rope and skidded around the fields on it when the grass was a bit wet. Looking back now, it was so dangerous but at the time it was the best fun ever. It only stopped after the rope snapped and my brother went crashing through a fence. Oops. Somehow he was fine apart from a few scrapes and probably a good telling off. lol

Football!

The football season is nearly over and everything is getting a bit exciting now. I always love the end of the season because every match is so important. The battles at the top of the Premier League table and at the bottom have been so entertaining to watch and every fan seems stressed out at the moment. Over the past week I’ve also been keeping an eye on the EFL Championship play-offs which have been full of drama. Our local team, Hull are through to the finals and in with a chance of promotion, which is exciting and my childhood local team didn’t have such a great result but there’s still a bit of hope because the team they were playing against have been accused of spying on them and now there’s going to be an investigation and Middlesbrough could end up taking their place in the final. I love all the drama. Eek!

What have you loved over the past week?

How I finally sorted my wardrobe without keeping a maybe pile!

At the end of last year, my wardrobe had reached the point where opening the door felt dangerous, clothes were trying to escape. Every time I pulled one thing out, three others followed it onto the floor and the annoying thing was I knew why. I’d kept pretty much every item of clothing I’d bought over the last ten years at least! All those tops I might wear again but never do, the dress I wore once to a wedding and felt amazing in even though it’s been hanging there untouched since 2016, the jeans that don’t fit but might one day and the things that I was weirdly attached to. I was fed up with fighting with my wardrobe and fed up with wearing the same few things, so I decided I was done messing about and was going to be ruthless with a proper wardrobe clear out and this is exactly how I did it!

Step one: I pulled everything out!

I started like I meant business. None of that, I’ll just have a little tidy nonsense. I pulled everything out of my wardrobe, finding things that I thought I had thrown away years ago. Oops. I even found some of the girls clothes there. It looked like a clothes shop had exploded in my bedroom. The bed and the floor soon disappeared! Once everything was out and staring me in the face, I made three piles: Keep, Donate and Toss! There was no maybe pile, I was serious about this!

I knew I needed rules, otherwise past me would start negotiating with the present me and that wouldn't end well.

If it doesn’t fit, it goes!

This one was important. If it didn’t fit me on the day I was doing the clear out, it went straight into the donate pile. I had things that were too small and too big. I wasn't keeping clothes for a version of me that may or may not exist one day.

If it hadn’t been worn in 12 months, out it went!

Twelve months is generous. It covers all seasons, birthdays, Christmas, random days out and those moments when you’re saving an outfit for something special. If I hadn’t worn it in a whole year, I wasn’t suddenly going to start now. This rule even claimed some of my PJs, which hurt a bit because you all know how much I love my PJs but if they were shoved at the back on the shelf and I always picked the same ones instead, so what was the point?

If it was damaged beyond reasonable repair, it was gone!

There was no I might fix this one day. I had trousers with holes in them that I had planned on fixing but deep down I knew I wouldn't. I had tons of paint-covered tops and leggings from when I had been decorating which I kept in case I needed them again. I haven't needed them, so most of them were thrown away and there were items that were past their best. Most of it went in the bin, but I did keep some old T-shirts to rip up for cleaning rags.

If it made me smile, I kept it.

I used the Marie Kondo rule and it worked. If I picked something up and it made me smile, it stayed. Some things were tempting to keep just for nostalgia, but I reminded myself that memories don’t live in wardrobes.

If I wore it regularly, it stayed!

This one was easy. If it’s something I reach for all the time, it didn’t even get questioned. Straight into the keep pile with no guilt attached.

To stop myself getting stressed, I worked through one category at a time. Dresses, jeans and trousers, then T-shirts, jumpers and finally pyjamas. There was no chucking things aside to deal with later. Each item had to earn its place. Some things needed trying on, especially summer dresses I hadn’t worn much yet. I asked myself how I felt in them, not how I wished I felt. That made the decision much clearer. Then came the big realisations. Did I really need eight black cardigans? I didn't, kept three and donated the rest. I counted 56 T-shirts! I cut that number in half and only kept the ones I actually loved and wore.

The donation pile quickly became my favourite, it felt like a reward. Knowing those clothes were going to people who wanted or needed them. It made it easier to let things go. Someone else gets to enjoy them instead of them gathering dust with me. The toss pile was smaller than I expected, which surprised me and the keep pile was my new wardrobe. Seeing it all together was such a moment. I could actually see what I owned, I rediscovered things I loved but hadn’t worn in ages because they’d been buried and it felt lighter.

Opening my wardrobe now doesn’t stress me out. I’m not battling hangers or digging through stuff I don’t even like. Everything there has earned its spot and the best part is that I actually wear more of what I own now. Nothing’s hiding, there's just clothes I like, that fit and that work for the life I have now.

What is your wardrobe/closet like? Organised or chaotic?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #55

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's one piece of advice you would you give a recent or soon-to-be graduate?

Learn how to properly look after a home! It doesn’t sound as exciting as career goals or big life plans but this is the stuff that makes everything else easier. When your home life is running smoothly, everything else feels more manageable! Knowing how to cook a few decent meals is a big one. It saves money, stops you living off takeaways and means you’re not standing in the kitchen late in an evening wondering what to eat. Keeping on top of laundry is important. It piles up fast if you ignore it and suddenly you’re doing emergency washes because you’ve run out of basics. Cleaning doesn’t have to turn into a full weekend job, the trick is doing little bits often. Then there’s managing your bills and general life admin. Setting up direct debits and keeping a budget isn't the most exciting part of being an adult but it needs to be done!

2. May 15th marks the birth date of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. At this point in time are you more in need of brains, courage, heart, or a trip back home? Explain.

With everything going on in life, it’s not that I don’t know what to do, so I can’t really blame a lack of brains and I don’t feel short on heart either. It’s more about having that confidence to actually do the things I keep thinking about. I’ve got ideas, plans and little goals sitting there waiting but instead of jumping in, I can end up overthinking them. So it comes down to me needing courage or someone to give me a big kick up the behind. lol

3. "There's no place like home" is an oft repeated line from Baum's book. When was the last time you felt the truth of that statement?

During the week when I had been out running errands! The best part about being out is coming home. Shutting the door, taking my shoes and coat off, getting changed into comfy clothes and enjoying the quiet. The day hadn't been stressful in the slightest but at home I can relax without having to rush about, talk to people, being pulled in ten different directions or thinking about what’s next. It was nice for it to be just me, in my space and having everything just how I left it. There really is no place like home!

4. May is National BBQ Month...do you own a grill? Who does the grilling at your house? What's your favorite thing to throw on the grill? What's the last thing you grilled?

We do have a little BBQ somewhere in the back of the garage but we rarely use it. Living in England, the weather is never fully on our side, so planning a BBQ always feels like a gamble. You get that one sunny day when everyone gets excited, burgers and sausages are bought and then the clouds roll in and the rain comes, so we don’t really grill often. Maybe once or twice a year, usually right in the middle of summer, when everything lines up just right and we take a risk with the weather. When we do use it, it’s pretty simple stuff like burgers, sausages and maybe some chicken if we’re feeling organised. My favourites are beef burgers, which are usually overdone a little and they were probably the last thing we grilled.

5. What's a memory you replay in your head when you need a little joy?

Right now, thinking about BBQ's is the memory of when we had a little beach party for Ellie's 9th birthday! It was a bank holiday Monday so there was no travelling to the beach. I made one in our backyard with two little paddling pools. One filled with sand and the other with water. We had a BBQ, pinata to smash and of course, grilled food. It was such a lovely day! The weather wasn't perfect but we didn't let it spoil our fun!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

This is totally random. Scones are a big thing in my family. My grandmother was an amazing baker, so I was told as she passed away before I was born and her sisters, my great Aunt especially, were too. My great Aunt was a big part of my life and whenever we visited her she always had freshly baked scones ready for us. Anyway, my dad has been on a trip down memory lane. He went to visit a relative and was given a ton of photos and they got chatting about my great aunt and her scones, so he has been on a mission to recreate them. He has made quite a few batches and while I was visiting the other day, he whipped up another batch which tasted so good but he wanted my honest opinion, were they as good as Aunty Jean's? They came close but sadly, no. I told him he needed to keep practising and sending any going spare this way.

Share our Lives - Go to lunches on the go!

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: Go to lunches on the go!

I am not a packed lunch kind of person. I don't have the Pinterest perfect lunches but I sometimes wish I could be bothered. I admire those people who do make their own lunches to take out. I am more about the kind you grab between appointments, visiting shops or just because I'm already out and I'm starving. This is very much what I actually eat post, with no food shaming and no pretending I always choose the salad.

Greggs!

Greggs the bakery chain is usually my first thought when it comes to something to eat when I am out. They seem to be on every high street. In fact, we have two on our main street. The main sellers are the savoury pastries. Think flaky, warm pastry filled with things like steak, chicken or cheese and even vegan ones. The sausage roll is legendary. Cheap, hot, comforting and eaten at all times of day. They also make sandwiches, breakfast items and a ridiculous amount of sweet stuff. Doughnuts, yum yums (twisted sugary bread sticks that are way better than they sound), pastries and cakes. You don’t sit down. You queue, order, pay and leave with your food in a paper bag. It’s affordable, quick and just delicious!

The classic sandwich!

Sometimes I just want a sandwich that I can eat while walking or perched on a bench doing a bit of people watching. Supermarket meal deals are a wonderful thing. A sandwich, snack and drink for around £4. I usually stick to simple fillings. Tuna and sweetcorn, chicken salad or egg and cress, a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar and a small bottle of juice. It’s practical and does the job.

A cafe lunch!

Now and then I’ll slow things down and actually sit somewhere. This usually happens when I’ve got time, I’m already tired or I need to go somewhere with a toilet. A little cafe lunch feels like a treat without being a big thing. I’m talking about things like jacket potatoes with beans or tuna, a toastie or a panini. Sometimes I just want something warm and served on an actual plate. There’s something good about sitting down, having a proper cup of tea and not eating in a rush.

The burger van!

Some days, a sandwich just won’t cut it and that’s when the burger van comes in. There’s one in town that smells amazing! A burger from a van is messy, hot, doesn't have the fancy brioche buns, there are no tiny portions. Just a burger in a bun with fried onions! I usually regret nothing except maybe wearing a light coloured top because I always seem to spill ketchup down myself.

Wetherspoons!

Wetherspoons the no-frills British pub chain where the food is cheap, portions are decent and the menu is massive is great for a quick lunch. You can get a full meal for the price of a coffee in some places. I usually get a jacket potato or something simple and a soft drink but if it's before midday, I will get a breakfast for around £5 with refillable tea, coffee or hot chocolate for just under £2.

Most of my lunches on the go aren’t fancy. There is no pressure to eat what I packed just because I packed it and sometimes a bought lunch feels like a little reward, especially on busy days when I've already done too much and still have loads left to do. I like knowing I’ve got options and I like that food out in the world always tastes a bit better than it probably should. What do you have for your lunch when you are out and about?

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! 11th - 17th May #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you have all had a good weekend. Ours was a quiet one and I am happy with that. May is always a quiet month for us, then June, July and August are different, they always get so busy!

Last week's meal plan went well. We did better than the week before, we ate all the meals and only swapped a couple of days. This week we have another Gousto box. It has already been delivered and I am looking forward to the meals.

This week is going to be a quiet week for me. At the start of the week I am waiting in for deliveries and after that I don't really have any plans. It might give me a chance to start painting the living room doors and nag Becky to start decluttering her bedroom as I don't think she has much planned this week.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Chicken Fajitas!

I am blaming the Wednesday Hodgepodge for this. I mentioned in last week's post that it had been a long time since we had fajitas and I should add them to the meal plan soon and it is all I have been thinking about. I will have to nip out for the ingredients but that shouldn't be a problem.

Tuesday - Gousto Meal - One Pan Alpine-Style Sausage & Waxy Potato Hash!

We had this for the first time at the start of last month and I knew my family would love it, so we are having it again. It’s a one-pan meal, so there is less washing up. The sausages and onions get cooked together with crushed potatoes until everything is golden and crispy. Then it all gets coated in butter and herbs with a bit of thyme and topped with melted cheese.

Wednesday - Gousto Meal - Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff!

This is a new meal for us. The mushroom stroganoff is a meat-free twist on a classic stroganoff with mushrooms cooked in a rich, creamy sauce. Served with linguine. I imagine this is going to be so nice.

Thursday - Gousto Meal - Smoky BBQ Chicken With Pepper & Corn Salad!

This is a favourite of ours. The chicken gets coated in a sticky BBQ-style mix with tomato paste, Henderson’s relish and smoked paprika, then cooked until it’s all caramelised and smells amazing. It’s served with crispy potatoes and a fresh pepper and corn salad and looks way fancier than it is!

Friday - A takeaway of some sort!

Friday night is an easy night for me. I don't cook and we order takeaway. Last week we had a little Chinese takeaway which was so good, as it's been quite a while since we last had one and this week who knows? Most weeks I have pizza at my dad's for lunch, so that rules that out but we still have plenty of options.

Saturday - Gousto Meal - Peri Peri Spiced Basa Fish Cakes With Chips And Spicy Peas!

This is another new meal for us which sounds interesting. Basa fish cakes mixed with sweet potato, coated in panko breadcrumbs and packed with peri peri spice so they come out crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. It comes with chips on the side, plus peas that aren’t just plain peas. There’s mint and a bit of chilli in there. It all sounds so full of flavour.

Sunday - Pie and mash!

A nice easy meal for Sunday. Ready-made pies with mashed potato and either baked beans or peas.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 3rd - 9th May! Week 19 of #Project365

Happy Sunday and Mother's Day to those who read from across the pond. I hope you have a wonderful day! We have had a nice week. The weather hasn't been the best but we have made up for it, coming up with ideas for what we are going to do over the summer. We have days out planned, a night or two away and some projects to do at home.

It's a quiet weekend here with Becky working and the rest of us sleeping until late today because there was wrestling live on TV last night. It started at 11pm so it is just too tempting to stay up and watch and then not being able to tear myself away from the TV. It was much easier when it started later, at 1am and I just caught up the next day. lol We don't have anything planned for today. I think it will be a day of staying in our PJs and watching movies.

Now for a photo every day!

123/365 3rd May

We went out for lunch on Sunday and had the most delicious meal. The desserts were amazing. I already shared a photo of mine on Wednesday but this is the rhubarb crumble and custard that Stu and Becky had. It took them a good 10 minutes to even take a bite as it was so hot but so worth the wait!

124/365 4th May

It's tulip time! At the start of the year, I buy daffodils and now it's time for tulips! I got them with the weekly food shop. They came and looked so sorry for themselves but after a day or two they had a good drink, stood up tall and looked beautiful.

125/365 5th May

I planted these on the Monday, took this photo 8 days later and now they have almost doubled in size. Don't ask me what they are though I forgot to label them. I did put the photo into ChatGPT and it said, "They look a lot like something from the brassica family (the cabbage gang). Think along the lines of radish, broccoli, cabbage, or even cress". I am pretty sure I didn't plant any of those, so only time is going to tell. lol

126/365 6th May

Wednesday was a cosy day at home with mugs of tea, my blanket and thoughts about putting the heating on. It was so chilly and grey out. I took great pleasure in not moving around too much and caught up with things on my laptop.

127/365 7th May

I buy a couple of tubs of Pringles most weeks and spotted these in Sainsbury's. Two limited editions, Bacon Double Cheese XL and Chicken Royale so we had to try them. This is just down to my personal taste. The Bacon Double Cheese ones were not good. I can't even describe how they tasted, it was nothing like anything I had tasted before and not in a good way. Ellie said they would be OK with a dip to hide the taste. lol The Chicken Royale ones were weird, they smelled of mayonnaise and salad but just tasted like chicken crisps, which wasn't a bad thing.

128/365 8th May

My dad was given a ton of old photos by a family member that he went to visit and there were some fantastic ones. Lots of him when he was younger and of course my brother and I. I always forget how much my girls look like me. In this photo I have Becky's face but Ellie's smile. Oh, and the least said about my brother's haircut the better. It looks a little wonky. hehehe

129/365 9th May

Ellie got the Alpine F1 T-shirt a little while ago from Primark and wanted the hoodie too but I am sure it was around £24 which seemed a lot. I wasn't going to pay that and neither was she, so when Becky was in Primark and saw it reduced to £15 she asked me if she should get it. Of course!!

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