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

This week my Word of the Week is:

I hope you have all had a great week. I've had a good one but I feel like I don't have much to write about as not much has been happening here but I am sure once I start writing a post will come together.

The biggest news from this week is that England are out of the World Cup. Hmmf. I am gutted that they lost against Argentina. It seemed as soon as they went a goal up they panicked and played too defensively. Instead of continuing to play and making Argentina worry about them, England started focusing more and more on stopping Argentina scoring, which did not work. Oh well, we have one more match today against France to see who comes in 3rd place, which seems like the most pointless match ever. I'll still watch it though because it's football and I can't help myself.

This week we found out that Ellie could have another year at college if she wanted. She gets another year funded because she doesn't turn 19 until the end of August and the cut-off date is the 31st. It was quite a surprise because we'd just assumed that it was done with. She would love to do another year because lots of her friends will still be at college but that's the only reason. She's now reached the point where she feels like she's closed that chapter of her life and is ready to move on to whatever comes next. She has an interview next week for a little something, so we're keeping everything crossed that it goes well.

On Monday we went into town for a little mooch around the shops. We didn't really need anything so there was a lot of window shopping. We ended up stopping for lunch at the all-you-can-eat place because it's only £9 something at lunchtime on a Monday, which is such a bargain. I didn't eat another proper meal all day and just had a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits later in the evening. I definitely got my money's worth.

I've just started watching Elle on Prime. It's a prequel to Legally Blonde and I'm really enjoying it so far. Now that the football has finished, I can get back to my watch list and I have so much on it since I haven't watched anything apart from football for the last month. I want to watch Little House on the Prairie, I Will Find You, The Five Star Weekend, Ride or Die, Off Campus and Dutton Ranch. I don't know when I'll fit them all in.

A hosepipe ban came in at the start of the week and watering the garden has become a bit of a chore. Filling watering cans over and over again isn't nearly as easy as standing there with the hose. The plants are definitely worth the effort though. I remember at the start of the year when it seemed to rain every single day for weeks. I complained constantly about it. Well, I take it all back now. A little bit of rain would actually be quite welcome.

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!

All the little things I love about my garden! #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a good week. Mine has been a good one but quiet and I don't have many favourites to share from it, not because there hasn't been good things happening but because I haven't really done anything exciting, so I thought I would write about my garden. I am of course still linking up with Erika and Andrea to share.

I never used to be someone who got excited about the garden but these days I find myself looking out of the window to see what's changed overnight or wandering outside just to have a little look around. Here are some of the little things I love most about my garden.

Everything is growing really well!

This year everything seems to have gone a little mad. Every time I go outside, something else has grown, another flower has opened or a plant has doubled in size. It is amazing to see and it feels like all my hard work planting and nurturing the little plants has paid off.

The bees and butterflies!

One of my favourite things has to be all the bees and butterflies that visit my garden. I could happily sit watching them buzzing around for ages. I love how the bees disappear into one flower and then make their way on to the next one and I love how the butterflies seem to float around without a care in the world. I like knowing that the flowers are doing their bit to attract them too.

Random flowers that appear from nowhere!

I'll be walking around the garden and suddenly notice flowers growing somewhere I wasn't expecting them. Half the time I've completely forgotten planting them and the other half I haven't got a clue how they got there.

The afternoon sunshine!

One of the best things about our garden is that it gets all the sunshine from about 11am right up until it sets. I should really sit out there more but I don't like the heat and just sitting bores me senseless. I do pop out there throughout the day for a few minutes at a time for a mooch around, to take photos of my plants and give myself five minutes.

It's nice and low maintenance!

I'm not someone who wants to spend every day gardening. I like a garden that mostly looks after itself with the odd bit of help from me. I'll water the plants, pull out a few weeds, cut back the odd plant and that's about it.

Stu cuts the grass!

I think this deserves a special mention because it's one gardening job I don't have to think about. Stu keeps on top of cutting the grass, which I'm very grateful for because pushing a lawnmower around isn't really my idea of fun.

The birds!

There are the blackbirds hopping around looking for worms and the pigeons wander around like they own the place. I was sat here in the week and saw birds flapping around the front of the house and I looked and there must have been about 50 birds just pecking for worms or whatever they were doing. It was very odd to see! I love hearing all the birds singing first thing in the morning too. It's a much nicer alarm clock than my phone.

Everything changes so quickly!

One thing I love is that the garden never stays the same. One week there are buds everywhere, then suddenly they're all flowering. The colours change all the time and every few days there's something different to notice.

What do you love about your garden?

The cheap little things that make me happy!

You know when someone asks what makes you happy and you feel like you should say something really meaningful like spending time with family, living in the moment, all that lovely stuff. Don’t get me wrong, that is all important but if I'm being properly real for a second, it’s often the tiny, cheap little things that actually make my day better. Not the big holidays, designer handbags and not even those fancy coffees with swirly cream and a caramel drizzle that cost half your weekly food shop. I’m talking about all those small, budget friendly bits that somehow bring way more joy than they probably should.

So here are a few of my favourite cheap little happiness boosters.

A Greggs sausage roll!

I don’t care how fancy anyone claims their taste is, a Greggs sausage roll just hits the spot every single time. Flaky pastry, hot filling and slightly too greasy in the best way possible. You know it’s going to burn your mouth and you still go in for a big bite anyway. It’s still one of the cheapest little treats going. Proper proof that happiness doesn’t need a big price tag.

A new mug (usually under £3)!

Do I need another mug? Nope, but I will still buy a new one if the price is right. There’s something satisfying about starting your day with a cute mug of tea or coffee. It somehow makes your morning drink taste better!

Fresh bedding!

This one doesn’t cost extra but it deserves a spot because it feels like a total life reset. Fresh sheets and clean PJs after a bath or shower feels amazing and such a treat to get into bed.

A chippy tea!

There's nothing quite like it. Hot chips, salt & vinegar and eating it straight from the packaging that it came in. All while sitting on the sofa in front of the TV. It's simple, messy and the best tea!

Supermarket flowers!

Give me a £4 bunch from Tesco and I’m happy. I don’t need anything fancy from a florist. Something pretty on the fireplace really brightens the room up and makes it a bit more cheerful. It’s such a small thing but it really lifts my mood!

Cosy socks!

Those fluffy socks you grab in Primark for a couple of quid are the best. They may not last more than a few months but they make your feet feel like they’ve checked into a luxury hotel, forget spa days. I’m choosing socks!

Candles!

There’s something magical about a candle, even when it costs next to nothing in a bargain shop. I light one and suddenly my house feels like I’ve made an effort. Never mind the washing pile, or the dinner I’ve forgotten to cook. The candle here is a mood booster which makes me forget all my problems.

Stationery bits!

A new notebook or a fresh pen somehow makes me feel like I'm about to become organised, even if that feeling only lasts a couple of days. There’s just something about blank pages that feels full of possibility.

Maybe happiness isn’t always the big shiny stuff we’re told it should be. Maybe it’s the candle, the last chip or that new mug I didn’t need but had to have anyway. Those things manage to turn an ordinary day into something a bit better!

What cheap things make you happy?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #64

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. "Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability." Sam Keen. Do you feel less guilty relaxing in July than you do in January? Elaborate.

I definitely feel less guilty about relaxing in July than I do in January. It feels OK and acceptable to slow down in the summer, the days are longer, the weather is usually nicer and over the last month or so here it's been too hot to do anything majorly productive. The less I move, the better. hehehe Tea over the last couple of weeks has been quick and easy instead of standing in the hot kitchen and sitting outside feels like I am making the most of the nice weather instead of wasting my time. January feels different with the new year, new start mentality. January is all about being busy. You see reminders to get organised, eat better, lose weight and exercise more. I always feel like I should be busy in January, ticking things off my to-do list and it's exhausting compared to the summer months.

2. What's a telltale sign you're upset?

I go quiet! I keep everything to myself and overthink it all. The people who know me best can usually tell something isn't right as soon as I am giving one-word answers. I sometimes think that it would be better for me to get it all out by shouting and screaming and have it all done with instead of me dwelling on things!

3. July 16th is National AI Day. What are your general thoughts and/or experiences with AI? Have you purposely used it? Does it excite you, scare you, or worry you? What do you see as a benefit? How about something relating to AI you see as a negative?

My thoughts on AI are a bit mixed. I use it almost every day now and I probably use it more than Google. If I need ideas for a blog post, want help fixing something around the house or have a random question pop into my head, AI is usually the first place I go instead of searching through lots of websites trying to find the answer, I can ask one question and get a straightforward answer. It saves a lot of time. I also use AI to create images for the top of my blog posts and random things like the image of the trifle below.

On the other hand, AI worries me! It is scary what it can do and how realistic it can be when it comes to creating photos, videos and voices. I have seen videos of people doing or saying things that they would never do and things like that could be so dangerous if they are used in the wrong way! It's sometimes so hard to tell what's real and what's fake. Ellie has been applying for jobs and AI is used a lot in the process for some companies. She had a conversation with AI who decided she wasn't suitable for a job but I feel that if she had been talking to a real person she would have been able to explain that, yes, she wasn't great at a certain thing but still had so much to offer. I always think back to watching the Terminator movies where AI took over, became self-aware and sees humanity as a threat. I know it is just fiction, it's just a movie but I feel like that is where we are heading. AI is going to take over.

4. You're invited to a summer pot luck and are asked to bring an appetizer, salad/side, or dessert. Which category do you go for and what are you bringing?

I would choose dessert. There will always be people who say they're too full after the main meal but somehow they'll still find room for dessert! I think I would bring a homemade trifle.

It's one of those classic desserts that always reminds me of family get-togethers. I'd make it with layers of sponge cake, strawberry jelly, custard, whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate flakes on top. Trifle is a fun dessert, it's colourful, easy to serve and always looks way more impressive than it actually is.

5. It wouldn't be summer without___________________.

Me complaining about the heat! Every single year, in winter, when I'm wrapped up in a blanket, wearing three layers, I convince myself that I would happily live somewhere hot all year round. Now here we are in the summer and it has been hot here, much hotter than what we're used to and it has felt like all I have done is complain about it. We don't have air conditioning so it feels like the house is a greenhouse and I am being slow cooked. I've not able to get comfortable in bed no matter how many times I turn the pillow over, so I am moody because of the lack of sleep! The other week, when it was a really hot day, I went to get dressed, putting 3/4 length leggings on and I was that done with the heat and being sweaty I said no and put loose fitting pjs on. I've been having 3 showers a day some days just to cool off and we have gone through so many ice cubes.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

England are through to the semi-finals of the World Cup and they play tonight against Argentina! Eek! We've not had much luck against them in the past. There was the infamous 1996 Hand of God goal, where Maradona punched the ball into the net and the sending off of David Beckham in 1998, where we lost on penalties. During this tournament, I have seen favouritism being shown to Argentina, especially when they played against Egypt and Switzerland. I don't hate Argentina, they have an amazing team, it just feels like they are the chosen ones and referees have been easy on them!