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

This week my Word of the Week is:

What a week! It has been a long one but it seems to have flown over at the same time. I am very glad it's the weekend and we are all home and can relax a little. This week has been quite eventful even though I had planned on a quiet week. We had more drama with the drains being blocked which I wrote about yesterday. Short story is, it was limescale blocking them this time. I spent the weekend watching Wrestling and still catching up with it on Monday. Becky got engaged, I am feeling better, Stu is not, we've all slept in when we needed to be up and did I mention I am ready for the weekend! lol

This time last week, I was just starting with a cold and now I am nearing the end but Stu started with it on Wednesday evening. Ugh! He went to bed early, not feeling great, which was the sensible thing to do until around 11pm when I had to wake him up. I went into the kitchen when I was on my way to bed and saw the garage light was on and I was sure someone was moving around in there. I ran upstairs, woke Stu and he said Oops, he must have left the light on earlier. There was no one moving around in there, it was just my eyes playing tricks on me. He went and switched it off. I felt bad for waking him up as he hadn't been asleep for long but like he said, he left the light on and he didn't really want it on all night as the electrics are not amazing in there. Eek!

Becky got engaged! She asked the love of her life to marry her on Wednesday evening and of course, the answer was yes! What made it funny was "M" was calling her Nanna, sister and whoever else to tell them the news and they all already knew. Becky is good at keeping secrets but not good at keeping things totally to herself. They are in no rush to get married yet, they have more plans to put into place before that happens. They got engaged in Newcastle Upon Tyne, their happy place. They went there to see Alex Warren in concert on Thursday night but during the day Becky had a trip down memory lane showing "M" where she grew up when we lived in Northumberland. They got off the bus near Becky's high school, walked past the two houses we lived in, stopped off for lunch at the local Wetherspoons, walked up the high street and then got the train back to Newcastle. That is new, there wasn't any trains when we lived there. Hmmf.

Ellie was feeling the first week back at college after a two week break and sleeping in until she felt ready to get up. She slept in one day this week. Of course it was her sister's fault. If she ever does sleep in, she knows Becky comes in just after half past seven, which still leaves enough time to get ready and run for the bus but Becky had other plans and never came home, so Ellie missed the college bus and had to get the normal bus and then another one to college. She wasn't that late, only about 20 minutes. Phew! Stu slept in on Thursday morning, not too late. His watch usually wakes him up but that day his actual alarm went off and I almost slept in the day the food shop was delivered. I hit snooze one too many times.

I am so glad I haven't moved my plants outside yet. I had just about given up that my peppers were going to grow but they're doing their own thing at their own pace and have started to sprout. My little greenhouses are out of the garage ready to be filled but I think I am going to hold off as the temperature is so up and down at the moment. Stu leaves the house on a morning wrapped up in a thick coat as it's freezing and the said coat gets carried home when it has warmed up later in the day.

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 17. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a good week. This week seems to have gone extra quick which I am happy about as I didn't have much planned. I had a cold over the weekend which dragged on throughout the week but I am feeling much better now. As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea to share the things that I have loved over the past week.

Wrestlemania!

I know most people are not wrestling fans but I am and it is a favourite of my week. I watched both nights shows live, staying up until late, way past my bedtime and it was worth it. What wasn't on my Wrestlemania bingo card was crying. I cried both nights. Firstly, when a wrestler announced that she was pregnant and on the second night when a big wrestler retired, which felt very strange, as for years I had hated him! It was special as you could almost see him passing the torch, so to speak, to a young and upcoming wrestler. Lots of my favourites won and there were some amazing matches!

Unblocked drains!

Every couple of years our drains outside get blocked up and the toilet backs up. It's not our fault or our neighbours. It's just one of those things we have put up with. We were told a couple of years ago there was a dip in one of the pipes and stuff just collected there and caused a blockage. The water people came out, cleared the blockage and put a camera down and discovered what the big issue was! It's limescale!! The pipes coming from our drains, towards the road are full of the stuff. The men who were unblocking the drains said it's really common and they are sending another van out with a special tool which will scrape all the limescale away. It might not be anytime soon as there is a waiting list for the van with the tool but it shows how common it is.

Vicks Shower Steamers!

I was full of cold over the weekend and I found the box of Vicks Shower Steamers that my eldest had bought when she had the cold. I thought I would give one a try and they are brilliant. You just pop on in the shower with you and the menthol and camphor scents are released! I don't think they are totally meant for when you have a cold but they did help me feel better and cleared my head a little.

Cancelled plans!

I had plans tonight but I just couldn't be bothered. I didn't cancel at short notice, I decided on Tuesday I wasn't going out and let the people know. It feels good just to say no. I used to be a yes person and would do things when I wasn't feeling great or not that into it but now I feel like I am at that time in life where I have to do what is right for me. So, tonight for me it's fish and chips for tea, PJ's and sitting down in front of the TV.

My eldest living her best life!

My eldest works hard and plays hard too. This week she finished a night shift, had a few hours sleep and went off on her travels. She went on a city break to Newcastle Upon Tyne. She had a lovely meal out, a walk by the river and got engaged to the love of her life. I of course knew it was going to happen but when I got the phone call saying it had, she sounded so happy! Last night she went to see Alex Warren in concert and today she returns home and will probably want to go for an afternoon nap before having a catch-up and she's back to work tomorrow.

What have you loved over the past week?

A beginner’s guide: What to plant in the garden at the end of April!

Now is the time when the garden is waking up, the days feel longer and you suddenly feel like you should be doing something outside, even if you’re not totally sure what. If you’re a beginner gardener, now is usually the point where doubt creeps in and you ask yourself have you left planting things too late or is it still too early? The end of April is actually a perfect time to start planting in a UK garden. You just need to pick the right things and keep them simple.

If you’re new to growing veg, April is actually a great place to start. A lot of vegetables like cooler weather and don’t need perfect conditions to get going.

Potatoes!

If you haven’t planted potatoes yet, you’re not too late. Late April is fine. They’re one of the most forgiving things that you can grow. You can plant them straight into the ground or even into bags or tubs if you are short on space. They don’t need special soil, just dig a trench, pop them in, cover them up and you’re done.

Carrots!

Carrots are perfect to plant at the end of April. They like cooler temperatures and actually do better when they’re not rushed. Plant them directly into the ground or into deep pots. The thing with carrots is not to disturb them too much. Just plant them, water and leave them be.

Beetroot!

Beetroot is another one that doesn't mind the cooler weather and grows easily from a seed. You can plant beetroot straight outside now and keep sowing every few weeks for a steady supply. They don’t need much attention, they grow quickly and you can eat both the root and the leaves.

Lettuce and salad leaves!

If you want quick results, salad leaves are perfect. Lettuce, rocket, spinach and mixed salad seeds can all be sown at the end of April. They grow fast, don’t need loads of space and are great in pots or containers. Plus, you can just pick what you need and leave the rest growing.

Strawberries!

If you only grow one fruit, make it strawberries. They’re perfect for end of April planting and are very forgiving. You can plant them in pots, hanging baskets, grow bags and raised beds. They don’t need loads of space and they start rewarding you pretty quickly, which always helps motivation. Plant them now, keep them watered and by early summer you’ll be enjoying them as dessert.

Blueberries!

Blueberries are great in pots, which makes them perfect for beginners. Plant them in a pot, keep them watered and they’ll be quite happy. They also look nice, so they earn their keep even before fruiting.

Apple and pear trees!

If you’ve got the space, late April is fine for planting container-grown fruit trees. You don’t need a massive orchard. There are plenty of smaller trees or patio varieties that do well in pots. Once planted, they just quietly get on with growing while you feel very proud every time you look at them. They won’t give you fruit straight away but it's worth the wait!

Parsley!

Parsley takes it's time to germinate, so don’t panic if nothing seems to be happening. Sow it now and forget about it for a bit. It’s hardy, survives cool weather and once it gets going, it just keeps giving.

Chives!

Chives are basically indestructible. You can plant them in the ground or in a pot and they’ll come back year after year. They don’t need special treatment and are one of those plants that make you feel like you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t.

Mint!

Mint is easy. Too easy. It will grow pretty much anywhere and take over if you let it. If you’re a beginner, keep mint in a pot. Plant it now and enjoy but don’t let it loose in your borders unless you want mint everywhere.

Flowers are where gardening gets really fun, especially when you’re starting out. Seeing things bloom feels like magic, even if you barely did anything.

Hardy annuals from seed!

Annual flowers can be sown directly outside at the end of April. These are flowers that don’t mind cooler temperatures and will happily grow where you put them. Good beginner choices include: Sweet peas, Cornflowers, Calendula and Nigella! They’re easy, forgiving and don’t mind if you mess up a bit. Scatter the seeds, cover lightly, water and see what happens.

Bedding plants!

You’ll see loads of bedding plants in garden centres by late April and it’s tempting to buy everything! You can plant them out now but be prepared to protect them if there’s a late frost. If you’re unsure, keep them in pots near the house or somewhere sheltered for another couple of weeks.

Perennials!

Perennials are plants that come back year after year and it feels like a bargain once you realise you only have to plant them once. Late April is a good time to plant perennials like Lavender, Hardy geraniums, Lupins and Echinacea. They’ll settle in over spring and summer and reward you later on.

A few beginner tips before you get planting!

You don’t need to do everything perfectly. Gardening is very forgiving, despite what Instagram might suggest.

Don’t overwater. Most plants hate sitting in soggy soil.

Read the seed packet but don’t stress about it.

Start small. You don’t need to plant everything at once.

Expect a few failures. Everyone has them, even experienced gardeners.

The end of April is about getting going, not getting it all right.

So if you’re at that end of April stage where the garden is calling your name but you’re not quite sure where to begin, this is your sign to just start. You don’t need to do everything at once and you definitely don’t need to know all the rules. A few seeds, a couple of pots and a bit of time outside is more than enough.

Are you planting anything this year?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #52

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. April 22nd is Earth Day...what's the most 'out of this world' place on earth you've ever visited? Tell us something about it.

I’m actually quite boring when it comes to travelling. I don’t really go anywhere but the most "out of this world" trip I’ve had was spending Christmas in a hotel with my family, my dad and his partner. It just felt really different from the usual Christmas at home. Everything was already done, the decorations were up, there was no stress about cooking or cleaning and it felt like I was stepping into a Christmas film for a few days.

2. A favorite quote, verse, or song lyric with the word earth in it?

The first thought I had for this was Earth Song by Michael Jackson, I used to love that song and the music video which went with it but thought that was too obvious! I found a few quotes which did make me smile:

Be like Earth: keep spinning even when nobody appreciates the effort.

You are allowed to grow slowly. Earth took billions of years and still isn’t finished.

If Earth can survive asteroids, you can survive that awkward email you sent.

When life feels heavy, remember Earth is literally carrying oceans on its back and still showing up daily.

3. What's the most trivial thing about which you have a strong opinion?

The TV volume! It is never right! One minute someone’s whispering like they’re sharing a big secret and the next minute it’s like the whole soundtrack is trying to blow the windows out. When I am watching some shows, it feels like I am a sound engineer, constantly turning it up then down! While I am on about the volume on the TV, it has to be on an even number. Odd numbers just feel wrong.

4. What's your most commonly used kitchen utensil or tool? What's the last thing you made using that tool?

I bought some tongs a few years ago and they are the most used thing in my kitchen. I got a pack of 5 or 6 purely to get things out of the air fryer but now I use them with everything like the George Foreman grill, turning things over in pans and they have saved me from burning myself many times while using the air fryer. I last used them to make the red onion and bacon tart. They are great for turning the bacon over in the pan and scooping the red onions out of the pan to put on the pastry.

5. Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me a great book of 3000 questions, and I'm going to try to use one in our Hodgepodge every week. Here is today's - What is your greatest extravagance?

My biggest extravagance is definitely takeaways but not just the obvious ones, like pizza, Chinese food or fish and chips. It’s the random shop sandwiches for lunch when I could’ve easily made something at home but didn’t. It’s picking up a sausage roll when I’m out, even though I wasn’t even hungry five minutes earlier but I could smell them coming from the shop. It’s the fancy coffee drinks which are like a reward for getting something done. All these little food decisions add up and I never seem to learn.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

If my eldest could have a break from bringing colds and germs home from work that would be great. I came down with a cold that I caught from her over the weekend. Thankfully, I didn't feel too ill. It was more the inconvenience from my runny nose and not sleeping as much as I would have liked but that worked out well. I was snotty and sneezing, dosed up with cold and flu tablets and felt wide awake, which meant I stayed up both nights to watch Wrestlemania. If I had been feeling well I would not have stayed up both nights but sick me thought I was going to be awake anyway, so I might as well. I am feeling much better now and can at least breathe through my nose properly again.