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

This week my Word of the Week is:

Ahh! Saturday again. Why do the weeks always seem to fly over at this time of year? I've been thinking about what word sums up the last seven days. It's been one of those weeks where when I look back nothing exciting has happened but at the same time there have been lots of little things going on. Family plans, Halloween celebrations, bonfires, job interviews, Christmas thoughts and general happenings!

Ellie has of course had another job interview, they seem like a weekly thing at the moment. We were speaking to someone who is also looking for work and they said Ellie must be doing something right as at least she is getting the interviews. The person we know has been looking for a job a lot longer than Ellie and has only had 1 interview so far. It's so hard for youngsters trying to get a job at the moment. Everyone seems to want people with experience but you can't get experience unless you do the job! It's frustrating but getting through to the interview stage is still a positive thing! She will keep plodding on, applying, going to interviews and hopefully get a permanent job soon.

Anyway, on to better things! Last week I said I was dressing up for Halloween and surprising Stu. Well he was surprised and actually lost for words. I don't think he quite knew what to say when he saw me. He was so shocked that I dressed up for Halloween as I am not the dressy up type. We had a fantastic evening and just as Stu predicted I lost my horns, last time I remember seeing them a friend had them on and I am pretty sure Ellie's "friend" claimed my wings and took them home. lol Just in case anyone is offended by my devil horns in the Halloween photos, they are just a bit of Halloween fun and no offence is intended.

On Thursday the girls and their people went off to the bonfire and firework display local to us and had a fantastic time. They all had good food, hot chocolate, rode on fairground rides and were right in front of the fire when it was lit. Stu and I stayed home in the warm. It seems people were pretty sensible with fireworks this year as they had all stopped by about 9pm! My dad had his bonfire, Stu saw it when he was going past on the bus and said it looked huge! Eek! It was fine though, it was all under control. Phew!

Now Halloween and Bonfire night are done with we can think more about Christmas and I certainly have been. I have just about all the Christmas gifts bought and those I haven't got yet will be bought in the Black Friday sales, hopefully! Then there is my birthday in a couple of weeks and I can't settle on a plan. I thought I had settled on something but then I've changed my mind and now I don't know what to do. lol It's a total first world problem deciding which Christmas market I want to go to. I said I wanted a change from going to York Christmas market but now the time is getting closer I feel like it's a tradition I don't want to give up. I know what to expect and I have happy memories of going there but then another part of me thinks that doing something different would be lovely too.

I am writing this after just getting back from my dad's, I do love our Friday's together. It's become one of those little routines in my week that I always look forward to. He made lunch, bacon, black pudding and fried egg sandwiches. They were so good. I helped a little with some admin which needed doing and he's coming back this afternoon to drop Ellie at her job interview. He's going into town anyway so it seemed daft her getting the bus.

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 45. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you've all had a good week. I've had a nice one 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!

Christmas food!

I know it's too early for some but yesterday I had some Christmas treats delivered with the grocery shop. Sweet mince pies and some Christmas cake bars and a couple of tubs of chocolate. I did think about putting those away for Christmas but they were never going to last that long, so why pretend? lol I do love seeing all the Christmas food appearing in the supermarkets. It's one of my favourite things about this time of year and I always end up buying things that I probably don't need, just because they're in festive packaging. Becky spoilt me yesterday by bringing me some things from the bakery. A couple of truffle sweet treats and a festive sausage roll. What makes it festive is that it has cranberry sauce in. They are my favourite at this time of year, along with the Greggs Festive Bake which I am yet to try this year. A Festive bake is a mix of cooked chicken, smoked ham hock, sweetcure bacon, soft cheese, and pork, sage and onion stuffing, all combined in a creamy sage and cranberry sauce and wrapped in puff pastry! Delicious!

Two blankets!

I was sitting here mid-week and it was chilly! My single blanket wasn't cutting it anymore, so I had to double up. I could have put the heating on of course but I really don't see the point when it's just me at home. Within half an hour of having the two blankets on me I was toasty and warm again!

This leaf!

This might seem like a rather random thing to include but I spotted this lovely leaf just outside my back door and it made me smile. There are plenty of trees around where I live but none that close to my house, so I wasn't expecting to find it sitting there.

Big Brother UK!

I've been keeping up with Big Brother this year and what a series it's been. The final was last night so writing this yesterday afternoon I don't know who has won. I think they got things right with this year's housemates because there's been plenty of personalities, arguments, friendships, awkward conversations and more than enough drama to keep me entertained. You really couldn't predict what was going to happen next! I hope Twinks or Yasmin won and Rochelle didn't. She has been entertaining but went through that patch of being really mean!

Stranger Things Day!

It is today, the day Will Byers went missing in Hawkins in the show Stranger Things. I thought I'd managed to escape all the Stranger Things theories after the final episode but apparently not! There was a theory that started doing the rounds after the final episode. Fans were convinced that what we saw wasn't actually the real ending and that there was another episode waiting to be released. It was known as Conformity Gate. Now the theories are back and I didn't want to get sucked into watching and reading all about them but I have over the past week and they are so convincing. There probably won't be another episode but we can hope!

This nail polish remover!

I have a little beauty find to share this week. It's one of those small things that makes a job so much easier and I wish I'd bought one sooner. It's a little tub with a sponge inside that is soaked in nail polish remover. You simply pop your finger into the tub, rub your nail against the sponge and the nail polish comes off. No messing about with cotton pads, no trying to hold a bottle while you soak a pad and no bits of cotton wool getting stuck to your nails. It's such a simple idea but it works really well.

Christmas gift buying!

I am finished buying Christmas gifts for my girls! Hooray! I put in a couple of big orders this week, got them some things they had asked for and a few surprises. I got some other people some gifts too and I am feeling pretty pleased with myself. I know what I'm getting my dad but I'm going to wait for the Black Friday sales and everyone else is easy to buy for. I might even get all the wrapping done before the first of December as I've even bought some wrapping paper.

What have you loved this week?

Why I'm staying home this Bonfire Night!

Happy Bonfire Night if you celebrate it. If you are not from the UK you might not know what Bonfire Night is. It happens every year on the 5th of November and is also known as Guy Fawkes Night or Fireworks Night. Way back in 1605 a group of men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. One of them, Guy Fawkes was caught guarding barrels of gunpowder and the rest as they say is history. Now we celebrate with bonfires and fireworks. Lots of people will be wrapping up warm tonight and heading out watch the fireworks, I won't be one of them, I'll be staying home and turning the TV up on to drown out the noise.

I'm not a fan of fireworks and I never have been. Everyone else looks up at the sky oohing and ahhing while I'm just waiting for the banging to stop so I can get on with my evening in peace. I thought today was the perfect time to share why I don't like fireworks.

I am totally blaming my school for my fear of fireworks. At the end of October as far back as I can remember the TV was wheeled out and us kids were shown public safety films. They were all about the dangers of fireworks. The type where sparks fly into people's eyes and fireworks explode in peoples hands. I know the teachers were only trying to keep us kids safe but they did their job a little too well with me! When I was in secondary school there was a huge drama about some boys putting lit fireworks through a teachers letterbox. I can't imagine how scared that teacher must have been and the boys thought it was all fun until they were caught.

For most of my childhood I lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere and there were no fireworks. They was just a thing I had heard about from friends who lived in big towns or and what I saw on TV on New Years Eve! The farmers were sensible enough to think about their animals. One of the things that makes me really sad about Bonfire Night is thinking that the animals must be so frightened by fireworks. Pets, animals on farms and wildlife don't know what's happening. They must think the world is ending with all the noise and flashes in the sky, the poor things. I also feel for all the pet owners who will be spending tonight trying to calm their pets.

One year when I was about eight years old my parents took my brother and me to a fireworks display and I hated every minute of it. I was more interested in working out how I could escape the noise and the crowds. It all ended with me screaming and crying so much that my mam took me back to the car. She was fuming and I still wasn't happy. Eek! At least I'd stopped crying. You'd think that after all these years I'd have got used to them but no I'm still the same!

Bonfire Night isn't just one night anymore, it seems to last for weeks. The fireworks started around here on the 10th of October this year. They are what inspired me to start writing this blog post. They sounded so close and it felt like the whole house was shaking. When the first couple went off I thought something awful had happened outside like a car crash but then realised what the noise was.

By the time the actual 5th of November comes around I'm already fed up with the bangs. I spend the evening listening out for the next one and muttering to myself not again. I don't think it would be so bad if everyone saved their fireworks for the actual night? I know people have different celebrations and there are organised displays on different dates but it doesn't need to go on for weeks!

I know the big bangs are the best part for some people but not for me. I know you can buy quieter fireworks, some are almost silent but I don't think many people think of using them. The worst are the ones that feel so deep that make the windows rattle. Every time one goes off I jump out of my skin. The thing I hate the most is not knowing when the next one is coming. I feel like I can't relax because I'm waiting for another massive bang to make me jump.

By now you've probably worked out that I'm not planning on rushing off to a fireworks display tonight. I don't want to stand outside in the cold and I definitely don't want to spend the evening jumping every time a firework goes off. If you are heading out tonight I hope you have a lovely time. Wrap up warm, stay safe and enjoy the display.

Are you a fan of fireworks, or would you rather stay at home like me?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #80

Happy Wednesday! I hope you're all having a lovely week so far. It’s time for another round of the Wednesday Hodgepodge hosted by Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce gives us six questions, we share our answers and everyone links up! Simple!

1. Our November Hodgepodges always include a question related to gratitude. What is one small thing you're grateful for today?

I started writing this on Sunday afternoon and I am grateful for a lazy day at home. It's grey and damp outside, so it was nice to stay inside in the warm. It was extra cosy because we had the heating on. I didn't have much to do, so I spent my afternoon watching TV, blogging and the bonus was that I could stay in my Pjs. I do need to have a shower soon and change into a clean set. I love days like this when I can fully relax. It's not the most exciting thing to be grateful for but it's something I do appreciate.

2. Chrysanthemums-pansies-burning bush-ornamental cabbage-camellias...your favorite in an autumn garden? Would we find any of these in your yard/garden this year?

Out of those I'd probably choose chrysanthemums or pansies. They are such pretty flowers and come in so many colours. It's nice to see them at this time of year when it's so grey and gloomy outside. I am now thinking I should make more effort to have some in my garden during the autumn and winter. It would be nice to look out of the window and see some colour. I don't really have any flowers in my garden at this time of year, which seems like a shame considering I have so many in the spring and summer. At the moment I am thinking more about getting the garden tidied up for winter.

3. If you could clear out or organize one physical space or mental habit before the year ends, what would it be?

I'd like to stop saying yes to things when I would much rather say no. I'm terrible for this sometimes. I will agree to things because I don't want to disappoint people and don't want to cause a fuss. I have a little voice in my head saying just say no but rarely listen to it. I'd like to get better at putting myself first and not feeling guilty about saying no.

4. Brussel sprouts...love 'em or no thank you? If you said love 'em how do you like them prepared?

I love them now but hated them when I was a child. It's funny how our tastes change as we get older. I used to think it was a punishment if they were on my plate and I was convinced adults only pretended to like them. Now they're one of my favourite vegetables and I love them on a roast dinner. My family always complain when they find them on their plates at Christmas but it's tradition to have them. I know there are lots of different ways to cook them but I like them simple. I like them boiled until they're soft but not too mushy with a bit of butter, salt and pepper.

5. It's reassuring to know that____________________.

It's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who struggles to find something to watch on TV. I have tons of channels, Disney+, Netflix and Amazon but can never find anything I want to watch. I'll scroll through the TV, complain that everything is rubbish and then put on an episode of something I've watched a million times before. My family all do the same too and don't get me started on choosing a film. By the time we've agreed on something to watch, we could have watched half of it! My fella has just gone upstairs to watch TV and I already know what will happen. He'll get comfy and spend the next half an hour scrolling through the channels trying to find something to watch. He'll probably end up watching something he's seen before too.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

While I was finishing writing this blog post, I had the Mexican Grand Prix on the TV. What a race it was! There were crashes, lots of overtaking, drama and Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest ever Formula 1 World Champion! How amazing is that! He's had a brilliant season. At just 20, he's already done something that so many drivers spend their entire careers trying to achieve. I cried hearing him cry as he finished the race! Bless him!