Week 12 of #Project365. 20th - 26th March. A photo every day for a year!

These weeks are flying over. 3 more school days and then it's the Easter holidays which seem extra long this year. Ellie doesn't go back until the 20th of April. Just when I get used to her being back in school she's off again.

We've had a strange week and I have felt pretty anxious for most of it. I have been worrying about side effects from Stu and Becky having their Covid vaccines. They have both got off so lightly. I am feeling so relieved and now just have to wait to get mine. I got a text this morning inviting me to book an appointment to get it. This time next week I will have had it! I am half excited and half nervous. Eek!

Now for a photo every day!

79/365 - 20th March

Stu had his vaccine and felt absolutely fine afterwards. He felt a little hot and cold but that was it. He always has sore arms from work anyway so he didn't really feel any pain in his arm.

80/365 - 21st March

I always feel a sense of dread doing Ellie's lateral flow Covid tests. We do them on a Sunday and Wednesday evening. So far they have all been negative but I do worry. 

81/365 - 22nd March

I do love getting washing out on the line and on Monday I got 4 loads dried! I am glad I got so much done as the weather hasn't been great for the rest of the week.

82/365 - 23th March

Snack time. Hot chocolate and a Jammy Dodger muffin.

83/365 - 24th March

Pretty doughnuts! Yum, yum! 

84/365 - 25th March

Waiting for the bus with Becky to go into town to get her Covid vaccine. She was fine after it and hasn't really had any side effects apart from a sore arm.

85/365 - 26th March

More things are growing on my windowsill. I didn't actually know what these were when I took the photo. I was convinced they were daffodils but it turns out they are dwarf sunflowers. I remember the kids got them the set for Mother's day with the bucket, compost and seeds. I need to take note of what I plant and where I put it.

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

Using anxious as my Word of the Week might make you think I have had a bad week but I haven't. The reasons for my worry have been positive things in a round about way and it turns out all the energy I took worrying about things was wasted, well so far anyway.

Stu got a phone call last Friday morning from out local GP's asking him if he wanted his Covid vaccine. He of course said yes and went and got it on Saturday afternoon. I was half excited and worried for him but it took half an hour from leaving here to getting back which isn't bad considering the doctors is a 12 minute walk. lol

He asked the nurse why he has been called for and I haven't and she said they're just working their way down the list but she did ask if I wanted to be added to an extra list so if someone cancels or there's extra vaccines left at the end of the day, I can go at short notice. That has had me worrying all week thinking that someone might ring and ask me to go when it is inconvenient. I imagined them ringing telling me to go on a day I had something else on, then I would have to say no and be pushed to the bottom of the list.

Anyway Stu had his vaccine at half two and by 8pm I was on the phone to my dad asking when him and his partner started feeling the side effects. Stu was feeling nothing, his arm wasn't even sore. We expected him to feel something on Sunday and he got off so lightly. Apart from feeling a little hot and then cold that was it. Oh and Wednesday his arm was a little sore. I was worried about the side effects he might have and then felt worried because he had barely any.

Becky went back to college on Wednesday for the first time in about 5 months and I thought I was going to love my day home alone but it left me feeling anxious. It feels so silly saying it but after having a year of nearly always having someone here with me being alone is strange. I had nothing to worry about but still felt uneasy all day. I am sure I will get used to it again.

Yesterday Becky and I had a trip to town to get her vaccine. The last time I went on the bus or into town was in November so that had me feeling anxious too. I was also worried about side effects Becky might feel but so far so good. I am writing this at about 6pm last night and her arm is a little sore but she feels fine in herself. Her legs are aching but I think that's down to walking more than she probably has in the last few months. lol

When Becky came out from having her vaccine we popped into Sainsburys and bought the Easter eggs. It felt so odd being in a supermarket. I can't remember the last time I was, it certainly wasn't this year. Hooray for online shopping. We also called into Poundland and got some pasties from Greggs. I thought we might as well make the most of being in town forgetting we are back on Monday. lol 

On Monday Becky and I are off to the hospital which has me stressing. She has the yearly check on her heart which I always stress about anyway but now she's 18 it means I can't go in with her because of Covid. It will be the first heart appointment she's ever been to alone, I have always done the talking. I have said that if she gets stuck on a question to ring me and ask me. I think she'll be OK as long as she pays attention and nothing has changed with her heart. I am actually more worried about her finding the right department in the hospital. That place is like a maze. I just hope that if she gets lost she asks for directions.

10 tips to save on kitchen energy bills!

Over the past year I think we have all spent more time in the kitchen. Can you remember when we were all baking banana bread? hehehe Every day we are in the kitchen cooking meals. We have to eat and it's one place where if we think about what we do in the kitchen we can save a bit of money. I am not talking about meal planning or buying cheaper brands I am talking about proper energy saving.

1. Pay attention to the energy consumption (wattage) of items that generate heat as these will cost the most to run. Try not to leave rings burning on the cooker when they aren't being used and don't forget to switch the oven off.

2. After turning the oven off leave the door open to heat up the room. We do this all of the time as our kitchen is always so cold due to having a huge window. It really does make a difference.

3. Invest in a slow cooker for as little as £18 and save money by avoiding using the energy hungry oven. You can cook so much in a slow cooker and I use ours most weeks.

4. Cooking food that has come straight out of the fridge takes longer because it’s colder. Simply take it out of the fridge and leave it on the side at room temperature for 30 minutes or so and it will cook much quicker.

5. Overfilling the kettle is the main way we waste energy. Only boil enough water for your requirements. My girls are so guilty of overfilling the kettle and it drives me crazy.

6. Switch off or unplug microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines and electric ovens as they will continue to use standby energy.

7. Grab your kitchen appliance manuals and choose the eco settings. Dishwashers can be used in eco mode and will save up to 50 per cent of the energy required for each load.

8. Don’t choose inferior, cheaper washing up liquids. The better the degreasing agent, the less hot water you’ll use to wash items. Cheaper alternatives are often a false economy as they are less effective.

9. Fill your freezer to capacity and it will run more efficiently. It takes more energy to power a partially empty freezer compared to one that is full. 

10. Using lids on pots and pans when cooking will stop heat from escaping and food will cook more quickly requiring less energy.

Have you any tips to share?

(Ad - Gifted) Dantoy Ice Cream Kit - Review!

The way this year is flying over summer will be here before we know it and when I think of summer one of the first thing which springs to mind is ice cream!

I was recently sent the Dantoy Ice Cream Kit to feature here on my blog. This gorgeous set is absolutely adorable for little ones and from a fantastic company who is 100% focused on being green.

Pretend play is such a big part of a child's development. Children often imitate the actions of others and this develops the child physically and mentally helping the child to become an active, creative and healthy adult.

Contained in the Ice Cream Kit is: 3 Cones, 4 scoops of ice cream, a scoop, a cone holder and 2 cupcakes!

The ice cream comes off the cones and the cupcakes come apart too and you can mix and match them. This set is great for pretend play as well as strengthening eye-hand coordination, balancing skills and stimulating the imagination.

All of this kit and Dantoy's products are made to last. They are approved for contact with foods, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, frost-proof, will not degrade if left outdoors in the rain and contain no toxins.

Dantoy have a great “I’m Green” line of bioplastic products. Their bioplastic is made of at least 90% sugarcane, a sustainable raw material and their bioplastic is 100% recyclable. The Danish brand are fully committed to helping create sustainable toys. Even the packaging is recyclable. When getting the ice cream kit out of the box I did notice this. There were no metal wires or tape holding the pieces in place which was absolutely brilliant. It really made me think that a toy company have really got things right.

Dantoy believe that people should buy less, buy well. That is why their toys are only made with sustainable products. We can all be eco-friendly and by choosing brands who care will make a little difference.

A few years ago my girls would have loved this set. They were all about imaginative play. Ellie did have a quick play with this and thought the ice creams were adorable. This set won't be going to waste though, I know a little girl who is going to love it.

The Dantoy Ice Cream Kit is available from Smallable for £21.00 and I think it is well worth the money. It's a great set and will last for years and years.

I was sent the Dantoy Ice Cream Kit free of charge in exchange for this blog post.