November 2022 - PLAYWORKEATREPEAT

November What’s Up Wednesday

Hi friends, can you believe that already it’s the November edition of What’s Up Wednesday! I mean how on earth is it that we are skyrocketing into December tomorrow!! How?? I’m in disbelief and I think that I’m probably not alone in thinking that the days are just flying by way too fast! Anyway as usual I am excited to be linking up with Shay for today’s fun post. So let’s jump right in with What We’re Eating This Week Well, Sam is away with his friends this week. He’s gone to the south coast for his schoolies’ trip. Schoolies is an Australian tradition where high school graduates have a week-long holiday to celebrate the end of their final exams. I miss him and can’t wait for him to come home. Why he didn’t just want to stay home and play scrabble with me instead of going away with his friends? I’ll never know…… hehe! Anyway, the reason why I mentioned that Sam is away is that this means I don’t really have to cook much this week because it’s basically just me at home. Steve works nights so he eats at work although he does have tonight off and he has promised to cook me some salmon which will be lovely! So on Monday, I made myself some spaghetti using a jar of pasta sauce. I felt guilty about not eating vegetables so I threw some peas in…..ha! It tasted ok but I know that I won’t be buying this particular sauce again. I’m not really a fan of premade sauces and I will pretty much always make my own. But I do keep a jar in the cupboard just in case I don’t have time to cook from scratch or for weeks like this one. So I have just been eating this for the last couple of nights. And it’s a good thing that I really love spaghetti, even bland-tasting spaghetti like this one! I do have plans to make some zucchini and fetta fritters later on in the week. If they taste good I’ll be sure to share the recipe with you guys. What I’m Reminiscing About It’s only been a couple of days but I’m reminiscing about the amazing weekend we just enjoyed. We had such a fun time at our friend’s son’s wedding and our overnight stay at the beautiful Parkroyal Hotel in Parramatta. Sigh…I had been looking forward to this weekend nearly all year long and it was all over way too fast. What I’m Loving Smoothies!! I have been on a real smoothie kick and I have been making them a lot. It all started when I got covid a few weeks ago. I couldn’t taste anything much and I lost my appetite completely. So I started making myself smoothies when I felt a bit better and could actually get up and walk. It was easier to drink a smoothie than eat a meal. It was also a great way to add things like pepitas and sunflower seeds as well as delicious berries and other fruit like bananas and mangos. Oh yes, and I also like to add a nice dollop of honey too! So I have still been making smoothies even though I’m all better. I have even been taking smoothies to work in my favourite cup and having them at lunchtime. They’re just so good!! What We’ve Been Up To I have been trying to get my head around the fact that Sam has finished high school. He’s been having a wonderful time enjoying his freedom until next year when he starts uni. He’s also been doing driving lessons so that he can get his licence soon. He is very keen to get a job when he gets back from his week away so fingers crossed that he achieves both of these goals. Steve and I have both been busy at work. Because Steve works in hospitality, this time of the year is actually his busiest time and from now until the end of the year it will only get busier! At preschool, we have all been making Christmas crafts and getting ready for the end-of-year concert. The parents will be able to come into the preschool to watch their children perform at their concert. It’s been two years since we have had a proper concert and I think we are all a bit rusty and not as prepared as we usually are. But I’m sure everything will come together on the day. What I’m Dreading Thankfully I am dreading absolutely nothing and I am looking forward to spending Christmas with my family. What I’m Excited About Summer holidays!! Preschool finishes on the 20th of December and we are off for nearly six glorious weeks!! Wooohooo!!!! What I’m Watching I’ve started watching my favourite Christmas movies. What I’m Listening To I have been listening to Christmas jazz on YouTube. I love the soft mellow music and the cute Christmas scenery. What I’m Wearing Layers! The days are just crazy. Some days start off cold and then they warm up so I will wear a T-shirt and a thin jumper and then a jacket. Then I will start to peel my layers off as it warms up a bit. But mostly the days have just been very cool. Everyone at my work is all annoyed that we are having such a crummy spring. And we are all still wearing jumpers and jackets in the playground on most days….hmph!! What I’m Doing This Weekend It’s a fun and busy weekend coming up. I have my family’s monthly dinner on Friday night which my lovely cousin is hosting. Then on Saturday my bestie and I are going to the Art Gallery Of NSW for opening weekend celebrations. The gallery is celebrating the opening of its new building and so they are having some fun events like performances, talks, tours and workshops. We are also going to squeeze in a bit of shopping and

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An Amazing Weekend

6 Comments / Hello Monday

Hi friends, it’s so good to be back today joining Holly and Sarah‘s Hello Monday link-up. I hope that you all had an amazing weekend and are ready to hit a brand new week. I know that I say this all the time. But I can’t get my head around how fast the days are flying by! I just got off the phone after having a lovely chat with my sweet cousin. And we are both feeling a bit freaked out by how fast Christmas is approaching! Anyway, I’m really happy that you have stopped by today to have a read. I always appreciate you guys and this fantastic blogging community! Today I’m really excited to share with you a few highlights from our lovely weekend away. I shared with you on Friday that we were going to our friend’s son’s wedding. And because it was a fair distance from where we lived. We decided to make it an overnight stay too and it really was such an amazing weekend! A Beautiful Saturday On Saturday we were blessed with the most glorious weather. If you have been reading along you have probably heard me whinging about how awful the weather has been. And it really feels like we have totally missed spring and we seem to be mainly stuck in dreary winter. But not this weekend. Thankfully the sun was shining brilliantly for the whole weekend and the temperature was around the mid-20s. So it was just perfect! We arrived at the church in Hunters Hill with plenty of time to spare and take some photos. The church was absolutely stunning on the outside. And inside there were some beautiful stained glass windows and incredibly high ornate ceilings. We saw the groom and his parents arrive in this spectacular limousine. The Wedding Ceremony The ceremony was really lovely and I got all choked up when the music started and the bride walked in. She looked so radiant and her wedding dress was absolutely beautiful. The vows that they said to each other were really heartfelt and special. I loved how they promised to be kind to each other. I really value kindness and I think that kindness always trumps everything. In a marriage, I would have to say that for me this is one of the most important things. A Gorgeous Hotel Stay After the ceremony, we went and checked in to our hotel because we had a couple of hours before the reception started at 6 pm. I’m so happy that we stayed at the Parramatta Parkroyal because it was beautiful!! I have a big thing about fragrances and smells in general. So I was super impressed with how lovely the hotel smelled when I walked in. I don’t know what air freshener they had going but it was absolutely divine! I also loved the big Christmas tree and Santa in the foyer Our room was amazing! And I was beyond excited to be staying in such a gorgeous room with a bathroom that I didn’t have to clean!! We hung around the hotel for a couple of hours and then we went to Oatlands House where the reception was being held. Time To Party! The ballroom was spectacular ( I’m running out of adjectives!) with beautiful chandeliers and stunning table settings. The menu oh my gosh the menu!! It was five courses and I wish that I had three stomachs to fit it all in! I did well though and ate everything except my dessert. And that was only because I had two quick mouthfuls and then the music started. So I was on the dance floor in a flash. Then when I got back to the table my dessert had been cleared away! I should have eaten it when I had the chance! They even had entertainment for us while we enjoyed our meal. Four rock and roll dancers twirled around the dance floor flinging their partners in the air. It was amazing and I almost felt like I was enjoying a wedding in a movie. The dancers got everyone up to do the ‘shake your tail feather’. It was so much fun!! They also had a photo booth with cool props! I don’t have any more words left to describe what an amazing night it was. I had so much fun dancing and I wished that it had gone on for longer. When I was saying goodbye to my friend (the mother of the groom) She was saying how quickly it all went and how she also wished that it went for longer….like two more days longer!! We saw these Jacaranda trees all lit up with fairy lights across the street from our hotel. What a lovely spot! My Killer Shoes The only complaint that I have about the night is my shoes! I wore these pretty silver heels that killed me! Now I wore these heels two years ago and I walked around the city in them without a problem. But I don’t know if my feet have grown or what. But they hurt so bad!! I remember ages ago watching Oprah on TV and she said that as you get older the only two things that still keep growing are your feet and your nose. Well, maybe she’s right which is bad news for me because I have a rather large honker and now these shoes don’t fit as well as they used to! I think that if I had a lighter on the night I would have gladly set fire to these shoes. And at one point I had visions of throwing them in the bushes!! Luckily a lot of other ladies must have also had the same problem because they were barefoot on the dance floor. And in the end, I couldn’t stand them a second longer so I joined them and took my shoes off too. What a relief to be able to do the YMCA properly and jump around

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This Weeks Fun Favourites

2 Comments / Friday Favorites

Hi friends, as usual, I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for today’s Friday favourites. Thank you so much for stopping by to read about my week and some of this week’s fun favourites. It honestly feels like I blinked and we went from Monday straight to Friday! I’m sure you will all agree with me that the days are just flying by so fast. And I can hardly believe that it will be Christmas in only a few short weeks. I hope that you have all had a great week and that my friends in the U.S.A had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I’m really looking forward to reading about everyone’s fun Thanksgiving blog posts! But first here are a few of this week’s fun favourites that I am excited to share with you. End Of Year Parent Comittee Dinner We had our end-of-year parent committee dinner at our local club. This is when the preschool staff and the parents from our management committee get together and enjoy a lovely dinner to celebrate the end of another preschool year. The amazing parents do a wonderful job volunteering on the committee. They take on various important roles that help our preschool to run smoothly. It was a really nice evening and I was so happy to have the opportunity to chat with some of the lovely parents. Even though all the covid rules and restrictions have been abolished in NSW. At preschool, we are only just starting to let the parents on the premises. So sadly this year we haven’t had many opportunities to get to talk to the parents when they come to drop off or collect their children. When I reflect on this I realise that this is another way that sadly covid has robbed all of us yet again. It’s been two years of not being able to build proper relationships with our preschool parents. On a brighter note, I think that next year things will be different. And we will be returning to the good old days when parents were free to come in. I’m really looking forward to this a whole lot! A Fun Cocktail And A Delicious Meal At the dinner, we enjoyed a deliciously refreshing watermelon cocktail. It was so sweet and delicious but it was packed with ice. My throat is still sensitive and the cold just sends me into a fit of coughs. So I was forced to drink this super fast before it got too cold hahaha!! Luckily it really wasn’t a strong cocktail so I didn’t feel it go straight to my head. I ordered the pork belly with sweet potato mash, gravy and salad. It was a delicious meal and we had a very fun time. Time For New Hairbrushes I was excited to find some hair brushes in the exact same size that I was looking for in T.K maxx the other day. My other brushes were looking pretty old and a bit icky. Date Night Another one of this week’s fun favourites is that Steve and I enjoyed a date night on Wednesday night. We had a delicious meal and then finished off with a cheese board. I often prefer to finish a meal with a cheese board instead of a sweet dessert. On the way home, I snapped a pic of the pretty sunset. Preschool Concert The children have been rehearsing for their end-of-year concert. It’s been two years since we have had a concert where the parents have been allowed to come into the preschool to watch their children perform. So it will be really lovely to feel like things are finally back to normal this year. Although in saying that, we are now in the middle of another big covid wave. But I can’t see us ever going back to any restrictions or lockdowns ever again. This is one of the songs that the children have been practising. Friends this is the cutest song ever! And I don’t even mind that this song is stuck in my head on a constant loop. It is just so cute!! So if you have little ones I really encourage you to show this song to them. I guarantee they will love it and you will too. Some songs drive me insane especially when I can’t shake them out of my head (hello…..Baby shark!!) but this one is a firm favourite for sure! A Dash To The Mecca Store This afternoon I did a mad dash to Mecca for some eye shadow and lipstick. We are going to our friend’s son’s wedding tomorrow and I needed some make-up. Well, confession time I didn’t need make-up because I do have some BUT it was a good excuse to get some fresh new products. It has been ages since I updated my eye shadow palette. I’m keen to do a smokey-eye look so I have been watching a few YouTube make-up tutorials. Fingers crossed I get the look right because the last thing I want to look like is a racoon! I don’t wear a lot of makeup even when I go out. I always like to keep everything subtle and I’m a firm believer that less is more. But I have always wanted to try a smokey eye look and right now I’m feeling a bit more daring. After all, if it looks bad I can always wash it off, right? Hmmm….we’ll see. Getting Ready For A Fun Weekend I picked up some chicken chow mein for dinner tonight because I knew that I wouldn’t have time to cook. And Sam was so excited because we don’t get takeaway very often. But there are quite a few things that I need to get done tonight like colouring my hair and packing for our overnight stay after the wedding. The church and the wedding reception are both about an hour or so from where we live. So we thought that it would be a fun opportunity to make the whole event

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Christmas Drinks Recipes

4 Comments / Recipes

With Christmas just around the corner. I thought that it would be fun to share some Christmas drinks recipes. After all the hard work of shopping, decorating and ticking endless to-do lists. It’s always great to have a few go-to easy Christmas drinks recipes for your holiday events. The following Christmas drinks recipes don’t contain too many ingredients because I always prefer to keep things simple. All of the recipes can be made in large pitchers or punch bowls because I find that serving a punch at parties is such an easy way to ensure that your guests can help themselves to a drink. And you don’t need to stand there playing the bartender all night long. After all, you want to be as free as possible to mingle and enjoy the time with your guests too! Christmas Drinks Recipes Christmosas Ingredients 1 orange sliced 1 lemon sliced 1 kiwi fruit sliced 1 cup of raspberries 240 ml sparkling grape juice 1 bottle of prosecco Instructions In a pitcher or punch bowl combine slices of orange, lemon, and kiwi fruit with raspberries. Pour over the sparkling grape juice and prosecco. Stir and enjoy! Jingle Juice Ingredients 2 cups of cranberry juice 2 cups of apple juice 2 bottles of red Moscato 1 bottle of prosecco 1/2 cup of vodka 2 cups of blueberries or raspberries lemon slices A few mint leaves Instructions Simply combine all ingredients in a punch bowl or large pitcher and serve. If you want to make things a little fancier you can serve this delicious drink in individual glasses. Firstly, wet the rim of your glasses with a wedge of lime. Then dip in granulated sugar until the glass rim is coated. Grinch Punch Ingredients Cottee’s lime Coola cordial or packet of Kool-Aid lemon lime mix 3 cups of lemon-lime soft drink 2 cups of pineapple juice 1 cup of ginger ale 2 cups of vodka 4 cups of ice Instructions Mix equal parts water to cordial to make 4 cups of cordial. Or if you are using Kool-Aid then make it according to the instructions on the packet In a large pitcher or punch bowl combine cordial or Kool-Aid, soft drink, pineapple juice, ginger ale, vodka and ice. Stir and enjoy! White Christmas Margaritas Ingredients 1 can of coconut milk 1 1/2 cups of silver tequila 1 cup of cointreau 1/4 cup of lime juice 4 cups of ice Rosemary sprigs to garnish Instructions In a blender combine coconut milk, tequila, cointreau, lime juice and ice. Blend ingredients until smooth. Serve in a pitcher or punch bowl with rosemary sprigs. Alternatively, you can serve it in individual glasses rimmed with granulated sugar. It’s always fun to have a signature Christmas drink for the festive season!

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A Low-Key Weekend

10 Comments / Hello Monday, Home

Hey everyone it’s good to be back today linking up with Holly and Sarah for this week’s Hello Monday. I hope that you all had an amazing weekend and are all ready for a brand-new week. I’m happy to report that after a very low-key weekend I am feeling better. On Friday I shared with you guys that covid finally got me in a big way. Thankfully I feel that I am getting better each day. Even though I still have an annoying cough and my energy levels are still pretty low I’m slowly getting back to normal. But I guess it’s just going to take a bit of time before I feel one hundred per cent. Saturday I’m excited that next Saturday we are going to our friend’s son’s wedding. I decided that it would be a great idea to get a manicure and pedicure this Saturday because I knew that I wouldn’t get a chance to get one during the week. I’m planning to wear strappy silver heels so I really needed to get my toenails looking decent. I chose a very neutral colour with a bit of shimmer in a shellac finish which should last longer without chipping or peeling. Neutral colours are always my go-to. I considered something a bit more colourful but I’m always drawn to neutrals! I just can’t help myself!! After my mani/pedi, Steve and I went out for brunch. I had smoked salmon, smashed avocado, tomatoes, edamame, and fetta sprinkled with sweet potato crisps. It looked like a spring garden on a plate and it was very delicious too! I nearly finished it all but I left a bit because my appetite is still not quite there yet. Steve had a burger and fries and he commented that he should have ordered what I did. He always says that!! In the evening Sam was out with his lovely girlfriend and Steve was at work. I wasn’t feeling very hungry so I just made myself some chicken nuggets with tomatoes and cucumber for dinner. Then I had a fruit smoothie for dessert while I watched one of my favourite movies ‘Parenthood’ with Steve Martin. Sunday I went to church in the morning and even though I had lovely conversations with some of my church friends I was feeling pretty down on the way home. I’ve been feeling really emotional lately especially more so since I got sick. And as we are heading closer to the Christmas season it’s getting harder and harder to face the fact that my lovely mum will not be with us this year. Sunday afternoon my friend texted me this beautiful photo that she found while she was sorting through some things at her home. It’s a photo of my mum (in the middle) and my friend’s mum (on the left) with another family friend (on the right). These three were very best friends and they loved hanging out together. I have the most amazing childhood memories of the three of them chatting and laughing together constantly. They always had so much fun and their friendship was just so special. I can honestly say that they were the best example of what it means to truly be a good friend. Because while they enjoyed all the good fun times. The three of them also went through some tough and dark times in their personal lives over the many years of their friendship. But they were always there for each other both emotionally and in practical helpful ways too. They supported each other through things like life-threatening illnesses of their loved ones, separations and divorce. Always showing each other so much love and respect with never a cross word spoken between them. Sadly they have all passed away now. My friend texted me the photo along with these words…” Just came across these beautiful girls who now look out for us from up above”. Sigh……I miss them so much. I loved getting the photo but it also sent me into a flood of tears. I ended up calling my friend and we had a great chat. Good uplifting conversation is so wonderful for the soul. In the evening I was still feeling a bit fragile so I took it easy and spent a lot of time resting. I also treated myself to a face mask as my skin has been feeling so dry! Not sure if it’s a combination of the weather or my crying that is making my skin feel so dry. Probably both!! I also had a coffee and a doughnut with delicious pink icing and sprinkles to cheer myself up. Before I went to bed I spent time reading some of my favourite blogs. It’s so lovely to read about people decorating their homes and about some of their Christmas traditions. It helped to make me feel a tiny bit more Christmasy. I won’t be putting my tree up until the first weekend of December. And this year I’m really going to miss my mum saying what she said every single year “Ruthie…the tree looks lovely but it needs more tinsel” haha…..as far as my mum was concerned there was never enough tinsel in the world! I hope you guys have a great Monday!

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friday favourites 8-11-2022 vitamin c tablets

Friday Favourites 18-11-2022

10 Comments / Friday Favorites

Friday Favourites 18-11-2022. Hi, friends thanks so much for stopping by for today’s Friday favourites! I hope that you all had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend! As usual, I am excited to join Andrea and Erika with this fun link-up where I am sharing a little of what has been going on with me during the week. Covid Got Me! Well guys I have to start by sharing with you that Covid finally caught up with me in a big way!! I had somehow managed to avoid getting it up until now. And I was starting to think that I might be immune or that I was blessed with some kind of special covid resistant gene. Maybe I was a Novid!! After all, I have been a close contact so many times and I managed to avoid getting sick every single time. But nope, it turns out that I am none of those things and covid knocked me down pretty hard! I don’t think that I have been so sick in a very long time. I was off from work for a week and then I went back to work yesterday. But I probably should have just taken the whole of this week off too. Because I still felt unwell today and I ended up leaving work at lunchtime. Fingers crossed that after this weekend I will feel like myself again. So I guess that one huge favourite for this week is that I am slowly starting to feel better. Even today after I came home early and had a rest I am feeling much better than I did this morning. After being flat out on my back with high temperatures, back pain, face pain, all over my body pain, nausea etc (so many random symptoms!!) even my scalp hurt!! I am just so thankful to be improving every day. My cute little cat kept me company while I lay there watching TV and wishing myself better. Boosting My Immunity I am on a mission to boost my immunity! So I have been taking these echinacea, zinc and vitamin C tablets. They are really nice and refreshing too. I just pop one in a glass of water and it tastes like a fizzy drink. When I did my online grocery order I made sure to order some fresh berries, mango and kiwi fruit. I also ordered some frozen fruit to make smoothies. Initially, I lost my appetite, along with my sense of taste and smell. Thankfully everything is slowly coming back. But I found that it was much easier to drink a smoothie than it was to eat a whole meal. I love eating and I will smash through a big plate of anything! So I am really looking forward to being well enough to actually enjoy my food again. My Favourite Cup My sweet friend gave me this Starbucks cup a while ago and it’s my favourite. It kept me hydrated the whole time I was sick. Vitamin D Last Monday I gathered up enough strength to have a shower and wash my hair. Afterwards, I sat out in the sun to get some vitamin D for a bit before the weather turned. I’m still waiting for spring over here!! I think we are going through some kind of freak polar blast at the moment. Sigh! Chicken Pie And A Cannoli My husband was worried that I wasn’t eating much so he made a trip to one of our favourite cafes and bought me a chicken pie and a cannoli. It was very delicious and I managed to finish the pie for lunch and the cannoli for dinner. Ha! cannoli for dinner…that’s a first!! Healthy Pancakes Wednesday this week I finally felt well enough to get up and cook something so I made some pancakes. I also cut up some delicious fruit. I love the golden kiwis, they are my favourite fruit and I prefer them to the normal green kiwi. These pancakes are really delicious and healthy too. They are super easy to make and they contain nutritious ingredients such as mashed banana, ground sunflower seeds and pepitas. My family love these pancakes for breakfast or as a snack. You can find the recipe here. We had our pancakes with a good splash of maple syrup. Lately I seemed to have a better appetite for sweet things than savoury which is kind of weird because I prefer savoury foods normally. Maybe covid has changed my tastebuds permanently! I was testing negative by Wednesday so I felt ok about moving around the house. Up until then, I had isolated myself and every time I had to go to the bathroom I would disinfect everything I touched as well as spray with Glen 20. Thankfully Sam and Steve managed to avoid getting covid this time. They both had it earlier this year and luckily only had very minor symptoms. A Flowering Peace Lily I was excited to see that my peace lily was growing again this year. It seems to flower every year around this time. I guess that just about wraps up this week’s Friday Favourites post! I spent the whole week recovering from covid and didn’t really do much. I’m really looking forward to healthier days ahead so I am making sure that I get plenty of rest this weekend. Hopefully, I can also get back on track with blogging. I felt so sick that I could hardly stand looking at a computer but I should be ok next week. I really hope you guys have a fantastic weekend and I look forward to being back here on Monday. Happy Friday!

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Shows And Movies For The Weekend

8 Comments / Hello Monday, Home

Hey everyone thanks so much for joining me for today’s Hello Monday post where I am linking up with Holly and Sarah. I hope that you guys had a great weekend! I had a super low-key one and spent all of it watching a variety of random shows and movies. It was one of those weekends where that’s about all I got up to! Shows And Movies For The Weekend! Jack Ryan I started watching the first season of Jack Ryan months and months ago and I really enjoyed the few episodes that I watched. It’s a great political action thriller and I always meant to go back to finish it but never got around to it. Well, this was the weekend to pick it up again and I finished seasons 1 and 2. I love John Krasinski and I think he makes a great Jack Ryan. It’s definitely a show worth watching and I really loved all the action scenes and tense plot lines. Homes Under The Hammer I had forgotten all about this show and then I saw it on BritBox. This was one of my favourite shows way back in the early 2000s. I love home renovation shows and I like that this show has multiple before and after home renovation stories in one episode. It was also good to watch this show in between episodes of Jack Ryan just to get a bit of a break from so many tense moments. Manifest This show is about a plane full of passengers that disappears mid-flight for five years and then miraculously reappears and lands. All the people on board haven’t aged and they have no clue that so many years have passed. I watched about seven episodes and then I stopped. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it because I did. It’s just that I couldn’t stand the suspense. There were more and more questions at the end of every episode and it reminded me of the show ‘Lost’. I used to love watching Lost, I was totally obsessed with trying to work out all the possible theories. Then I thought that the later seasons got silly and the finale was such a huge disappointment! I have to confess that I may have googled the ending of Manifest and ruined it for myself (or saved my sanity). So I doubt that I will go back to watching it. Let The Sun Shine In I found this French movie when I was flicking through SBS on demand. Pretty much the only thing that I enjoyed about this movie was listening to the lovely French accents. It stars Juliette Binoche and it’s about a divorced woman trying to find the love of her life. Throughout the whole movie she hooks up with losers and then in the end it’s implied that she finds “the one”. I wasn’t feeling well when I watched it and maybe that’s why I couldn’t be bothered changing channels or pressing stop. Father Of The Bride I was feeling so disappointed after the French movie that I was desperate for a feel-good pick-me-up. I probably know Father Of The Bride off by heart. But it’s such a sweet movie and the characters Franck and his assistant always have me in hysterics. Doc Martin The lovable but grumpy Doc Martin is back for its final season (insert sad face). If you haven’t seen this show then you need to ASAP!! It’s about a gifted surgeon who develops a phobia of blood and ends up practising as a GP in the sleepy town of Port Wenn. The show is full of quirky funny characters and the humour is always spot-on! Because season ten has only just been released they are airing one episode weekly. This feels so weird now that I am used to binge-watching everything. I watched one episode and the second one came out the other day. I’m taking my time watching them because I want to savour every minute. That’s how great this show is! Monk Do you remember Monk?? Hahaha, what a brilliant show about a detective who suffers from anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. I remember watching some seasons way back when it was first aired on television. I never saw all of them and so now I have started season one and I am thoroughly enjoying it! I love how this show is a perfect mix of drama and humour. That’s about it! My whole weekend of TV viewing and now my eyes are probably going to go square! Thanks so much for stopping by to have a read, I always appreciate each and every one of you! I hope that you have the best week. Happy Monday

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Working In Early Childhood Education-A Little Bit About Me

10 Comments / Insights Into Early Childhood Education

Hi friends, it’s so lovely to be back today for this week’s Friday favourites. I honestly didn’t have a bunch of favourites about this week! I’ll be sure to share all about this past week sometime soon. So instead I thought that I might share a little bit about myself and how I became interested in working in early childhood education. I always love getting to know people through their blogs and I thought that you might like to get to know me a little more too. Working in early childhood education is definitely one of my favourite things! (If any of my lovely co-workers are reading this…I know I know some days are hard!!). Because I have so many favourite things about working in early childhood education. I actually did a whole post about it a while ago and you can find this post here. Believe me, there are plenty of fun reasons! Working In Early Childhood Education Today I am recapping how I eventually landed where I am today working in a preschool. I have always loved being around children, I mean always. Even way back in primary school when I was twelve. I volunteered to go on a roster where I would go and clean the kindergarten room after the children had finished their lunch break. Now that’s passion!! I also taught Sunday school for many years and helped out at the kids club at church. If there was any opportunity for me to be able to help out with kids or babysit I was there! I Originally Wanted To Be A Child Psychologist During high school, I read a book by Torey Hayden called ‘One Child’. I didn’t just read it once, I must have read it at least ten times if not more! Because I just found it so inspiring. ‘One Child’ is a memoir written by additional needs teacher and now psychologist Torey Hayden. And is all about her experience working with her class of very young additional needs students over the course of a year. If you haven’t read it you totally should and I would really have to say that it is my favourite book ever. Anyway, when I finished school I decided that I wanted to be a child psychologist just like Torey Hayden. And I never considered teaching not even for a second. While I was at uni doing an arts degree and majoring in psychology. A friend of mine who was working as a cook in a long daycare centre called me and asked if I wanted to do some casual work at her centre. Oh, boy I sure did and so I totally jumped at the chance!!! I Ended Up Happily Working In A Daycare Centre I remember walking into the childcare centre and then I absolutely loved every minute of working there. Honestly, I couldn’t even believe they were paying me for it. I loved it so much that I would have gladly done it for free! I loved all the crafts, messy play, singing, storytime, rest time, and outdoor play…I was in heaven!! So I guess this was my introduction to early childhood education and I ended up doing a whole lot of casual work at many different childcare centres as a part-time job while I was studying at uni. I couldn’t believe my luck! A Change Of Direction When I finished my first year of uni I decided that maybe psychology wasn’t for me. While I did enjoy the course I hadn’t expected that I would have to do a whole lot of statistics!!! I mean I break out in a sweat if I have to count higher than my fingers! Numbers, maths and me…nope we are not friends. I miraculously passed the statistics courses. Thanks to a book called ‘Statistics Without Tears’, although there were plenty of tears. And I did well in the other subjects that I enjoyed. But I really really wanted to have a year off from uni and just go to work in childcare. I remember talking to my mum about it and she was all like…No way young lady! You go back there and finish what you started. You walk away now and you will never go back. Gulp, I knew better than to mess with my mum. And I am so glad that I listened to her. So I went back to finish my Bachelor’s degree. But my plans to progress further with psychology were pretty much over. I just wanted to get in there and be with the kids in a childcare setting. And I knew that my mum would be ok with me at least finishing a bachelor’s degree. Phew! Big Life Events Another huge life event was that I actually got engaged to my husband during my second year of uni. And we got married when I was in my third year. I graduated from uni and went straight to work in a long daycare centre. It was bliss! I worked in the nursery and I got to take care of babies all day long. I have to confess that the nappy change routine after lunch was probably not my favourite. But everything else was! I worked for about a year and a half before I got pregnant with my oldest son Luke. Being around all those babies and smelling their little heads, cradling them in my arms just made me desperate for my own!! I took maternity leave and then I went back to work on a part-time/casual basis. When Luke was four I saw an ad in the local paper (yep…there was no internet back then) for a part-time position at a preschool right near where I lived. It was a small community-based preschool and they offered four paid term breaks. That’s right paid!! As well as the usual four weeks of paid holiday leave. I couldn’t believe this kind of job even existed outside of primary and high schools!! The working

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This Sunny Weekend

7 Comments / Hello Monday

Hi everyone, I hope that you all had a great weekend! It’s great to be back for this week’s Hello Monday link-up with Holly and Sarah. Thanks so much for being here today as I recap what I got up to this sunny weekend here in Sydney. Yes, hooray I’m happy to report that we finally had a very sunny weekend. After such a rainy and cold week, It was just fantastic to enjoy some lovely warm weather! Saturday We had our monthly family dinner on Saturday night. And I was really excited that we were able to eat outside in our little courtyard because the weather was so good. Every time it was our turn to host our family get-together this year. We always had dinner in our small dining room because it was either too cold or rainy to sit outside in the courtyard. Fingers crossed that we will get more chances to use this cute space now that the weather is supposed to be getting better. And hopefully, we can finally say adios to La Niña. On Saturday night I was having too much fun and forgot to take as many pictures as I usually do. But I did manage to remember to snap a few. I made a cheese board to start with. Everyone was so impressed with my salami rose! Haha, I have to admit that I was too! I can’t remember where I saw instructions for how to make one of these but it was very easy. I remembered to take one blurry photo just before everyone sat down to eat. The sun was setting and as we were all gathering, the solar fairy lights came on as if on cue. It was such a pretty night! After dinner, we played our favourite board game which involved lots of laughing, yelling and cheering! Sunday I mentioned on Friday that I joined my husband’s swim club as a social member. This means that I don’t have to swim but I can go along to all their fun BBQs and social outings. Sunday morning, we were up bright and early. I’m talking 6.30 am early! Which was a bit tough, especially after such a busy Saturday evening. It was such a gorgeous sunny day that in the end, I didn’t mind not sleeping in at all. What I really like about this swim club is that they don’t meet at a pool. Instead, they race At Oatley Park Baths which is an enclosed part of the local river. It’s about a 15-minute drive from our house and it’s such a lovely spot. As we drove along it almost felt like we were going on a holiday. When we got to Oatley park we parked the car near the ‘Castle’ which is a sheltered BBQ and picnic spot. Then we walked over to the swimming area. The scenery was stunning and I felt so relaxed being outdoors. I had fun watching the races and I was very proud of Steve because he was one of the winners of the chook race! He won a voucher from a nearby chicken shop so this means that we will all be enjoying a chicken dinner very soon. Yum! Once all the races were finished we got to eat a BBQ breakfast! We had eggs, bacon, sausages and bread rolls. So good!! One of the very friendly ladies I met from the swim club even made me a mimosa. It was such a great Sunday morning. Sunday night I was home alone because Sam was at his friend’s 18th birthday party and Steve was at work. So I cozied up on a bean bag to watch the grand final of The Block. I haven’t kept up with all of the episodes during the week. But I have watched enough of them to know the contestants and what’s been going on. If you watch The Block you will know that the show is about five couples who have spent the last three months renovating properties that were supposed to win them a lot of money on Sunday night at the auction. But most of them except two couples walked away with a very little profit or their properties weren’t even sold. Certainly made interesting viewing and it reflects how tough the property market is at the moment. That just about wraps up some of the fun things that I got up to this sunny weekend. I can’t believe we are now into the second week of November. The days are going by so fast that my brain can’t keep up. I keep checking and rechecking the calender and saying things like “what!!…. I thought that was ages away” But no, the events that I thought were still ages away are now creeping up fast. Anyway, I’m sure that you will agree with me that this is a fun time of the year. And I am really looking forward to lots of festivities and get-togethers leading up to Christmas. Happy Monday friends!

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Halloween And Other Fun Things

3 Comments / Entertaining, Planning and Hosting Tips

Happy Friday everyone! I hope that you have all had a fantastic week and are excited that it’s the weekend. I know that I sure am. This week was all about Halloween and other fun things. As usual, I am happy to be linking up with Andrea and Erika for today’s Friday Favourites post. Thanks so much for stopping by today and letting me share with you a few favourite moments from my week. Halloween! Monday we celebrated Halloween with my family and we had a blast! I finished work at 3.40 pm and I was out of the preschool in a flash because my aunty was picking me up at 4 pm from my house. We were all meeting at my cousin’s house to go trick-or-treating. I had just enough time to throw on my costume and finish sorting out a few treat bags for my favourite trick-or-treaters. Then I hung out a sign on my door saying we were out and left a cauldron full of candy. Sam and my other cousins joined us a bit later because they had work and school commitments. Sam actually finished his very last school exam ever on Monday afternoon. Now he is a free man until uni starts next year and he couldn’t be happier! My cousin lives about 25 minutes’ drive away from me. I was so surprised to see heaps of families out and about in costumes trick or treating. This never happens in my suburb where we only ever get a handful of trick-or-treaters knocking on our door. We had so much fun walking around in costume while my two youngest cousins knocked on doors and collected so many lollies! Afterwards, we went back to my cousins for dinner. It was hands down the best Halloween that I have ever had! Test Results On Wednesday I finally got my results about my thyroid nodules and everything is ok. Not great because they are all still there and one has grown a bit BUT the doctor said not to worry and he didn’t send me for any more tests. I can get another ultrasound in two years if I want to….phew!! I am so glad that is all behind me and now I want to stop hyper-focusing on them! To celebrate good test results my husband took me out to dinner. It was such a sunny evening! The food was delicious and the view was amazing. CPR Training I can’t say that after-work CPR training was a favourite this week. But I am happy that it’s over and done with for another year! Cottage Pie I made one of our favourite dinners on Thursday night. This yummy and filling cottage pie was perfect for a cold night. Yes, that’s right it’s supposed to be spring but it felt more like winter on Thursday. We were rugged up in thick coats all day because it was freezing and so windy…hmph! Blog Posts I seem to be in a better rhythm with posting blogs more regularly. I have really enjoyed participating in some fun link-ups. And I am getting much better at actually writing out a monthly blog schedule that I have been following. Here are some posts from this week in case you missed them. Monday- I recapped my weekend on the ‘Hello Monday’ link-up Wednesday- ‘Currently‘ link-up Thursday- I shared a lamb shank in red wine sauce recipe on Encouraging Hearts And Home Link-up It really was a great week. But all the excitement of Halloween and the relief of getting my test results has left me feeling pretty exhausted. We haven’t had a busy weekend in quite a while. But this weekend we have a few fun things planned. My lovely family is coming over for dinner on Saturday night. And then on Sunday my husband’s swim club is having a BBQ after their races. I don’t swim but I do eat like a champ! So I am excited to be joining them this season as a social member. I hope that you all have the best weekend! Happy Friday!

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