March 2023 - Page 2 of 2 - PLAYWORKEATREPEAT

Weekend Edition

Hi friends, happy Monday! Today I am joining some lovely ladies for the Not Just A Mom link-up. And the topic for March is “Day In The Life Weekend Edition’. I love reading day in the life posts because it’s so fun to catch a glimpse into someone’s day. I Love My Weekends! But before I jump in I’ll have to say that I didn’t do anything very exciting this weekend and I spent a lot of time at home. But after such a busy week it was exactly what I needed. I have structured weekdays and a set routine during the week with specific times for work, breaks, meals and household chores. So my weekdays are mainly all about keeping focused on fulfilling my responsibilities and meeting my obligations. On the other hand, my weekends are much more flexible and open-ended. Sometimes I like to sleep in and other times I have fun plans to socialize with friends or family. I just love my weekends so much!! For me, they are a time to unwind and do the things that I enjoy without the pressure of a schedule or routine. So let’s get started on what a day or two in the life weekend edition looked like for me… A Very Early Good Morning I really wanted to sleep in on Saturday but Sushi is so used to having breakfast at 6 am 😩. So I fed her and went back to bed for a bit longer. I couldn’t fall back asleep but it was nice to have a bit of extra time in my cozy bed. A Late Breakfast I made some scrambled eggs and bacon for a late breakfast. My new Tefal non-stick pan is amazing for cooking anything. It’s such a breeze when it comes to washing off all the scrambled egg residue. Eggs are so sticky!! Later on Steve and I sat down to watch a couple of episodes of Blue Bloods on Binge. I love this show and I’m so happy that we are watching from season one. Laundry! Steve went to work and I put a load (or two) of washing on. Never-ending laundry hmph! Instagram I sat down for a bit and put together an Instagram reel. I am not great at posting on Instagram regularly but I do enjoy making reels. A Late Lunch Then it was time for a late lunch and I just went through the fridge and heated up some leftovers in a bowl. I threw in a couple of slices of tomatoes for colour and vitamins hehe. Old YouTube Movie While I ate my lunch I watched an old movie on YouTube. I like watching these old ‘midday movies’ that I used to watch as a teen whenever I had to stay home from school because I was sick. Turkey Burgers Then I read some blogs and before I knew it it was time to start making dinner. I made some turkey burgers for our Saturday night dinner. And I also made some homemade wedges but forgot to take a pic. I watched an episode of ‘The Sopranos’ and called it a night. Just before I went to bed Steve texted to say that he had to stay at work extra late. Because one of the other guys he works with had some sort of family emergency. Ah, the joys of working in hospitality! Sunday I woke up at 7.24 am on Sunday and this time I remembered to take a screenshot of my phone. Sushi slept in and didn’t come into our bedroom meowing for breakfast. Thank you Sushi! Blogging Then Church I worked on the blog for a bit while I had a coffee and then it was time to go to church which started at 10.30. New Woolworths Metro After church, I had to pick up a couple of things from the grocery shop. And I decided to go to a new Woolworths metro store that has opened recently. It’s a bit closer to where I live and I wanted to avoid having to try and find a parking spot inside the busy Westfields where they also have a Woolworths. I parked my car in the unfamiliar car park and followed these signs to the store. There was hardly anyone around and it felt a bit strange. The new store looked so good and because it’s a metro it was small. Which makes it great for when you just need a couple of things as I did. No frozen chips and now we have a poultry shortage as well. Would you believe that I got lost when I went back down to the car park? It was so empty and every level looked the same. I backtracked and thanked God for the signs that I had followed earlier. And I eventually found my lonely little car. Phew!! I got home and by then Steve was awake. We had some lunch and then I went to Costco with my aunt. I didn’t really need anything but I can never say no to a trip to Costco! My aunt stocked up on quite a few things. They didn’t have many food-tasting stations because it was a Sunday. But they did have wheatgrass samples. It didn’t taste bad at all, probably because it was mixed with some very sweet apple juice. When I got home in the late afternoon I was really craving pasta. So I made a very simple mushroom and bacon pasta dish. Sam and I had dinner together and we talked politics. We have an election coming up soon and it looks like he’s voting one way and I’m voting another. Haha! He’s excited that he gets to vote for the first time. I cleaned up after dinner and watched a bit of television. Have you guys watched Grand Designs? It’s a British show hosted by Kevin McCloud. He follows some very ambitious building projects from individuals with big ideas for their homes.

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Favourite Moments

8 Comments / Friday Favourites

Hi friends! Welcome back to this week’s Friday favourites where I am sharing all about some favourite moments from my busy week. I am so ready for the weekend and come to think of it. My body is more than ready for the end-of-term break! But that is still ages away so for now I am super grateful that it’s the weekend Yay!! I hope that you all enjoyed a great week and thanks so much for stopping by to have a read. I always appreciate you guys visiting my blog and your lovely comments always make my heart sing! So let’s dive right into a recap of some favourite moments from my week. A Drive After I got home from work on Monday Sam asked me if I wanted to go for a drive with him. Do you know that up until then I hadn’t actually been in the car with Sam as the driver? Steve was the one in charge of all the hours and hours of driving practice. He’s actually a fantastic driving instructor and incredibly patient and calm. He also took me to endless hours of driving practice way back when I finally got the courage to learn at the age of 27! Anyway, when I first got into the passenger seat and we drove off. My left foot was all set to use the invisible emergency brake. But as we drove around some quiet streets I finally took my foot off my imaginary brake and relaxed. Haha! We chatted as he drove and I had a really nice time in the car with my big boy. Dinner With Friends After the drive, we got ready to go out for dinner with some friends. We went to our usual local club and this time I didn’t order the same thing I order every time which is the steamed barramundi with rice. Instead, I ordered fish with chips and salad. Would you believe that we are currently experiencing a chip shortage? I know this sounds crazy but it’s true and apparently, it’s due to a supply and demand issue. Anyway, I think that from now on I might stick to ordering the steamed barramundi with rice. At least until the potato chip shortage is over. Because the ones that I ate on Monday night weren’t very nice at all. They were really dense and dry. The Last Of Us We didn’t get home from dinner too late. So Sam and I got a chance to watch the latest episode of ‘The Last Of Us’. Since he has started uni and is at work on the weekend. He’s been so busy that we have hardly seen him. Come to think of it almost none of us are home at the same time very much anymore! Oh well, I guess that’s the new stage of life we are in at the moment. And it really makes me appreciate the times when we can be together and share a meal. A Boiling Hot Week This week wasn’t just a busy week it was also an extremely hot week. And this came up on my Instagram. Monday was the hottest day in two years!! Iced Tea When I got home from work on Tuesday I was so hot and thirsty for a nice cold drink. So I made some refreshing iced tea with ice and slices of lime. Yum! Scrubs Sam has started the practical part of his course and he is required to wear scrubs to uni on Wednesdays. Awww it was so good to see him in his scrubs when he came home on Wednesday evening. My Favourite Night This Week Wednesday evening was my favourite evening during this very busy week. As we were all home together for dinner! I made some sauce to go with the pasta that I had bought from Aldi on the weekend. And it was delicious! It was also great that we all got to sit together to eat dinner and finally catch up. After dinner, Sam went off to do some uni work and Steve and I sat down to watch ‘Shotgun Wedding’. It was a fun movie but I kept dozing off. Luckily the plot was pretty simple so I knew what was happening even though I missed some parts. I find it so hard to stay awake for a whole movie during the week! Gospel Teams Thursday night we had our weekly bible study or gospel teams as we call it. And it was my turn to provide supper so I quickly put together a platter of goodies to take. A Farewell Dinner As soon as I jump off the computer I am off to a farewell dinner for one of our lovely colleagues. She joined us at preschool for one year to cover a maternity leave position. And I have loved working in the same classroom with her this year. I have a whole heap of favourite moments that we have shared over the year. She is so lovely, and kind and also has a fantastic sense of humour. I’m excited to welcome back our colleague as she returns at the end of this term from maternity leave. But I really wish that we could also keep her temporary replacement. I am sad to say goodbye and I know that I probably won’t be seeing her as she lives overseas and will be eventually returning to her home country 😢. But I am very happy that we got to share a year in the same classroom. And I guess that just about wraps up a recap of some of my favourite moments from the week. I am really looking forward to not doing much this weekend as I don’t have any major plans. I hope that you all have a fabulous weekend and I look forward to being back here on Monday. Happy Friday! Linking up with Andrea.

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Is Rest’s Silvercool Sheet Set Worth $300

1 Comment / Health and Well Being, Home

Recently I was sent the Silvercool Performance Sheet set from Rest Duvet to review. And let me tell you that after sleeping in them for a few nights. They have been a total game-changer! And I seriously doubt that I can go back to regular cotton sheets ever again. I have been struggling with the joys that come with getting older! Sometimes I wake up during the night and feel like I have my own internal furnace. I have to quickly throw my sheets off before I melt. And then a little while later I find that I am reaching for the sheets in the darkness because I’m cold. To top it off when it’s summer and we get those hot humid sticky nights. Getting a good night’s sleep is almost impossible. Silvercool Performance Sheet Set From Rest Duvet I was impressed the minute I saw that the sheets were beautifully packaged in a responsibly sourced box. And they felt so smooth, soft and silky when I touched them. I honestly couldn’t wait to go to bed that night! Perfect For Your Skin The Silvercool Performance Sheets from Rest Duvet feel so great against my skin. And they are just so lovely and cool to touch. I guess the best way to describe them is. That when I jump into bed I feel like I am in a relaxing cool swimming pool. And the gorgeous pale blue colour that the sheets come in just adds to the incredible experience. I can honestly say that the Silvercool Performance Sheets have helped me to get a really great night’s sleep. Because they just keep me cool all night. And it has been almost unbearably hot and humid recently. So I have been able to really put them to the test. I also love that I don’t have to turn my pillow over during the night because it’s become hot and uncomfortable. The pillowcases just stay cool and dry all night. The material feels so soft and luxurious against my skin and I find that I don’t have those creases that I get on my face when I sleep on my regular cotton pillowcase. This is perfect if you have sensitive skin and is also great for preventing wrinkles. No More Frizzy Hair Another huge and unexpected bonus is that when I wake up my hair isn’t frizzy. If you have been reading along you will know what a struggle I have with frizzy hair. And how I am always trying different hair products to cope with the frizz. I had never considered that changing my bed sheets and pillowcases could help so dramatically. But since I have been sleeping in the Silvercool Performance Sheets from Rest Duvet. My hair is smooth when I get out of bed and I don’t even have to use the hair straightener in the mornings. They Wash And Dry So Well The sheets also wash very well and feel smooth and soft. There is absolutely no sagging or piling. I have dried them on the clothesline as well as in the clothes dryer on a low setting. And they have come out beautifully. A Perfect Night’s Sleep I love sleeping in the incredibly comfortable Silvercool Performance Sheets and my husband can’t stop saying how amazing they are because he struggles with getting overheated at night all year long! I have also been recommending them to my friends and family. And I’m actually going to buy a set for my son as he gets uncomfortably hot and sweaty even during winter. So if you struggle to regulate your body temperature during the night, and you want to enjoy a cool and comfortable night’s sleep. Then I highly recommend the Silvercool Performance Sheet set from Rest Duvet. I can hardly believe what a difference they have made to the quality of my sleep and the way my hair is just so silky smooth when I wake up! Don’t miss out on Rest’s huge sale for a wonderfully cool night’s sleep! Click here to check out the fantastic discounts available. Enjoy these incredible savings!

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Amazon Finds

4 Comments / Amazon Finds

Hey friends! Welcome to the March edition of ‘Let’s Look’. Today we are sharing our Favourite Amazon Finds. I really enjoy linking up with Shay and Erika on the second Wednesday of every month to ‘look’ at how we do life. We cover a range of fun topics and this is what we have looked at so far… In January we looked at Organising A Busy Family and in February we opened up our Medicine Cabinets to share all the things that we keep inside. And as I mentioned before, today we are going to share our favourite Amazon Finds. **Disclosure: The links provided in this post are affiliate links. I will be paid a commission if you use these links to make a purchase Favourite Amazon Finds WINDSHIELD SUNSHADE It has been insanely hot over here with temps as high as 38°C. This amazing foldable sunshade is a fantastic investment as it protects the car from harsh rays. And I don’t have to worry about having to find a shady parking spot. Best of all my fingers don’t get burnt when I touch the steering wheel and seatbelt buckle. Ouch! The windshield shade keeps my car at a comfortable temp. And I don’t have to be afraid to get inside the car even on the hottest days. CEDAR BALLS These cedar balls have been brilliant for keeping the moths away from my jumpers. I was so annoyed last winter when a couple of my work jumpers had holes in them where some moths had enjoyed a feast. I love that these cedar balls also leave a faint cedar smell which keeps my jumpers smelling fresh. So much nicer than the smell of moths balls which are made out of highly toxic naphthalene!! HOLLYWOOD FASHION TAPE This Hollywood Fashion Tape is a must-have! The double-sided tape holds my clothes in place perfectly. I don’t have to worry about my blouses gaping or stubborn necklines that have the scary potential of accidentally revealing way too much! ICE CUBE TRAYS I bought this set of 2 ice cube trays a while ago. They make big round ice balls and large ice cubes. And I made some really fun ice cubes to go in our Christmas punch. If you add berries or sprigs of herbs to the ice cubes then they make your drinks look very fancy. My cousin also has one of these trays and she used hers to make large round cranberry juice ice balls to go with refreshing Prosecco. CAT/DOG GROOMING BRUSH This pet brush has been brilliant for keeping my lovely little cats fur from going all over my furniture. She loves being brushed and then all I have to do to get the fur off the brush. Is push the button at the back and it all comes off as one clump. So easy! BURT’S BEES KISSABLE HOLIDAY GIFT SET I’m a huge fan of Burt’s Bees products and I especially love their lip balm. These fun shimmery colours are really pretty and they keep my lips moisturised throughout the day. And there we have it! Six of my favourite Amazon finds for this month. Thank you so much for stopping by today and I really hope that you have the best Wednesday!

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Weekend Highlights

8 Comments / Hello Monday

Hi everyone! It’s great to be back again today linking up with Holly and Sarah to share a few of my weekend highlights! I hope that you all had a great weekend. Even though it’s now autumn here in Sydney. I don’t think that we will be feeling any cool temps for a while. And this is totally ok with me! And by the looks of this week’s weather forecast we are in for a scorcher of a week! Anyway, I’m so glad that you are here! So let’s jump right into some weekend highlights! Friday Night I felt so tired on Friday night but I wanted to get ahead and do a bit of prep for our Saturday night family dinner. Luckily I had ordered my groceries online so I didn’t have to go anywhere near the busy supermarket. My order arrived at 7 pm and after I packed all of it away. I used up the last of my energy to make some hummus that I wanted to serve as part of the cheese platter. This is such an easy recipe to make. All you have to do is throw all the ingredients into a food processor and you’re done! It’s so easy peasy and you can find the recipe right here. A Big Family Dinner Saturday was our monthly family dinner or ‘cousin connect’ as we call it. And it was my turn to host so on Saturday afternoon my kitchen looked like this. I made some Mediterranean chicken. Which is just basically chicken thigh fillets cooked in a tomato-based sauce. Then sprinkled with feta and black olives over the top. I like to pop it back in the hot oven so that the cheese melts a bit before I serve it. I also made spinach, feta and ricotta pie. There was also a big salad, rice and sausages because I always panic that we aren’t going to have enough food! About 10 minutes before everyone started to arrive I was scrambling and only just had enough time to put this together. Phew! Luckily I had already made the hummus the night before. For dessert, I made a super easy peach cobbler and I completely forgot to take a pic when I took it out of the oven. But here is a photo of it just before it went into the oven. A Fun Night It was so good to see almost everyone. My son’s fiancee had to work and my cousin’s girlfriend couldn’t make it as she was busy packing to move house so we missed seeing them. But there’s always next month! I really look forward to our monthly dinners and so this was at the top of the list of weekend highlights for sure. It was so funny, the whole family kind of arrived at almost the same time. We were all excited to see each other and we were hugging and saying hello etc. Then as soon as they found out that the black car parked in our driveway was actually Sam’s new car. Everyone went back outside again to check out his new wheels. Everybody was so happy for him! I was so thrilled that we got to eat outside in the courtyard because it can get a bit squishy in our small dining room. The weather forecast had predicted thunderstorms but luckily they were wrong. Instead, it was a beautiful night and we stayed outside finished dinner and chatted for ages. Until a cricket jumped on my aunty’s head and then the same cricket went down my top. After all the shrieking we quickly moved into the lounge room 😂. Sunday I walked to church on Sunday and it was such a beautiful day! So sunny with bright blue skies. We are studying the book of Acts and after the sermon, we sang one of my favourite songs” In Christ Alone”. I can never get past the last few lines without choking up every single time! I get so emotional whenever we sing this beautiful song in church. “From life’s first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny” Afternoon Tea When I got home I had some lunch and then before Steve went to work we shared a nice cup of tea and some carrot cake. Quick Trip To Aldi Later on, I walked to our local Westfields to grab a few things from Aldi. This is our quiet street. Then if you walk for about 10-15 minutes you’ll walk right into a very busy suburb with lots of shops, restaurants, cafes and tall apartment buildings. I really love where I live because it’s peaceful and calm, but still has a great buzz nearby. Here’s that amazing Aldi nighttime face cream that I mentioned the other day. I had just managed to scrape the last bit at the bottom of the jar the night before. While I was there I also bought some porcini mushroom and truffle triangoli. It’s a fancy kind of ravioli and you can’t find it in any other supermarket. I’m going to make this for dinner on Wednesday night and I’m really looking forward to it because it’s absolutely delicious! I have had it a few times before but not recently. And that wraps up my weekend highlights. Weekends, when I get to spend time with my family, are always the best ones. Now I’m staring down the barrel of a very busy week and I have something on every evening except for Wednesday. But they’re all fun things except for one so it’s all ok. I hope you have a great week and I look forward to being back here on Wednesday. Happy Monday!

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Favourite Moments Of The Week

10 Comments / Friday Favourites, Home

Happy almost weekend, friends! I am beyond ready to recharge and unwind after a long week. The week sure does feel like it has gone by in a flash. Yet I remember waking up on Monday morning and Friday felt like it was an eternity away! Anyway, it’s great to be back again on this very rainy Friday. And as usual, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika to share some of my favourite moments of the week. More Birthday Surprises! Well, the birthday surprises kept on coming! I went to my cousin’s surprise birthday lunch on the weekend and I came home with some birthday presents for myself that her family gave to me! I totally didn’t expect that at all and I was so touched by their kindness. They gave me the most beautiful Swarovski rose gold bracelet as a gift. And I love that it goes so well with my watch. In addition to the bracelet, I also received a lovely candle and a luxuriously soft scarf. So many beautiful surprises! They also gave me this delightful card which made me laugh! It’s so cute!! Pork Knuckle Dinner The last time I went to Costco was almost two months ago. And I made sure to buy a couple of pork knuckles. They are such a deliciously simple meal to put together so quickly and easily. The knuckle comes pre-cooked so all I had to do was rub oil on the skin, add salt then pop it in the oven for about an hour. Once it was ready oh my goodness that crackling was something else! It was so crispy! All I had to do to complete the meal was to quickly chop up some potatoes and pumpkin. Then I just threw them all in the pan with the pork knuckle. And as they cooked they soaked up all the delicious juices. This pork knuckle is one of my favourite go-to easy meals. Wednesday Night Date Night Steve and I went out for dinner on Wednesday night and I decided to wear a black pencil skirt and my cute leopard print sling-back pumps that I hadn’t worn in ages. It was fun to dress up a bit after being at preschool all day in shorts, sneakers, a T-shirt and blue hands from the finger painting activity! The view was beautiful. And we both enjoyed our meals as we watched the pretty sunset. Favourite Moments At Preschool I have a few favourite preschool moments to share with you guys this week. Look at this amazing hairstyle from one of our little preschoolers. Her mum is so clever! Even though I tried I couldn’t quite work out how she managed to create this work of art! This week we also had another cute lunch box. And another one of my big favourite moments of the week was a really fun incursion at preschool. We had a lion dance show! And two young guys came in to tell us all about the origins of the Chinese New Year and why the lions are so important. Most of the kids were absolutely thrilled. A couple were a bit unsure and a bit freaked out by the big lion costume so they needed extra cuddles and reassurance. But on the whole, everyone loved it. The kids got to take turns playing with the cymbals and making a whole lot of noise! Which is always a big hit with the little ones. It was a great show and it was really good that the kids were able to learn about Chinese New Year in such a fun and interactive way. I guess that wraps up a few of my favourite moments from the week. I’m so excited that it’s the weekend. And I’m looking forward to tomorrow night. Because it’s my turn to host our monthly family dinner. I’m waiting for my shopping to be delivered so I can get started on some prep just to make things easier for tomorrow. I’ve planned a Mediterranean-style menu this time. And I look forward to being back here on Monday to share some weekend highlights. Happy Friday!

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Happy Updates

11 Comments / Family Life

Hi, everyone, can you believe that it’s the first of March? Woah, I know February is a short month but really…March already??? Anyway, I’m happy to be here for this month’s edition of ‘Currently’ so I can share some happy updates. And I’m excited to be linking up with Jennifer from Overflowing With Thankfulness. Today we are looking at what we are currently Loving Starting Finishing Trying Going Loving I have been absolutely loving this summer season!! Summer in Sydney came quite late and I remember wearing layers and jackets as late as November last year. Which was quite unusual! Then once the warm weather finally kicked in. We’ve enjoyed days and days of bright sunny weather. We’ve had storms and rain in between but overall I think it’s been a good summer. I won’t mention the humidity that messes with my hair and sleep. I refuse to say anything negative about my favourite season hehe! It’s been such a treat to be able to hang out with friends and family to enjoy long sunny lunches and dinners. Soak up the warm weather and indulge in some really delicious food and drinks. I find that it’s just so much easier to get out and do fun things when the weather is good. The sunshine, bright blue skies and warmth just make everything more enjoyable. I also love being able to wear light clothes like shorts, sandals and sleeveless tops. Not having to bundle up in layers and coats is so refreshing. Of course, I know that all this is coming to a sad end soon. And today is the first day of autumn. But until the cold sets in. I’m going to make sure that I keep on relishing the warm weather. Starting I’m starting to get used to Sam having his license and driving his own car. Phew…..I said it! As you know I’m still in the process of getting used to this. And the thought of him behind the wheel makes me a bit nervous. I mean I know that he is careful and sensible but the roads in Sydney are just so very busy. I have to admit though that it’s been really great that he has been getting home from his weekend job much earlier than when he was catching public transport. Finishing Well, I’m down to the end of my favourite go-to night-time face cream. I usually use the Lacura brand from Aldi and it is really great. As it leaves my skin feeling soft, hydrated and nourished. When I first started using it I was a bit sceptical. I mean how can such an affordable face cream be as good as the fancy creams? But it honestly is! Every once in a while, I like to treat myself to a fancy cream just to mix things up. But after my little fling with the expensive creams is over, I usually come back to my good old Aldi cream. Trying I’ve been on a quest to be more organised with my meal planning. And so far so good but I have to admit that it’s still only March. My goal is to stick to being consistent for the whole year. And I’m happy to say that I am actually enjoying my new routine of sitting down on Sunday afternoons and looking through the internet for ideas and recipes. I’ve been really focused on making sure that I incorporate more veggies into my meals. The other night I made a satay chicken stir fry and I added a bag of stir fry mix rainbow vegetables. It had a whole lot of delicious vegetables and then I added a red capsicum that had been in my fridge for a while and had seen better days. That’s the thing that I love about stir fries. You can add so many vegetables that might otherwise go to waste. Going We are actually not going anywhere really. I have another five weeks before we are on term break and I have been looking at some local getaways. I would love to go somewhere to relax and unwind for a couple of days. But so far we don’t have any major exciting plans. And I guess that just about wraps up some happy updates for this month. I love this linkup because it really makes me stop and reflect on what has happened in the last month. Thank you so much for joining me today. And I hope that you have a wonderful rest of the week!

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