August 2025 - PLAYWORKEATREPEAT

Friday Favourites

Hi friends, it’s time to wrap up the week with a few favourites. Let’s go! Dinner with Friends First up, we caught up with some friends for dinner on Tuesday night. I wasn’t sure if I’d be in any shape to go out after work because it was a long day—work, then a meeting, and then a CPR refresher training course. I had visions of myself falling asleep in my food like Jane Fonda in Monster in Law–haha, have you seen it? Just the other day I watched it again—so funny! But knowing I had something fun to look forward to helped me push through the day. By the time we sat down for dinner, I was so glad I went. The food was good, the company was even better. Steve and I have known this couple since our teens—well, my teens, not his, he’s six years older than me hehe. What’s for Dinner I shared on Wednesday that I usually do the cooking. Partly because I enjoy having a familiar show on while I do it, and mostly because I struggle with letting go of my usual routine. But on Thursday, I finally decided to take up Steve’s offer to help. Normally, our conversation goes like this:“Hey, do you want me to make dinner tonight?”Me: “Oh, it’s okay, I’ll do it when I get home.” I must have had rocks in my head. I mean, seriously—who doesn’t take up the offer to have dinner made for them?! So he made roast beef and gravy using the pan juices. I always just use the Maggi packet mix. He also roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes in the air fryer, made a garden salad, and everything tasted amazing. The beef was so tender, and the gravy was incredible. He even made bolognese sauce for Friday, so we can have it with pasta (my favourite) or rice (Sam’s favourite—I know, right? Who has bolognese sauce with rice?! Haha). And just like that, I’ve decided he can have the kitchen on Thursdays and make us as many meals as he likes. I’m hanging up my apron. Well, not totally hanging it up. Oh yes—did I mention he’s a chef? Yep… I’m almost too embarrassed to share this, but I’ve been married to a chef for so long, and I’ve always insisted on doing the cooking. And I’ve been feeding him packet gravy mix. Treats Sweet treats brought to us by our fun work colleague are always a favourite. This week, it was a packet of mint slices and a packet of Gaiety biscuits. I’d never had the Gaiety before, but I’ve already put them on my shopping list—they’re layers of crisp wafer filled with smooth hazelnut chocolate cream, all coated in milk chocolate. So delicious—these biscuits had me at hazelnut! Last week was tough at work with all the rain and being stuck indoors, and this same wonderful snack-supplying colleague and kind friend surprised me with a little care package. It had a note that made me LOL, chocolates, creamy-filled biscuits, and a Vodka Cruiser. You know what I’m having tonight? Ya—all three! 😉 And that’s a wrap for this week’s favourites. I’m off to have a shower, eat dinner, watch something on TV, and enjoy my snacks. It’s going to be the best Friday evening ever! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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What’s Up Wednesday

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Hi friends, welcome to What’s Up Wednesday! It’s that time again to share a few highlights from August. Thanks so much for stopping by—I always appreciate you being here. WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK Monday – Chilli con carne with rice. To jazz things up a bit, I added some turmeric to the rice to make it yellow. It doesn’t change the flavour, but it makes the dish more colourful Tuesday – We went to Allawah Pub for dinner with friends. I had the chicken schnitzel with chips, salad and gravy, but after seeing my friend’s chicken and leek pie, I knew I should have ordered that instead. I had major pie envy! Wednesday – Roast chicken with mash and vegetables Thursday – Spaghetti bolognese. Friday – Roast beef Saturday – leftovers My husband convinced me to let him cook today (and for the rest of the week!). I’m not sure why I’ve never taken him up on his offer — he’s really helpful around the house and actually enjoys being in the kitchen. Part of me loves zoning out while I cook, but another part of me is starting to think… why not let him take over more often? He’s cut back on his work hours and could even look at retiring, but after watching the Netflix documentary The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner, we both decided we’d like to keep working. I’m happy doing full-time, and he’s happy to scale back, and it’s working really well. We get to spend more time together. That said, it has definitely shaken up my little evening routine, where I used to be home alone with my own schedule that included cooking. I’m enjoying having him around more, but it’s a change — and even good change takes me a little while to get used to. Do you get what I mean? Anyway, my weekly meal planning turned into a bit of a therapy session — thanks for letting me get that off my chest! 😅 In a nutshell… I think I might have a few control issues — yikes! WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT To be honest… I can’t think of anything. WHAT I’M LOVING I’ve spotted some flowers blooming in my garden and in other people’s gardens on my walks to and from work. After what feels like an eternal winter, I’m so happy to see evidence of spring starting to peek through! WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO The highlights in August have been Cousin Connect. We celebrated Steve’s birthday with a lunch at home, just the four of us. Then, on his actual birthday, we had breakfast at The Boat Shed and walked around exploring La Perouse–such a lovely spot! We had lunch at The Opera Bar last weekend. Those were the fun moments, and then for the rest of the month, it was just the usual work routine. WHAT I’M DREADING Tomorrow I’m leading an evacuation drill at work. This time, it’s a bigger scenario, and we have to evacuate to the local park. Hmph, just thinking about it stresses me out! First of all, this group of children are very lively, so rounding them up will be ‘fun.’ Then it’s roll call, grabbing all the necessary things (medication, etc.), getting them onto the walking rope, we’ll be using the walking rope with loop handles (sometimes called doughnut rings) and crossing a busy road. We practised a drill on Tuesday that was led by another educator, and I made the mistake of directing one of the boys to “hold on to the doughnut.” So he started chewing on it: “But Miss Ruth, you said it was a doughnut!” Lord, give me strength! WHAT I’M WATCHING The Gilded Age– it’s so good and reminds me a little of Downton Abbey, which I loved so much. I also finished watching Friends Like Her, a series from New Zealand. I’d never watched a show from New Zealand before, and I enjoyed it so much — lots of drama, but not the stressful kind I can’t handle at the moment, just entertaining drama. Then on Sunday night, we started watching Hostage. We’ve only got two episodes left, and I’m wondering if it’s a limited series or not. We’re really into it and can’t wait to see how it ends! WHAT I’M LISTENING TO This is part of my Music & Movement Spotify playlist. Most of these songs are new to me (except A Ram Sam Sam), and I’ve been practising the actions so I can get them right before introducing them to the preschool kids. WHAT I’M WEARING Still in winter clothes, BUT the good news is I’m down one layer this week. Spring is coming! WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND Coffee and Portuguese tarts on Saturday morning. Then I’m catching up with some friends I haven’t seen in ages in the afternoon. Sunday looks like it’ll be a stay-at-home day. WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH Spring! Hooray for spring! And that’s a wrap on August! I can’t believe how fast time is flying by. I have to admit, my favourite months are coming, and I’m so excited! From September onwards, it’s spring, the fun festivities are on the way, and everything just feels brighter and more upbeat. I hope you all had a great August, and here’s hoping September is good to all of us! Linking up with Shay

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Hello Monday

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Hi friends, it’s great to be back today on this sunny — yes, sunny — Monday! Woohoo, the rain finally stopped, and we got to enjoy a dry weekend. I was chatting to one of the preschool parents this morning, and we both agreed how spoilt we are living in Sydney, where the sky is bright blue most of the year. Hooray for that! Now it’s time to link up with Holly and Sarah to share a little about our weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by! Saturday We kicked off the weekend with a trip to the Opera Bar. After a week of rain, it seemed like half of Sydney had the same idea — Circular Quay was buzzing, and every harbourside restaurant was packed. We got lucky and found a table as soon as we arrived, right near the live music. It still amazes me that you don’t have to book — you can just wander in. The menu prices are pretty reasonable, too, considering the location and the view. You can even get bottles of wine that are cheaper than at some local spots. Opera Bar is changing hands after 24 years, with a new group taking over in mid-September. Fingers crossed they don’t mess with the magic or make it too fancy or exclusive. I love that it’s a fun, relaxed, easygoing place where you can grab a drink, something to eat, and hang out for as long as you like. Ha! Here I am, getting fussy about change before it’s even happened. I’m sure it’ll still be amazing… maybe even better. We ordered a hot seafood platter, and it came with a little mesh dome cover to stop the seagulls from pinching your food. Everyone had their plates covered, which I didn’t remember from our previous visits — maybe because we got there during the peak lunch period this time. We saw the trained border collies wandering around the bar with their trainers, keeping the seagulls away. There wasn’t a huge flock, just the odd persistent bird hovering here and there. I was a bit scared one might poop on my head — yikes! After lunch, we popped into a little patisserie for dessert. We were pretty full from lunch, so we shared a chocolate éclair with our coffee. Next time, there will be no sharing! Steve had to work in the evening, so I spent the night searching for new songs for our preschool music and movement time. There are so many fantastic ideas from some really passionate early childhood content creators — I need to get my zing back this year. Sunday Sunday is our brunch day, and we had scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, salmon, and sourdough. Steve went to work, and I walked to Westfield to buy some new pants for work — I’d worn my old ones to death. I used to just wear clothes from my wardrobe that I no longer liked. But they made me feel bleh because I was wearing clothes I didn’t like every single day. And they weren’t usually comfortable anyway. Now I just buy clothes especially for work from Uniqlo. My work wardrobe is simple with basic pieces I can mix and match. They wash well and are actually comfortable. Win-win! The pants I wanted were half price, so I bought a grey pair and a black pair. I also got a couple of ribbed long-sleeved T-shirts and a jumper. I was hungry after my shopping, so I treated myself to a Happy Meal from McDonald’s. It came with a toy, which I offered to my 20-year-old when I got home — he had a laugh but politely declined. I’ll give it to my oldest son, the 32-year-old who likes collecting things like this. Hehe. Then in the evening, I worked on a storybook version of a song about kindness on Canva. It has a lovely, soothing melody, but it’s a bit wordy for 4- and 5-year-olds. I figured pairing it with illustrations while we listened might help it stick. Who knows — this year has been all about learning to be kind. Pray for me! Happy Monday!

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Friday Favourites

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Hi friends, welcome to Friday Favourites. When I sat down to write this post, I could almost hear crickets chirping, because that just about sums up my week. I don’t want to be a downer, but I think my only favourite this week is that today is finally Friday. But in the spirit of keeping things positive and chipper, I’m going to dig deep and find some more favourites. I’m usually a glass-half-full kind of person… after I’ve had a little panic first. I guess that’s why I like this link-up—it makes me look for the favourite parts of what’s sometimes a week you’d rather forget. More Rain And speaking of weeks you’d rather forget—let’s start with the weather. It rained all week. All. Week. I tell you!! And yes, that’s annoying: the washing can’t dry on the line, the house feels damp, and it’s just generally gloomy. But when you work in childcare, wet weeks are a whole other level of misery. I don’t think we got to play outside at all this week. And this year, we have a bunch of lively children (read between the lines, my educator friends) who need about 50 hectares to burn off all that energy. On the upside, even though it was a tough week with wild weather and wilder children, I work with some genuinely lovely people, and I’m lucky enough to call some of them my friends. They’re the ones I can roll my eyes at and laugh with when we’re in the trenches. Soup So, what’s another favourite? …thinking…thinking… Oh yes! I finally pulled out the leftover leg bone from our Christmas ham that had been taking up space in the freezer and decided to make split pea and ham soup. I had to do it before we hit summer—otherwise, what’s the point, right? At first I was annoyed because the bone didn’t fit into the pot, so it was sticking out. And I’d started making the soup at 8 pm on Monday night. Who does that?? Me, I guess—once I get my mind set on something. Anyway, in the end, the soft bits from the end of the bone came away, and the whole bone slid snugly into the pot. It simmered away for a couple of hours. After I pulled out the bone, I blitzed it and ended up with the creamiest soup. I’ve been eating it for lunch all week, and although it’s not the prettiest soup, it sure tastes good! You could also call it my farewell-to-winter meal. In a few weeks, I can say, “Goodbye winter, see you later—don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Aldi Favourites Another favourite this week? My husband went to Aldi to buy more of the porcini mushroom Trangioli that I talked about last Friday. It was that good—he went grocery shopping! I took the chance to add a few more things to his list, and even slipped night-time face cream on there. The wonderful thing about Aldi is that they don’t stock major choices. So I was pretty sure he’d get it right. He came home with the regular cream instead of the one labelled “mature” (so yes, technically me). I actually prefer the regular cream because it’s lighter, and when I told him I was proud he got it right, he admitted he was scared of buying the “older ladies” cream! Haha! And that’s a few things that made this week a bit brighter. It’s supposed to be sunny and warm tomorrow—hard to imagine when it’s pouring right now. Anyway, fingers crossed the weather bureau has got it right. Wishing you (and me) a bright and sunny weekend!

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Hello Monday

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Hi friends! It’s great to be back on this freezing, cold, windy, and rainy Monday. Now that I’ve given you the weather report, I can move on to the weekend recap, hehe. The weekend was all about Steve’s birthday celebrations. His actual birthday was on Sunday, but because he works on weekends, we decided to spread things out and celebrate on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday Our eldest son came over, and Steve didn’t start work until 7 pm, so it made sense to have a cozy, long lunch just the four of us on that day. I made his favourite pot roast and served it with rice, because everyone loves rice at my house. I’m more of a potato girl myself, so I made some potatoes too—double carbs, why not? When one of your kids has moved out, I can’t tell you how special these times are. Just sitting at the table, eating and sharing stories about everyday life — you never want these moments to end! I got a Black Forest cake from The Cheesecake Shop, and when I went to pick it up in the morning, I was surprised by the bright red topping—yikes! It didn’t really look like your typical Black Forest cake, and I nearly swapped it for a strawberries-and-cream one. But in the end, I figured I’d give it a go because it was just us, and we’re not fussy. It turned out to be a good decision, because it tasted great! I had two, maybe three… okay, yeah, three slices—and I’m not even much of a cake eater (unless we’re having Pavlova, and then I easily lose all self-control). After the cake, we gave Steve his present—a Samsung smartwatch. Oh my gosh, we all laughed so much when he pulled the watch in its white box out of the gift bag and his first reaction was, “Oh wow, thanks… nougat!” Haha! For a split second, he actually thought we had given him a bar of nougat. I was laughing so hard—he’s so easily pleased, we could have saved the money! Then Steve went to work, and Luke stayed until past midnight. The three of us watched a movie called I Saw the TV Glow. Hmmmm… definitely interesting and full of meaning. I didn’t exactly love it, nor did I dislike it. It’s the kind of film that lingers in your head. My boys enjoy these deep, thought-provoking movies, and I used to love the same kind of movies and books when I was young. Now I prefer entertaining ones where I don’t have to figure out the ending! Sunday Sunday was Steve’s actual birthday. He starts work at 2 pm on Sundays, so we went out to La Perouse for breakfast at a place called The Boatshed. Eggs Benedict for the two of us (Sam had to work). The sky was so blue, and it was lovely and sunny, such a welcome change from the dreary, rainy days we had last week. But it was still cold and very windy! After breakfast, we walked around La Perouse and saw Bare Island Fort, built back in 1885 as part of Sydney’s coastal defences. Do you recognise this bridge? It’s the Bare Island Bridge that they used for a motorcycle chase scene in Mission: Impossible II (2000). It was a very dramatic scene—Ethan Hunt was either being chased or maybe doing the chasing, I can’t quite remember. There were a lot of impressive motorcycle stunts and explosions. That I do remember! I really should rewatch it—it’s been ages since I last saw it. And that was Steve’s birthday weekend! How was your weekend? I hope it was a good one. Thanks so much for stopping by. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, stay warm—and remember, only a few more weeks before spring. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, lucky you! I’m jealous! Linking up with Holly and Sarah

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Friday Favourites

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Hi friends! I hope you’ve had an amazing week. It’s been a very rainy one here, and somehow that makes the days feel even longer. So yes, I’m beyond happy that Friday’s finally here — hello weekend, phew! I know I shouldn’t wish time away, but I’m definitely ready to enjoy it. I’m joining Andrea and Erika to share some of my favourites. Thanks so much for stopping by! Counting Down To Spring It’s that time of year when winter feels like it’s been dragging on and on. I know spring is on the horizon, and I can’t wait for it to get here already. And that’s exactly what everyone I’ve spoken to this week is saying: “I can’t wait for spring!” I one hundred per cent agree — I almost feel like I should get a T-shirt printed in big neon 80s-style letters that says it! With it being so rainy and the sky grey most days, seeing this sunny sky on my way to work the other day was such a mood lifter. Of course, it rained a short while later… but we won’t talk about that. Family Catch-Up Ooops, I almost forgot to share that we had Cousin Connect last Sunday. I linked up on Monday to talk about how we take a break, so I didn’t recap the weekend. This month, we caught up on a Sunday night — the one evening that suited almost everyone. One of our cousins was heading overseas, so it was our last chance to see her before she left for the rest of the month. It was such a fun night, and catching up with everyone is always the highlight of my month! We enjoyed a delicious cheeseboard that my aunt brought. Then we had Mexican for dinner — nachos, fajitas, street corn salad, green leaf salad, and rice. After dinner, we watched the travel video, and I was happy that everyone enjoyed it. The outtakes were very funny, and I think the music landed really well. I threw in a few old-school hits from the ’80s, along with tracks from Coldplay, Empire of the Sun, Shaboozey, and The Weeknd. You can’t go wrong with classics! Then we started talking about our next possible Cousin adventure in January 2026. I’ll share more once it’s definite — that is, once we’ve bought our airline tickets and there’s no turning back. Yay! (Gulp — another plane ride!) Star Wars and Coke Have you seen the Star Wars collectible Coke cans — wow! I don’t buy Coke very often, so I hadn’t seen these before, but I picked some up for Cousin Connect. I thought about keeping one unopened, but then I remembered a lesson from my teen years. I once kept a limited-edition Coke can in my parents’ cabinet, and when I finally went to get it — who knows how long later — the bottom had almost completely dissolved. I lifted the can, and out came a sticky blobby mess. Bleh — so gross! Delicious Pasta Night This Aldi pasta is our favourite, and I hadn’t bought any in forever. I used to shop at Aldi a lot, but now I mostly use the Delivery Unlimited subscription from Woolworths to order my groceries online. I popped into Aldi the other day and bought a couple of boxes, and made it for dinner on Thursday. I kept it simple — a tomato-based sauce with canned Mutti tomatoes, garlic, and oregano — and it tasted so good. I seriously recommend this pasta; it tastes like it’s from a restaurant. Not even exaggerating! Snack Time Favourite Most of this week’s favourites are all about food! Haha — food is definitely my favourite topic. My kind friend dropped over a Baby Ruth the other day. These aren’t sold much around here, so it was such a treat. Would you believe I didn’t see any while we were in the U.S. this year? I looked in Target and Walmart, but couldn’t find any. So strange. I did manage to grab some bars of PayDay, though. I love them too, and I’m rationing them to myself. I’ll be so sad when they’re finished. That’s a wrap on this week’s favourites. On a special note, it’s my husband’s birthday this Sunday. He’s working this weekend, so we’re keeping it low-key and celebrating just the four of us tomorrow with a special lunch and cake. Hopefully, we’ll also squeeze in breakfast or brunch on Sunday, depending on how late he gets home from each shift and how he’s feeling. Other than tomorrow’s lunch, we’re just going with the flow and fitting in celebrations around work — that’s life when he’s in the hospitality industry! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

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How I Take a Break — Because Everyone Needs One!

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Hi friends, and welcome to this month’s Share Our Lives linkup. Today we’re chatting about how we take a break. Hmmm… how do I take a break? Well, I guess that really depends on a few things—like the season of life I’m in, what kind of day I’m having, and what I feel I need most in that moment. Breaks can be as simple as a small pause to reset (hello hormones and emotions), or they can be a mental holiday, where I let my mind wander. They can also be bigger, like fun getaways, trips, school term breaks, special occasions, or those glorious guilt-free days when I give myself permission to have a do-nothing (or almost nothing) day. So let’s get into it—come along with me as I share how I take a break. Micro-breaks I think micro-breaks are total sanity savers! They’re those tiny moments when you sneak away somewhere you can be alone—even if it’s just for a minute—to breathe before you lose your mind. Haha, I remember when the kids were little and the bathroom was the only place I could take a break. I’d lock the door and just sit there, taking a moment for myself. Have you ever done that? Mental holidays Sometimes I do a mental escape—in other words, I daydream. I’ll relive past trips or plan future ones (I’m starting to feel brave about getting on a plane now!). Other times, I let my mind wander to winning the lotto and how I’d decorate my mansion, especially thinking about what kind of lighting my walk-in wardrobe would have. A chandelier is way too much, so I’d probably go for sleek recessed lighting. Daydreaming like this might seem silly, but it’s a pretty good way to give your brain a break. It lets me step away from whatever is stressing me out at the moment and just have a bit of fun in my head, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Walking I walk to and from work. That walk before work is a mental break that helps me get ready for the day ahead. “Yes, today is going to be the best day ever” is my mantra. The walk home helps me shake off the stress and ringing in my ears from the constant noise at work. Walking is not only part of my routine, it’s also one of my favourite ways to take a break. Term Breaks and Special Occasions I’m so lucky to work in a preschool because we get term breaks! That means three glorious two-week breaks and then a big five-week break at the end of the year. I don’t think I would have lasted this long working in early childhood education if it weren’t for those precious term breaks. For me, special occasions like Christmas, public holidays, birthdays, and family gatherings are also a break. Unless you’re hosting, of course—then it’s all systems go! These special occasions are fun things to look forward to and a nice break from the usual routine. Do-Nothing Days Every now and then (though not as often as I’d like), I give myself a proper do-nothing day. That’s when I have no plans and decide, yep, today I’m doing nothing. But I can only do that now because my kids are grown and my husband works evenings, so I’m often home alone. When the kids were little and I was caring for my beautiful mum, a do-nothing day was impossible. Yikes — the house would have fallen apart! Do-nothing days are great. I’m still working on not feeling guilty about them, but that’s a whole other post. And that’s how I take a break! I also do things like enjoy a cup of tea, play Candy Crush, do a Duolingo lesson, and scroll through Pinterest for fashion and home decor inspiration. Thanks for stopping by. I’d love to hear what your go-to breaks are because we all sure do need them, don’t we? Have a wonderful day! Linking up with Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne and Sarah.

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Hello Monday

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Hi, friends, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It’s great to be back today, linking up with Holly and Sarah and sharing a little about our very rainy weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by. Crazy Rain and Wind This wasn’t your average rainy weekend. No way this was next level! At times, the skies opened up and it absolutely bucketed down. It was also incredibly windy. So windy that at times the rain sprayed sideways and slammed hard against the windows. Yikes! So what do you do when the weather is that wild? If you can, and you don’t have to be anywhere (poor Sam and Steve had to work), you hunker down at home—and that’s exactly what I did. I was as happy as a clam that I had zero plans and I could be tucked up indoors, staying warm and dry all weekend long. Yay! This is the view from my kitchen window—so grey and bleak. Every now and then, the sun would peek out for about a minute, and then—whoosh!—the rain would come pouring down again a moment later. So crazy! Still Working on the Travel Video Most of Saturday, I just did a few chores around the house and spent time working on the travel video. I’ve been calling it a movie because I’m using the iMovie app. But it’s definitely not a grand production. So I’d better stick to calling it what it is: a travel video—haha! Yep, I’m still at it and really enjoying the process. It’s been so fun figuring out the right titles to use and tweaking the length of the transitions so everything lines up with the beat of the music I’ve chosen. I’ve also figured out how to split the music and lower the volume so you can actually hear some of the funny things that were said along the road trip. I’m so glad I filmed bits of what we got up to—even if I can’t use a lot of it because I was too excited to stay still and film calmly. I had to be right there in the action! Still, it means the video has a nice mix of real moments and photos. I’ll tell you what I am having trouble with—the length! I don’t want to make it too long, but we had so many adventures over those three weeks. I could easily make it as long as a feature film. But I won’t, because I want to share it with the rest of the family. Maybe I’ll make an epic version just for me. Movie Night Hmm… so what else did I get up to over the rainy weekend? Oh yes, that’s right—I watched Ghost for the thousandth time. You know when you’re in the mood to watch something that’s a guaranteed great movie you love? I was totally in that mood on Saturday night, so I picked a winner. When Steve got home from work, he joined me about halfway through. He was all, “Huh, you’re watching this again?”—and then, of course, he was glued to the screen just like me. Oh my gosh, I thought for sure that this time I wouldn’t cry, but I couldn’t help myself. I also did that weird thing where I find myself wishing Sam wouldn’t get shot at the beginning—even though I know there’d be no movie without it. Does anyone else do that? Probably not, because it makes absolutely no sense. Brunch and More of the Same Sunday brunch was a yummy highlight. And then my day pretty much looked the same as Saturday. The weather was just as crazy, too! That about sums up my rainy weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by today—hope the sun is shining wherever you are!

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Makeup Favourites

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It’s time to chat favourites! This week, I’m sharing a few new makeup finds that have become part of my easy, no-fuss routine. Whether it’s makeup, skincare, or little life hacks that actually work, these are the things that make my heart sing — and that’s definitely a favourite! Maybelline Lifter Gloss During the winter school holidays, I caught up with my fun makeup guru friend. She was wearing the most gorgeous Maybelline lip gloss and looked amazing. I knew then and there that I needed that lip gloss in my life. There’s lip gloss, and then there’s lip gloss, right? Well, this one is one of the best I’ve tried because it stays on longer than any others I’ve used before—and it’s not just glossy. It’s also shimmery! Shimmery and glossy—what a combo! I found the lip gloss at Priceline—that’s where my friend said she bought hers. While I was there, I met a friendly sales assistant who gave me fantastic advice. She really knew her beauty products from all the brands in the store, and I ended up buying more than just lip gloss. And I don’t think I’ve ever been happier—or had my skin tone matched so well. This lady was a real gem! Here’s what I also bought. L’Oréal Tinted Serum I was planning to buy my usual BB cream from Mecca, but while the sales assistant was sharing her sage advice with me, I asked for a recommendation. She suggested the L’Oréal True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum. This tinted serum feels super light but still gives great coverage. It doesn’t feel heavy at all, but it gives my face just the right tint so I don’t look washed out and dull. Liquid Bronzer I’d never heard of the brand Catrice before, but this bronzer is fantastic for contouring, which is exactly what I wanted. I’m always trying to contour my nose to make it look smaller—haha! Not sure I’m having much success, no matter how many YouTube videos I watch. This is a great bronzer, though—highly recommend it. All Over Glow Tint Another product from Catrice that I’m really happy with is their All Over Glow Tint. I use a few dots on my cheeks near the corners of my eyes, plus dots on my chin, nose, and forehead. Then I blend it out using a brush for a subtle dewy finish. I’ve just noticed that the tube says I can use it on eyes and lips too–I’ll have to try that. L’Oréal Infallible Setting Mist This is one of my best makeup discoveries! I hadn’t even heard of setting mist until I mentioned to the Priceline lady that my makeup was fading quickly during the day. She recommended the L’Oréal Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist, and since I started using it, I’ve noticed zero transfer. Plus, it gives my skin a subtle, natural glow — I’m all about that glowy look! Brushes So many brushes—and they all claim to be for something different. It’s a bit overwhelming! I ended up buying the contour and highlight brush, as well as the concealer brush. I actually needed both, and I’ve been using them ever since—so no regrets! Now I combine my new products with these trusty other makeup products I use every day Kevyn Aucoin Concealer I’ve got a few pigmentation spots on my face that I’m not exactly in love with, so I cover them up with this heavy-duty concealer. I think the spots are also called age spots—ugh! Pigmentation spots sound better. Maybelline Concealer This is a lightweight concealer I use for the dark circles under my eyes. Nars Liquid Blush I love that it gives a natural-looking colour to my cheeks that I can build up. It’s very light and feels really fresh on the skin. And just like that, I’ve now got a super quick 5–7 minute makeup routine that’s easy to manage. Thanks so much for stopping by today and spending a little time with me. I really appreciate you being here and hope you found something helpful or inspiring to add to your own routine. Until next time, take care and keep glowing! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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