March 2026

Hi friends! This week did not exactly sparkle, but there were still many bright spots that got me through. One of the great things about joining this link-up is that it makes you pause and notice the good things instead of dwelling on everything that didn’t go quite right. So here are a few of my Friday favourites. Autumn is Coming Just this week, I’ve noticed a change in the weather. The mornings and evenings are getting cooler, although the days are still very warm and the humidity is hanging around. My personal humidity indicator, which just so happens to be my hair, confirms this. Even after a keratin treatment, when it’s humid, my fringe still curls and pokes directly into my left eye (very annoying). Thankfully, it’s nowhere near as bad as the pre-keratin days when my hair would boof out completely. Small wins. It’s also getting darker a little earlier, and for the first time ever, I’m not sad about the shift from summer to winter. My recent run-in with a giant cockroach, along with the relentless humidity, has definitely made me a lot more open to cooler weather. Or maybe it’s just that our trip is coming up soon, and we’re heading into spring in Singapore and Japan. That’s definitely helping me not grumble about the change. I Found a New Show Monday night, I was home by myself, so I ate my dinner while watching another episode of Happy Valley. Have you seen this fantastic British crime show? It’s so good. For some reason, I thought it was a comedy because of the name. And as I was flicking around on Binge trying to find something to watch, I figured I’d give this “comedy” a go. Well, it’s far from a comedy, but it’s definitely the best crime show I’ve watched in ages, and I’m hooked. Oh, and my cottage pie with salad was pretty good too. Mid-Week Dinner Catch-Up Our friends invited us over for dinner on Wednesday night, and I loved having a little midweek plan to look forward to. To start, we had olives grown and pickled by them, with taramasalata and crackers. I asked where the crackers came from because they were so delicious, and would you believe they were homemade? Our friends not only pickle their own olives, they also make sourdough. The crackers were made from leftover sourdough mix, with a few seeds added. Wow! They surprised me with a belated birthday present. I said, “Let’s open it now,” and we sure did! Dinner Out Thursday night, we had a staff meeting, and it was hard to concentrate because I was hungry and already looking forward to dinner out with my husband at a local Japanese restaurant. Ramen and gyozas for us, all “research” to compare when we go to Japan 😉 Cockatoos One day, when I really needed a laugh, I saw this crazy cockatoo hanging upside down on the electricity line outside my house. It almost did a full 360 trying to nibble at the wire. It made me LOL, and it felt so good. Positive Vibes And I got another belated birthday present from my son. He tidied his gaming room and came out with this positive peas (well, technically one tiny crocheted pea, but the sign says “positive peas”). He said he bought it to go with the Swatch watch he and his brother gave me, and then forgot. I really needed this little positive pea in my life. Isn’t it the cutest? She now lives on my desk, and I love her. And those were a few of my small, simple, but much-needed highlights from the week. This positive pea is signing off and wishing you all the happiest of weekends! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

Hi friends! I can hardly believe it’s FRIDAY, and it truly feels like I blinked and the week just whooshed by. I always have the best intentions to write this post throughout the week, kind of like a little diary of favourite things from each day. The sensible, easiest way to do it, right? Yet here I am like the high schooler I once was, leaving my assignment to the last minute. Not that blogging is an assignment I have to complete. No, not at all. But I would love to be more organised and consistent like I used to be. Anyway, it’s Friday afternoon, I’ve just gotten home from work, and I can see I’ve only taken a couple of blurry photos this week. Which is all ok because I’m sure I can remember some of this week’s highlights without as many visual prompts as I wish I had. Hmm, let’s test the old noggin, shall we… Monday Monday is a blur, but I do remember getting my Share Our Lives post written. It was fun to talk about some of the things I frequently buy at the supermarket. I also enjoyed reading what everyone else shared in the link-up. Grocery item talk is my love language. Tuesday Tuesday was a work-from-home day, which always makes me feel like a grown-up. Hi, I’m Ruth, and yes, I’m a grown-up who worked from home on Tuesday. I guess working in preschool makes me feel like an eternal kid. But twice a year, when we have to write up developmental summaries, I get to do it at home in the quiet, without the constant noise and hustle and bustle. It was so quiet my ears were ringing, and I also felt like I was jigging school. Wednesday Wednesday was a treat because I had an appointment at the hairdresser’s for a proper colour treatment. I usually do it myself, and the last time I had my hair professionally coloured was about 20 years ago. My mum and I would go together, and I loved those times spent getting colour and highlights with her. I really miss those days. You know what they say about the good old days. You don’t realise you are living them while they are happening. Treasure every minute with your favourite people! I was very happy with my glossy brown hair and sooo happy to say goodbye to the brassy post-keratin-treated hair. Thursday I had been looking forward to Thursday all week. I discovered that my favourite restaurant, No Names, which closed down about 10 years ago, was actually operating at the Erskineville Bowling Club. Let me backtrack a few decades and explain a little about this iconic Sydney restaurant. A Little Backstory No Names was a tiny Italian restaurant tucked away in Darlinghurst. The tables were crammed together, and the décor was completely non-existent. Think 1970s Formica tables with mismatched chairs. A bit like the Brady Bunch kitchen table gone wrong. Then there were the grumpiest waiters in the universe. They would slide the cutlery across the table with such force, and I’m convinced they secretly wanted to throw it at the customers. The menu was simple. Spaghetti bolognese, veal or chicken schnitzel, a half-and-half combo of spaghetti and schnitzel, and oh yes, they also offered fried liver with onion. I always had the, you guessed it…bolognese! This was no ordinary bolognese sauce. It was pure magic, probably made from a recipe passed down from many Nonnas. They also gave you free chunky bread with butter and red or green cordial to drink. Oh my gosh, I loved this place so much, and I’m so happy I got to enjoy it from childhood into adulthood. If I ever had a choice between a fancy-hatted restaurant or No Names in Darlinghurst, it would have been a no-brainer. No Names would have gotten my vote hands down. So you can understand my excitement for Thursday night. And then, like all good memories, mine probably should have stayed back there with my last visit a month or so before it closed in Darlinghurst. I missed the waiters. These were too smiley. The décor was dated but still too fancy, and the spaghetti wasn’t as saucy as it used to be. The bread was different, and there was no cordial. I was forced to drink wine 😜 I know for sure I don’t want to go back, and even though I feel sad about times gone by, I’m glad that I was able to enjoy a piece of history and have great memories. So it was still a nice Thursday evening out with my non-bolognese-loving family. Haha, Steve ordered the schnitzel, and Sam ordered the burger. Yep, they expanded the menu. Wrapping Up And those were some of my highlights and favourites from the week. They were a bit nostalgic, weren’t they? Now it’s time for me to sign off and go unpack my groceries that arrived. Don’t worry, I dashed up mid-post and put the refrigerator and freezer items away. Then I’m going to have a shower, eat dinner in front of the TV, and make sure to make the most of the current good old days. How was your week? I hope it was a good one. Linking up with Andrea and Erika

Hi friends, it’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika to share some favourites and a tiny not-so-favourite. Thanks so much for stopping by. MONDAY NIGHT DINNER On the first Monday of every month, we meet up at our local RSL with a small group of friends. One couple we have known for over 30 years, and we are besties. The others we met years ago when we were all part of a community group rallying to save the local pool. They are nice people, but they are more the once-a-month-dinner kind of friends rather than the share everything type. The actual dinner, grilled fish, chips and salad I ordered, was a favourite. But just as we were wrapping up the night and saying goodbye. One of them asked when we were going to Singapore and Japan. I said, In about five weeks and he replied, “Oh… but with the war, your plane could get shot out of the sky. I wouldn’t go if I were you.” It’s funny, well, not really funny, but you know what I mean, how people casually drop fear into conversations, like it’s nothing. The dinner was my favourite part of the night.That comment…not so much. I was rattled and now really need everyone’s positive vibes only. Flying is scary enough for me, and there’s no need for extra commentary like that. Geez Louise! Anyway, now that I got that off my chest, let’s get onto some favourites. NOODLES These noodles are so delicious and easy. All you need to do is rinse them and add them to whatever you like. I love that they are low-carb, fat-free and guilt-free. My son, the diet-conscious young man that he is, introduced them to me when he added them to our online food order. We share the grocery app, so I often see the things he puts in the cart. Sometimes I edit a few things, but this one made the final cut and turned out to be a winner. I have no clue what the ingredient konjac is, though. ICED COFFEE GLASS A preschooler gave me this glass for Christmas, and I love using it for iced coffees. It feels kind of fancy drinking from a glass straw. Hehe. HOT CHOCOLATE Time for more of our favourite hot chocolate, Swiss Miss. That big tin has lasted a while. I top up the container we keep in the tea and coffee cupboard. It’s not quite hot chocolate weather yet, but we still had some the other night. Soon it’ll be cold enough to really enjoy it. CITY NIGHT OUT Steve and I went out to the city on Wednesday to return some Skechers I accidentally ordered for him online—a women’s size 11, oops! Anyway, we decided to make it a fun night. After exchanging the shoes at Myer, we went to The Arthouse Hotel for drinks and dinner. They also had live music, which was lovely and added to the whole atmosphere. A young girl played the guitar and sang some popular cover songs. Every time we hear live music, we always say, “Don’t you wish we could sing?” My singing is really only fit for 3–5-year-olds who are very forgiving. That’s a wrap for some favourites! Excited for the weekend, extra sleep, and a little sunshine would be nice too. The humidity has kept the skies grey almost all week. Happy Friday