Ruth(playworkeatrepeat), Author at PLAYWORKEATREPEAT

What’s Up Wednesday

Hey there friends it’s time for What’s Up Wednesday! It’s a little of this and that as we hang out and recap the month that just flew by. That’s right October has well and truly passed by in a blink! I can hardly believe that we are heading into the second last month of the year. HOW?? That’s right this time next week we will be welcoming November and I better get with the program because I am losing track of time!! Thanks so much for being here! Let’s get straight into having a look at……. WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK I came across something interesting on my Facebook news feed the other day – the incredible benefits of following a Mediterranean diet. Apparently, it can actually help you live longer or at least improve your overall health by enjoying fresh fruit, veggies, legumes, whole grains, healthy fats, fish and even red wine (in moderation of course) Inspired by this and the fact that I love all of these foods. I made my own version of shakshuka. In case you don’t know Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern dish packed with fresh vegetables, olive oil, and spices. All of which align perfectly with the Mediterranean diet. It’s essentially poached eggs in a flavourful tomato sauce and you can get creative by adding any ingredients that take your fancy. In my case, I raided my fridge and pantry and added – mushrooms, chickpeas and baby spinach. I was so excited to serve health on a plate to Steve who basically said that if he had to eat chickpeas to live longer he’d rather not live longer! What a party pooper!! He did concede that it tasted good and Sam and I both loved it. Ha! Monday – I made chicken satay stir fry, while it’s not Mediterranean it’s still packed with lots of vegetables. Tuesday – Meatballs in a rich tomato sauce with mashed potato and green beans. Wednesday – We were meant to be going out for dinner but we have decided to enjoy a stay-at-home date night. On the menu, we have mussels in a white wine sauce served with crusty bread as well as fresh prawns. Thursday – Mango spiced chicken from Aldi (my favourite), roast potatoes and bean salad Friday – Roast lamb with vegetables and hummus on the side. Saturday- leftovers! WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT Luke and Sam both celebrated their birthdays in October with Luke turning the big 3-0 and Sam turning 19. I just can’t believe how quickly the years went by. To me, it feels as if it were only yesterday when they were tiny tots. Waaahhhh!!!! Here’s Luke and Sam. WHAT I’M LOVING The warmer weather! Yes, we still have some days when the temps drop and it feels like it’s still winter. But generally speaking, we have had many warm and sunny spring days and I’m there for it! I also love that daylight saving kicked in this month so now our days are longer and it makes me so happy! WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO October has been a great month! My family came back from their fun overseas holiday with lots of fun stories to tell. We got together for our cousin connect gathering enjoyed amazing food and had lots of good laughs. As I mentioned earlier we celebrated Luke and Sam’s birthdays. They don’t really like to have their picture taken so I don’t have a good one of them celebrating but I got good shots of their cakes! We welcomed a new addition to our family in the form of a kitten who came to our door and would not leave. She was terrified every time any of us would go near her. But it’s almost as if she was begging to live with us. Eventually, Sam worked his calm magic and gained her trust. She let him pick her up and I don’t think she’s stopped purring ever since. We named her Mochi and she’s full of cuddles and a good dose of spunk. Our poor cat Sushi is scared of her and although we made progress the other day and they seemed relaxed enough to be in the same room. Mochi is still feisty so we can’t trust them to be together unsupervised. Fun times! I have also been out exploring The Sydney Opera House with my sweet friend. It’s been a great October! WHAT I’M DREADING Poor Steve has an appointment with a specialist tomorrow. He has been dealing with incredibly painful osteoarthritis in his foot and he may need a bone fusion….shudder. He has been an amazingly good sport and never lets the pain get him down even though he walks with a limp and constantly flinches. I don’t think that I would handle living with this kind of pain. As I always dread anything medically related I will have to put on my big girl pants tomorrow when I accompany him to his appointment. WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT I’m excited about Halloween and I’m hoping to go trick-or-treating with my two youngest cousins again this year. My aunt gets back from overseas this Friday and I’m excited to see her and hear all about her trip. WHAT I’M WATCHING I have been working my way through my cozy solo movie night list and I watched ‘Interstellar’ the other night. It was interesting but I can’t say I loved it. I have also started watching ‘The King of Queens’ from episode one and now I know why Carries dad ends up living with them. It’s a very funny show! We are up to Season 11 of Blue Bloods and Binge doesn’t have any more seasons. I will have to find the remaining seasons ASAP because we love this show so much! WHAT I’M LISTENING TO I’m currently on my lunch break at work, and all around me, I can hear the kids finishing off their lunches and preparing for relaxation time. In the background,

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Open House Weekend at The Sydney Opera House

9 Comments / Discovering NSW Australia

The Sydney Opera House turned 50! To celebrate this wonderful occasion the doors were opened to the public for a free open house weekend. On Saturday my fun friend and I went along to get a behind-the-scenes look at this iconic Sydney building and we had an amazing sunny day out. Open House Weekend at The Sydney Opera House As I mentioned the other day, the weather has been all over the place. It’s hot and sunny one day and then the next we’ve had some cold, grey and miserable days. Luckily on Saturday, it was a clear day with the most dazzling blue sky and warm temps. A perfect Saturday to be out and about in beautiful Sydney. I never tire of going to the city as there is always so much to see and do. We walked along until we got to the Sydney Opera House and just before we arrived I realised that my phone was missing…panic!! At first, I thought that I must have left it on the train and I felt double panic. But then I remembered that I hadn’t looked at my phone on the train. So then I was pretty sure that I must have left it in the front seat of my friend’s car when she drove us to the station. A few deep breaths later and some kind reassuring words from my bestie and we were good to go. I didn’t want this to spoil our day and I just crossed my fingers that my phone was indeed in the car! The free tickets for the open house were…..yep, on my phone. But luckily we were able to get tickets from the ticket box at Sydney The Opera House as they had my details in the system. It’s crazy how my whole life is on a phone! I made a mental note to memorise more phone numbers or at least write them down somewhere. A Giant Ibis! When we reached the base of the Sydney Opera House steps we came across some street performers and a giant Ibis. We had a good laugh because the Ibis have become Sydney’s least favourite animal lately. The Australian White Ibis are native, protected species. In the past, you’d only spot them in the zoo or wetlands. However, with the growth of buildings around these wetlands, these poor creatures have lost their natural habitat and moved into the surrounding suburbs to find food and water. The Ibis are extremely unpopular because they are such messy birds that cause real problems. They poop everywhere and scrounge around lifting the lids off garbage bins to feast. I guess that’s the price we are all paying because of building developments. But on this fun open house weekend we were caught up in the excitement of the day and I just had to get a pic of this Ibis superstar. Ha! Inside The Sydney Opera House We made our way inside The Sydney Opera House and followed the huge crowds into one of the seven performance venues. We got a taste of some opera singing from this talented opera singer who sang something in Italian(I think it was Italian??). We were then ushered along to another venue which was the Concert Hall. It has been recently renovated and it looked quite stunning. There we listened to a very grand performance on the giant pipe organ. Some roving performers. We weaved in and out of The Opera House and found our way to a balcony. We spent about an hour and a half in total exploring the Sydney Opera House. On the way out we saw more street performers – high-five to the guy in the diving suit. Lunch After the open house, we were both starving! There were so many cafes and restaurants along Circular Quay to choose from. But we decided to take the tram to the heart of the city to one of our favourite cafes, The Wholegreen Bakery. It felt so good to sit down after walking around. We both ordered the Chicken and mushroom pie with tomato relish and a side salad. This pineapple juice was sweet, tangy and refreshing. Just perfect! We couldn’t leave without trying some delicious dessert. We wandered around the shops for a while and then caught the train back. I felt such a huge relief when we got to my friend’s car and there on the front seat was my phone, phew!! A Relaxing Sunday Sunday was another warm sunny day and I spent most of the morning pottering around the house. I love easy breezy Sundays!! Sam caught up with his friends in the afternoon/evening and Steve and I went out to Allawah pub for dinner. We shared fried squid for the entree. Juicy steak with chips, salad and a double portion of mushroom sauce for me. I can never have enough sauce or gravy! We stayed at the pub for a while chatting and finishing off our drinks before heading home to relax on the sofa and watch TV. It wasn’t long before we were both dozing off so we made the unusual choice of going to bed early – 9.30, which is quite out of character for us night owls. It must have been a sign of how tired we were! It was a great weekend – a perfect mix of fun and relaxation. The open house event was very interesting and spending time with my lovely friend made it even better. Then a quiet Sunday was exactly what I needed. Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have an amazing start to your week! Linking up with Holly and Sarah

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Some Friday Favourites

6 Comments / Friday Favourites

Hey there friends it’s time for some Friday Favourites. Let’s go! 1 My big boy Luke, turned 30 on Monday! Wow, how did the years go by so fast?? He’s a bit taken aback about entering a new decade and getting older. Ha! I’m the one who’s shocked because I have a 30-year-old!! He came over on Monday night with his girlfriend for dinner; it was a fantastic way to start the week. Instead of a birthday cake, I bought some mini cupcakes. We enjoyed them right alongside some delicious chocolate-dipped strawberries. Luke and Bec met our new family member Mochi. She was a bit shy at first but she soon got comfortable and was happy to have new people to play with and cuddle up to. 2 Cold weather in spring is not a favourite. However, this super warm jacket with a hood sure is. The hood came in handy as I didn’t have an umbrella and it started to sprinkle when I walked home from work on Tuesday afternoon. 3 These chai latte sachets are a big favourite and I can’t get them from Woolworths when I do my online shopping order. I went to the shops after work on Wednesday as I had the car that day. Of course, I walked out with half a trolley load even though I went in just to buy the chai latte! 4 These mini frozen yoghurts taste great, are a nice sweet treat and best of all are low in calories. My husband is doing well on his weight loss journey and has lost 5 kilos. Go him! I’m helping him by not buying snacks that are less than healthy and high in calories. It’s all about smart snacking over here these days. I wrote a post all about some scrumptious snack ideas that are not only delicious but also helpful if you are keen to lose weight. The reason why my husband is on a major weight loss mission is because he’s been dealing with excruciating osteoarthritis for years, Now there’s a high possibility that he needs to have a bone fusion procedure in his right foot…shudder! Losing weight will be good for his overall health and help him to recover from surgery better. We will know more next Thursday when we see the specialist. 5 Oops, I digress, back to some more favourites. I found my old Ray-Bans that I bought a really long time ago when I was at uni. They have prescription lenses for distance and even though my close-up vision has gotten worse, my distance vision hasn’t changed much since then. Hooray for small wins when it comes to ageing! 6 My school magazine arrived in the mail yesterday and I’m looking forward to reading it tonight. I love finding out all the latest news on the school as it has grown so much since I was there. It’s also a real trip down memory lane and it’s hard to believe how long it’s been since I finished school! 7 My Peter Alexander pyjamas are a big favourite as they are so incredibly comfy. Right now, I have two sets stashed under my pillow – one for those freezing nights and another for the warm to hot ones. This week was a rollercoaster in terms of weather. On Tuesday, it felt like winter all over again. So I snuggled up in my winter PJs, bed socks, and an extra blanket. Then last night it was a completely different story and I had to play the covers-on, covers-off game all night. It wasn’t even because I was in the hot flash zone thanks to ” The Change”. Nope, this time it was all about the wild swings in spring temps. 8 This crazy is a big favourite even though she’s being mean to our girl Sushi. We are still working on them getting used to each other and still not much progress but I guess it’s only been a week. She pops up everywhere! She gave me such a fright a minute ago when she jumped up onto my desk. Peekaboo! I guess that just about wraps up some Friday favourites for this week. Thanks so much for stopping by and having a read 😊. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to being back here on Monday. Happy Friday and Hooray for the weekend! Linking up with Andrea and Erika.

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Healthy Snacks For Weight Loss

4 Comments / Health and Well Being

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday! It’s our mid-week wellness boost where we chat about all things related to well-being and self-care. Today we will be looking at some delicious healthy snacks for weight loss. It’s no secret that I love food! If I’m not eating I’m usually daydreaming about my next snack or meal. When I was a teen I could eat anything and not put on any weight. As I have gotten older I know that if I give in to my love for cheese, dips, chips, crackers and all the delicious snacks. Then the kilos will start to hug me around the waist and I don’t need that kind of relationship! Instead of depriving myself of delicious snacks I have embraced the concept of smart snacking. I’ve discovered some nutritious and satisfying options that I eat in moderation to satisfy my snack cravings and prevent unwanted weight gain. Here are some of my favourite weight loss-friendly snacks that I love and also have the approval of my family. Healthy Snacks For Weight Loss Greek Yoghurt Parfait This sounds super fancy but it’s simply Greek yoghurt with a layer of berries and a drizzle of honey. This creamy sweet treat is loaded with protein to keep you feeling fuller for longer. It also has the added benefit of essential nutrients and it’s low in calories but high in deliciousness. Nut Butter and Banana Sandwich Replace the usual butter or margarine with almond or peanut butter, and spread it on some whole-grain bread. Add some banana slices for an amazing combination of healthy fats, protein and fibre. Seasoned Popcorn Popcorn is a fantastic whole-grain snack and when you add your choice of seasonings it becomes a delicious healthy snack. It’s perfect for those times when you find that you are craving something savoury and satisfying. Some seasoning ideas include- Herb Seasoning: Sprinkle dried herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme or rosemary. Garlic Powder Cayenne Pepper for a spicy kick Paprika: Both sweet and smoked will add some mild heat to your popcorn Cinnamon: For a sweet twist, lightly dust your popcorn with ground cinnamon. Lemon Pepper: A zesty combination of lemon and black pepper will give your popcorn a tangy and spicy flavour. Sea Salt: Good old sea salt enhances the natural taste of popcorn minus the calories. Soy Sauce (in moderation): A few drops of low-sodium soy sauce can give your popcorn a savoury burst. Avocado If you are looking for a creamy savoury snack then why not go for avocado? Enjoy some avocado on its own for a simple and effective choice. You can also spread some avocado onto some rice cakes but avocado on its own is just as good if not better! Trail Mix If you are craving the sweet and salty crunch of conventional snacks. Create your own trail mix with nuts, dried fruits, and a small amount of dark chocolate. This delicious mix will give you a satisfying balance of flavours and it’s a fantastic healthy snack that will support your weight loss efforts. Veggie Sticks With Hummus It can be hard to let go of those potato chips but veggie sticks are a much healthier and equally delicious snack alternative. Reach for some vibrant carrots, crisp cucumbers and colourful capsicums. Dip them in creamy hummus for a delicious and satisfying crunch packed with essential nutrients. Apple Slices With Cottage Cheese Say no to calorie-dense apple pastries and go for a plate of crisp apple slices with a dollop of cottage cheese. You will enjoy an amazing crunch sensation with a good dose of protein. It’s a perfect guilt-free option! Homemade Smoothies Blend fresh or frozen fruits with Greek yoghurt and low-fat or plant-based milk for a creamy nutrient-rich smoothie. Dark Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries Chocolate cravings can be a major hurdle in your weight loss journey, however here is a healthy option that almost seems too good to be true when it comes to healthy snacks for weight loss. Dip fresh strawberries in melted dark chocolate and let them cool in the fridge. This is a perfect sweet treat that won’t ruin your weight loss progress. Hard Boiled Eggs Hard-boiled eggs are protein-packed and conveniently portable. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper for added flavour. Baked Apple Chips Thinly slice apples, sprinkle with cinnamon and bake until they become crisp for a sweet low-calorie snack. Nuts Roasted nuts such as almonds, walnuts or pistachios are deliciously satisfying heart-healthy snacks. Baked Chips Opt for baked or air-fried potato chips or sweet potato chips as a lower-fat alternative to regular potato chips. Fresh Fruit Enjoy whole fresh fruits like apples, berries, or citrus fruits as a sweet, natural alternative to sugary snacks. Dark Chocolate Dark chocolate is perfect for satisfying a craving for a sweet treat. Go for a dark chocolate that is 70% or higher. Seaweed Snacks Roasted seaweed snacks are a fantastic low-calorie, salty option for when the need for a crunchy and savoury snack hits. Snack Smart! Snacking should be a joyful part of your day, and you can still enjoy a delicious treat while making healthier choices. Fresh fruit? It’s nature’s candy! Crisp and crunchy veggies? The original chips! But, here’s the catch- it’s still vital to mind the portion sizes and how often you munch on these healthy snacks. Even these fantastic healthy snacks that are helpful for weight loss can be a little sneaky if you get carried away eating too many of them.

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Hello Monday

7 Comments / Hello Monday

Hi friends I hope you all had an amazing weekend. I’m back today with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday sharing a bit about what I got up to over the weekend. Friday Night Friday evenings are my favourite. They are such a sweet reward for a long week. But before I got down to enjoying my favourite night of the week. I got cracking on a bit of housework so that I didn’t have to think about it over the weekend. Then I finished my Friday favourites post and plonked myself on the sofa to watch some TV…. ah bliss! I watched a bit of Virgin River then I flicked through a few channels and streaming services. I’m still working through my Cozy Solo Movie Nights list and so far I have watched five out of ten of the movies The rest will have to wait because I don’t have them on any of the streaming services we subscribe to. Steve got home from work pretty late and after he showered and changed he joined me on the sofa for some very late TV viewing. I remembered that Sarah from Toronto Sam had recommended ‘Beckham’ which is on Netflix so we started watching it. We enjoyed the first episode so much that we ended up watching another and if you haven’t watched it then you definitely should. Not just for the eye candy but also because his life is so interesting. David Beckham comes across as a very genuine and down-to-earth guy and Victoria is equally likeable. Even though he is super famous and always locks eyes with me from his cologne poster when I am waiting at the checkout line in Chemist Warehouse, Hurstville….swoon. I didn’t know any details about his exceptional soccer skills and journey to fame. The documentary provided a fascinating insight into his life and it was a very interesting watch indeed! Saturday I went with Steve and Sam to vote in the referendum and then Steve dropped me off at the hair salon. It has been ages since I had visited the salon for a trim. The length really bothered me on Friday afternoon and I was lucky to get an appointment for Saturday as that is their busiest day. Does that happen to you where you feel fine about your hair and then as soon as it starts to bother you, you want it cut that very minute? Haha happens to me all the time. This time I let the hairdresser trim my fringe, normally I do it myself. I don’t trust anyone to trim my fringe because I think I must have childhood fringe trauma. When I was a kid my dear mum used to cut my fringe herself. But she used to keep on cutting until it was straight. This meant that I always ended up with a super short fringe. I was a chubby kid with a short fringe and I looked no bueno! After my haircut, it was time for my appointment to see the optometrist for an eye check. I never used to get anxious about eye checks but now they give me anxiety. I guess it’s because I know that my vision has changed. My family also has a history of glaucoma and macular degeneration…..shudder!! But so far so good and after my check the optometrist said that I don’t have signs of either of those…..yet. When she ended with a yet I broke out in a cold sweat! I have always needed glasses for distance and now I need reading glasses as well. So I picked a couple of pairs of frames that looked decent on me. A pair of sunglasses for distance and regular frames for reading glasses. There were so many frames to choose from! I wandered around the shops for a bit and then walked home and had a late lunch. Ham, cheese and salad roll with mayo. Yum! Sunday I didn’t get up to much on Sunday apart from going to church. When I got home we finished watching the last two episodes of ‘Beckham’. Lots of cuddles with this cutie in the evening. I just spent most of the afternoon and evening relaxing on the sofa. I even went to bed early because I was so tired from staying up so late. Sushi and Mochi Update Well, these two can’t even tolerate looking at each other and it doesn’t look like they are on the road to friendship. I have been reassured that they will eventually come around and get used to each other. I sure do hope so because it’s hard work keeping them apart. At the moment Mochi the kitten is the feisty one! She may be small but she’s scary when she hisses at poor Sushi. And that’s about all that I got up to over the weekend. How was yours? I hope it was a good one. 😊

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Big Favourites

7 Comments / Home

Hi everyone. Wow, this week sure flew by! We hit the ground running at work on Monday morning. Typically we have a pupil-free day on the first day back after a term break. So it’s a nice way to ease into the term by having a day to prepare. But in term four, the kids start preschool on the very first day. I’m not sure who was more excited to return to preschool…the kids or the parents who needed a break after spending two weeks at home with their kids! Anyway, it’s great to be back today for Friday favourites and I’m excited to share some big favourites with you guys today. October Cousin Connect Yay! We had our fun family get-together last Saturday and it was so good to see everyone together again. Well, almost everyone as my aunt is still overseas but she’ll be back in a couple of weeks. My cousins had lots of interesting adventures to share. But I think we need a few more catch-ups so that we can hear more stories about their time away visiting so many beautiful countries around Europe. Look at this amazing cheeseboard my cousin Steve put together! It was almost a shame to devour it, but it sure tasted fantastic! We had a delicious dinner and after we finished eating my cousin Ben showed me some of the photos from their trip. So far I know they visited Spain, Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands, England, and Greece. They went skydiving, drove over big sand dunes, saw extraordinary views, partied hard and ate amazing food. It sounded so fun and I’m happy that they had an incredible time. But I sure am happy that they are home! We had delicious cupcakes and doughnuts for dessert. Then finished off the night with a few rounds of our favourite board game and as usual, there was a lot of excited yelling and I was laughing until my face hurt. Favourite Meals This Week Teriyaki salmon with rice and lots of veggies. Chicken stroganoff with mashed potato and veggies. Fish and chips for me when I went out for dinner midweek. Laksa for Steve. He said that it was so spicy, that he was sure his sinuses would be well and truly clear until the end of the year. Colourful Spring Roses Another beautiful rose appeared in my garden. I saw this one on Sunday. Then on Monday, it opened up! Chamomile Tea At the beginning of the week, I had so much trouble falling asleep. Then when I finally did it was that light, in-between state of half-awake, half-asleep. So annoying! I’m not sure if it was because I was a bit anxious about going back to the routine of work. Or if I was afraid that I would sleep through the alarm. Two weeks of no alarm was pure bliss! On Tuesday afternoon I stopped at the fruit shop on my walk home from work where I picked up some chamomile tea. It tasted amazing with a teaspoon of honey but I can’t say that it worked its magic in helping me relax and fall asleep on Tuesday night. However, the good news is that I slept much better on Thursday even though I just drank normal tea. It was great not feeling like a zombie at work! A New Family Member A big favourite for this week and probably the biggest favourite is that we have an unexpected new addition to the family. This cute little kitten had been meowing outside our house since Saturday night. Whenever we got close to her she would panic and hide under the car. It was as if she was begging us to take her in but at the same time, she was terrified of us. To be honest I didn’t really want to rescue her and I was hoping that maybe our cat-loving neighbour would. But she already has two cats. We have our own cat Sushi who is 12 years old and I didn’t want to rock her world by introducing a kitten to our home. But fate had other plans for us and Sam managed to gain the cute little kitty’s trust. He sat on the verandah waiting until she finally felt safe enough to let him pick her up and bring her into the house. It took us all about two seconds to fall totally in love with her. She is unbelievably affectionate for a stray kitten who has been fending for herself for who knows how long. Sam took her to the vet where she was given a clean bill of health and microchipped. Now she is all ours and Sam has named her Mochi after the Japanese rice cake. So now we have a Sushi and a Mochi. As I predicted we have totally ruined Sushi’s little world and she is not at all impressed with this kitten. In fact, I’m pretty sure she’s quite scared of her and sees her as a threatening intruder. She looks at her and makes this incredibly sad meow which sounds like half a cry and half a hiss. Mochi just stands there and looks confused. We are keeping them apart and gradually introducing them to each other but it’s going to take time. It’s so fun having a new kitten and she is so cute! She loves to be patted and stroked and I am so glad that she’s friendly. As there’s nothing worse than a scary and hissy cat! I’m hopeful that Sushi will eventually come around to getting used to her. I have visions of them being like the animals in the Disney movies where the big cat looks after the little cat. They curl up and fall asleep together and live happily ever after. Doesn’t look very likely at the moment though! Spot the kitty! That’s All Folks! I guess that just about wraps up some of my big favourites for this week! I’m so happy that it’s

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My Biggest Fears

5 Comments / Home

Hi there, friends and welcome to the October edition of Let’s Look, hosted by Erika and Shay. When I looked at the topic for this month which is ‘Our Biggest Fears’. I thought ‘Excellent! I will have plenty to write about’ Ha! You see, I have always been a cautious person. My school report cards always said the same thing. ‘Ruth is a polite, shy and very quiet student’. I bet the teachers probably didn’t even know that I existed! I’m not much of a risk-taker or one to put myself out there. So it appears that this cautious nature of mine has shaped my life in more ways than one. Especially when it comes to some of my biggest fears. But I am working on myself, and starting this blog about two and a half years ago might just be one of the bravest things that I have done. Go me! I am also trying to conquer my fears and stop myself from adding extra fears to my already long list, which seems to be a recurring theme as I get older…sigh! Now I am going to bravely share my biggest fears with you, and I have to tell you that some of them are just plain crazy and irrational. So, you have my full permission to go ahead and laugh! I sure do (usually after I have cried about them first though 😂). My Biggest Fears! CHOKING On top of the fact that I have had a fear of choking for a long time. Our family also had a terrifying experience about six years ago when my younger son actually began choking. Thankfully it was his older brother Luke who saved him using the Heimlich manoeuvre. I can’t even bear to think what might have happened if Luke hadn’t been there. Interestingly the Heimlich manoeuvre isn’t taught or even promoted here in Australia. It was simply that Luke has always had a real curiosity for exploring various subjects. About a week before the choking incident, he happened to be reading up on it and even learnt the proper technique himself. I can only see God’s hand in this! SPIDERS, BUGS OR ANYTHING CREEPY CRAWLY Yuck! The other day a spider landed on my leg while I was happily blogging. Just out of nowhere, it plopped itself on my bare leg! At first, I thought it was a cockroach which is bad enough! I jumped out of my seat and screamed until I almost scared the poor spider to death. Well, that and almost a whole can of bug spray did the trick of killing it! The only bugs I can tolerate are ladybugs. Although I did see one under a microscope once. This was a huge mistake because up close they are icky and not cute at all. Now I can’t unsee what I saw… shudder! PUBLIC SPEAKING Because I don’t like being the centre of attention, public speaking almost equals having spiders and bugs deliberately thrown at me. That’s how much I fear it! When I was at uni I had to do presentations as part of my degree. I wish that I could say that I got over this as one of my biggest fears because I had to speak in public regularly to pass my course. But I did not! DRIVING OUTSIDE OF MY COMFORT ZONE I didn’t get my license until I was 26 when my oldest son was 3. The only reason why I learnt how to drive was because I needed to take him to preschool and I couldn’t rely on my husband as he worked odd hours. I’m so glad that I did learn how to drive because it made life easier but I still only drive to places that I am familiar with. If I have to go somewhere I’m not sure of, then my husband will take me for a practice drive. Bless him! FLYING This might make it to the top of the list of my biggest fears! Just thinking about it makes me nauseous. I have flown several times before, but with each trip, my fears seem to grow. The most recent flight I took was way back in 2008 when I travelled to New Zealand for my cousin’s wedding. I still remember that flight so vividly. I sat next to my mum feeling pale, cold and clammy. She was so excited about the trip and my fearless mum wouldn’t stop talking to me. She kept saying ‘Look Ruth isn’t this exciting, look out the window’. Geez, I couldn’t even move as I was almost paralyzed with fear. I don’t think that she understood that my sole mission was to sit there and not be sick. I also had to concentrate very hard on making sure that the pilot landed safely! CANCER Every time I have a symptom of anything I do what I shouldn’t do. I spend too long on Dr Google who in the end always diagnoses me with cancer. Sore shoulder…yep could be cancer. Upset stomach….. cancer. The skin on the bottom of my lip is pealing….definitely skin cancer. In my defence quite a few of my friends also admit to being like this but maybe not quite as bad as I am. WATER I’m not totally afraid of water as I will shower! But I don’t really know how to swim very well and if my feet can’t touch the ground of a pool I instantly panic. Swimming at the beach…forget it! I guess it didn’t help that I had a horrible P.E. teacher at school who probably got her teaching degree from the Trunchbull Academy. I still remember her yelling at me when I was 5 years old as I stood shivering by the edge of the pool. She was screaming at me to jump in or else she would throw me in. In the end, she threw me in the pool and I saw my little life flash before my

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Money Saving Tips

12 Comments / Life Hacks

Hi friends and welcome to the October edition of “Not Just A Mom” hosted by Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne, Lauren and Sarah. Today we are sharing our top money-saving tips. I am excited to chat about this topic because I’m always down for exchanging ideas on how to save money. Especially now considering the way the economy is going with prices on the rise constantly. Have you noticed how everything is becoming pricier? From petrol and groceries to electricity, health insurance and housing everything seems to have become significantly more expensive. So let’s take a look at some money-saving tips that I find helpful in keeping costs down. Following these tips gives my wallet a little breathing space. It also leaves me a little extra moolah to enjoy a few of life’s little pleasures. Money Saving Tips Create a budget Ugh! I started with the most sensible and obvious tip but it’s not my favourite. Budgets kind of stress me out a little because they feel like such a huge commitment! But having said that I know that keeping track of my income and expenses and allocating amounts for each category including bills, groceries, entertainment and savings is the way to go. Cook at Home and Prep Your Own Ingredients Cooking meals at home is probably my favourite money-saving tip. I quite enjoy cooking these days as I don’t have starving little children to feed. So now I can take my time and enjoy the process more than I used to. I also think that ordering takeaway food regularly is a sure way to drain the old budget. We tend to prefer to save this money and instead treat ourselves to a nice dinner out occasionally. Another money-saving tip is to pre-prep your own ingredients. I know I know!…. Sometimes it’s so much easier to buy the conveniently pre-sliced and pre-prepped options from the supermarket but they are about double the price. So I tend to stay away from them and pre-prep my ingredients as much as possible. Automate Your Savings One of the best ways that I have found to save money is to set up automatic transfers from our regular account to a savings account. This “pay yourself idea” means that I can save money regularly and hardly even notice it. DIY Whenever Possible Do-it-yourself projects can mean big savings! Recently I committed myself to the task of sanding back and repainting our doorways and skirting boards. It wasn’t the most exciting task but I knew that hiring a painter would have cost a small fortune. It would be great if we were handier and could do things ourselves such as fixing leaky faucets or handling basic electrical tasks. These DIY skills would mean huge savings as rates for tradies can be so expensive! Shop Smart Smart Savings On Cleaning Essentials: Why pay full price for household cleaning products when you can grab them at a discount? I am constantly on the lookout for when my favourite laundry pods and dishwashing capsules go on sale at half the price. My number one rule is to NEVER pay the full amount for these items because I know that I can always get them at a significant discount. I do however make sure not to wait until the last minute and always buy them in advance so I don’t miss out on the savings. Savings on Fresh Produce: When fruit and veggies are in season they are not only fresher but they are also more budget-friendly at the supermarket due to their abundance. So opting for seasonal produce is a fantastic money-saving tip that helps keep my grocery costs down. I just need to be strong and not give in to my cravings for summer fruits in the winter! Don’t Grocery Shop When You’re Hungry: One money-saving tip that I swear by is never to go shopping on an empty stomach. Even when I’m doing my online grocery order! I know that if I’m hungry I will for sure add extra items to my cart that I don’t really need. Those impulse buys can add up fast and blow my food budget. Refill Your Pump Bottles: Another one of my small but effective money-saving tips is to buy liquid soap in larger and more cost-effective containers. Then I simply refill my own pump bottles that I bought from Ikea. This is great for not only keeping costs down but also reducing the amount of packaging waste…it’s a win/win! Meatless Monday It doesn’t have to be a Monday! I just try and include one meatless meal a week not just for money-saving reasons but for health reasons too. Going meat-free for at least one meal and eating vegetables, legumes and grains adds variety and reduces food costs. Thankfully the only whinging that I have to put up with is my own one that goes around in my head. I just love meat!! Avoid Impulse Buying Ooooh, this one is a bit of a tricky one, especially if I’m out looking at clothes! I don’t have a problem resisting the urge to buy nick nacks or ornaments. It’s clothing that tends to lure me in. But I do try hard to avoid buying things impulsively. I also stick to only buying clothes or shoes that I absolutely love and won’t be able to sleep EVER if I don’t. In addition, the price has to be reasonable and I try to not use girl maths to justify my purchase. Review Insurance Policies This is a good one on the list of money-saving tips so I really should make a point of doing this yearly. It takes a bit of effort to make the call to try and get better deals on insurance but it’s well worth the effort. You can save a lot of money on special competitive deals! So there we have it, a few simple money-saving tips that I stick to. Some of these tips not only help me keep costs down but

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Fun Favourites

7 Comments / Friday Favourites

Hi, friends welcome to Friday favourites! The week just flew by and now it’s the end of the spring school holidays…boo! I have had a wonderful two weeks off from work and should say that I feel rested and excited to return to work. But no-I’m greedy and would love two weeks more! Anyway, here are a few fun things I got up to during the last week of the spring school holidays. Kmart Shopping No school holiday is complete without a shopping trip to Kmart to pick up some cheap storage and home decor. Look! Halloween decor! Most of the shops have tons of Christmas decor but I haven’t seen many Halloween things. Those pumpkins look a bit creepy. I prefer friendly-looking pumpkins like the mugs in the other pic. I spent ages deciding on which pot plant to buy for a plant that I wanted to rehome for the dining room. In the end after going back and forth, I decided on the white one with the black speckles. Choice sometimes stresses me as does lack of choice. Ha! On the way home I stopped off to water my aunt’s plants. It was such a hot day and I hadn’t watered them at all since she went on vacation. But they are succulents so I don’t think they need to be watered often (I hope). But on a hot day like Tuesday, they were probably thirsty and I didn’t want to risk my aunt coming home to dead plants! Lunch Catch Up I caught up with my wonderful friend for lunch. It was fun eating, chatting and hearing about her trip to Melbourne. I had the vegetable fritters and my friend had a dish called avocado heaven. They both looked so beautifully presented and colourful! I enjoyed the matcha latte and my friend’s hot lemonade looked so pretty with the orange and mint garnish. She gave me a sip and it was deliciously tangy and sweet. After lunch, we had a quick look around the shops in Westfield Miranda where we spotted some quirky Christmas tree ornaments. I wondered what a Christmas tree with all these tropical-looking decorations would look like. Very tropical I guess! It would be a perfect fit for our hot Australian Christmas but I prefer traditional Christmas trees with red, green and gold ornaments. A Trip To The Airport My cousins landed back home from Europe on Thursday and my other cousins came back from New Zealand today. It’s nice to know that most of my family are now back home. It felt so strange with all of them away! Anyway on Thursday I took two buses to the airport to surprise and welcome three of my cousins who were flying in at 8.15 pm from the last leg of their trip around Europe. Even if I had access to the car which I didn’t because my husband had taken it to work. There is no way that I would ever try and drive to the Sydney International Airport. It is so busy, congested and just plain frantic. With daylight saving, I felt totally safe catching public transport. I got to the airport before 8.00 pm and it was just starting to get dark. Inside it was so busy with people waiting for their loved ones. I felt like I was watching that famous scene from the movie ‘Love Actually’. People were hugging and cheering when they spotted their people. Then there were tears of joy and little kids running towards their grandparents. Husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends hugging and crying. It was really beautiful to watch and I was tearing up every time I saw a reunion! I waited about an hour and a half and then I finally spotted my cousin and his lovely girlfriend first. I did the big leap, happy dance and ” Hey guys, over here!!”. Then we waited for my other cousin who was further back and wooohoo we were all finally together!! We caught an Uber back and I heard a few fun snippets about their trip. It felt like a preview to our cousin connect gathering that’s happening tomorrow night. I can hardly wait! Sam Turned 19 Today is Sam’s birthday and the four of us got together for an early dinner. Sam chose a favourite Chinese restaurant that we used to go to every year for my mum’s birthday. He said he wanted to eat Chinese food in honour of his late grandma. How sweet! We even ordered all of the dishes that she chose every time. We had lemon chicken, chicken chow mein, sweet and sour pork and boiled rice. It was a fun time and here they are teasing their dad about something. These two make me laugh when they get together. We gave Sam a card with some money because he didn’t know what he wanted when I asked him. So now he can buy whatever he likes. We came home to sing Happy Birthday and eat cake. It was a great week that went by all too fast (I think that I say that every week). I’m excited about the weekend, especially our family get-together tomorrow night! Next week it’s the beginning of the last term of the school year. As hard as I find it going back to the routine and the early starts. I have to admit that term four is always my favourite. It’s not just because it’s the last term of the year, it’s also because it’s the most fun! Before we know it we will be right into all the Christmas crafts and end-of-year celebrations. Now I just have to remember this when Monday rolls around!! Have a great weekend friends and I look forward to being back here on Monday. Happy Friday! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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Currently

8 Comments / Family Life

Hi everyone! welcome to the October edition of Currently hosted by Jennifer from ‘Overflowing With Thankfulness’. Today we are chatting about what we have been currently loving, excited about, watching, seeing and observing. Let’s go! LOVING At the moment I am absolutely loving our beautiful, bright, hot, sunny spring days! Every year, I find it incredibly hard to let go of the six months of the year when the weather is so good. I wish that I could embrace the Autumn weather as you guys do (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere). But during our Autumn months from March to May, nothing much happens over here. Sadly, we just don’t have fun events such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to. All we get is cool, cold then colder weather and I’m not much of a fan of being cold! Having said that, my love affair with hot sunny days almost ended on Monday night at around 8:02 p.m. I was sitting at my desk and had just finished my Hello Monday blog post. When out of nowhere an ugly spider landed on my leg! I was wearing shorts and it touched me!! At that moment I remembered the one thing that I can’t stand about the heat….it brings out those darn scary bugs, spiders and flying cockroaches the size of cats…eewwww!!! EXCITED ABOUT My cousins are returning from Europe this Thursday and I’m beyond excited to see them. We have stayed somewhat connected through our Messenger family group chat. But I want to hear all the details about their trip in person! I can’t wait to see them, hug them and kiss them. I am also super excited to see a video of one of my cousins skydiving in Switzerland (or maybe it was another country). Jumping out of a plane is a courageous feat, no matter what country you’re in!! My other cousin and her family are visiting New Zealand at the moment and they come home on Friday. Our Cousin Connect get-together this weekend is going to be epic hearing about everyone’s trips and adventures! WATCHING I subscribe to a YouTube channel called Never Too Small and I have been currently enjoying watching their videos. Never Too Small features award-winning designers from around the world and their small apartments and studios. It’s a very interesting and informative channel focused on compact design and sustainable living and I just love watching their short videos that are usually around 7 to 10 minutes long. They also feature really inspiring and creative solutions for maximising storage spaces in small dwellings. I just love the whole soothing feel I get when I watch. You should check it out! SEEING I have been seeing a whole lot of photos on social media and group chats from my family and friends who are enjoying trips around the world. As I mentioned before my family is in Europe, and New Zealand and I also have friends who are holidaying in Greece. Lucky ducks!! Greece New Zealand Switzerland OBSERVING My little cat Sushi is getting older! She has been a member of our family for about twelve years since we got her as a teeny tiny kitten. Sushi is pretty small for an old girl but boy does she snore loudly these days. I guess we all do as we get older, my husband says I do but clearly he must be mistaken! Anyway, Sushi likes to hang out with me when I’m blogging away in my garage/office. She curls up on the bean bag and snores so loud, I wish you could hear her now, haha! But, the minute she hears my son Sam come home she jumps up and gallops (yes she gallops!!) towards him. So even though I have been observing that she is getting older. Boy can she move when she hears her favourite person come home! So there you have it friends! Thanks so much for hanging out over here and letting me share with you a few snippets of what I have been currently loving, excited about, watching, seeing and observing. Have a wonderful day!

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