Ruth(playworkeatrepeat), Author at PLAYWORKEATREPEAT

Bright Moments From My week

Hi there friends welcome to this week’s Friday Favourites. I sure am excited that it’s the weekend. The weekend always feels like a sweet reward for making it through the week’s ups and downs, don’t you agree? This week was just another typical week for me, with its fair share of work-related ‘stuff’. But even in the most mundane moments, I am learning to find the bright moments. One of the things that I absolutely love about blogging is that it’s like having a digital journal where I can reflect on the little things that brighten up my days. Because there are always favourites to find every week! So let’s take a peek at the things that made me happy even in the most ordinary moments. Bright Moments From My Week Educator’s Day It was Educator’s Day on Wednesday and our preschool director organised some cute gifts as tokens of appreciation. I thought that it was such a sweet gesture. Sam’s New Computer My son’s computer tower changes colour constantly. So every time I walk past his room it’s almost like a mini disco (without the music). Technology sure is fun these days! Botanica Air Freshener It’s no secret that I am constantly finding ways to make my home smell amazing. So I’m very excited about this delicious-smelling room spray. It has pomegranate and bergamot and the combination leaves a lovely subtle lingering scent. And it instantly freshens up my living space. Lime Cordial As the weather is getting warmer I find that I am craving cool refreshing drinks more and more. So a splash of Bickford’s Lime cordial mixed with soda water and ice is perfect. Body Yoghurt Ha, body yoghurt, the name sounds funny to me. Anyway, I have been loving this British rose-scent body yoghurt from The Body Shop. I think maybe the change in season is making my skin feel super dry and itchy. So I have been applying this to my arms and legs after I shower and it makes my skin feel so much better. I also love that the scent is nice and subtle. I have this thing about scents, they need to be subtle or my nose can’t handle them! Oat Milk I really enjoy my coffee with oat milk and the other day I ordered this one in a funny-looking carton. It tastes great and best of all it was half price (which is the reason why I bought it). It’s funny how sometimes little things like quirky packaging can boost your day. Laundry Bucket I know this might sound nuts but I really love the laundry bucket that I bought from one of my favourite stores, Muji. One of the things that I love about it is that it is a neutral colour so it blends in with everything in the laundry. And the other thing that I love about it is that it comes with a lid. So when I have my dishcloths soaking in there. It stops my little cat from drinking the water. I give her fresh water every morning so I don’t understand why she likes to drink water with detergent and soaking dishcloths. Yuck! Water Bottles I have some blue bottles that I use as water containers and they honestly make the water taste so good. I’m not kidding! Even visitors have commented on how delicious the water tastes from the blue bottles. They were originally vodka bottles so maybe they have some magic. First Aid Training Thursday we all had to stay back after work until 7.30 pm to update our First Aid training. You can imagine that after a long day at work, it was just so hard to push on. So this was not a favourite for this week. But during the training, I sat between my two work buddies who always make me laugh and make even long days so much brighter. And now that the training is over it means that we don’t have to sacrifice a day during the holidays to get it done. So that definitely is a huge favourite! Spring The biggest favourite for the week is knowing that it’s spring! And here are a few happy spring pics I snapped while I was walking to work. And that’s all for today friends – a few bright moments that made my regular week a bit more special. Happy Friday! Linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favourites.

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September Currently

8 Comments / Home

Hi there friends I am excited to be here linking up with Jennifer from Overflowing with Thankfulness. It’s the September edition of Currently! This month we are going to be chatting about what we are loving, experiencing, dreaming, eating and using to decorate. Let’s go! LOVING I just enjoyed another piece of the delicious cake I bought for Father’s Day. Even though I don’t typically have a sweet tooth. I am totally loving this layered cream and jam sponge cake. We had quite a bit leftover from Sunday night, so I decided to indulge again and thought “Why not step up and take one for the team to support my husband on his weight loss journey” Someone has to help out, right? Surprisingly I think I love it even more than I did on Sunday night. The cream has a unique flavour, different from the usual cream fillings – almost has a hint of yoghurt-like tanginess. This subtle acidity makes the cake taste totally amazing! I’d never thought I’d be gushing about a cake like this. I mean burgers and fries, absolutely! But sweet treats? Not usually my thing. EXPERIENCING I am currently experiencing what I can only describe as ‘term three tiredness’. It’s that time of the year when I am feeling kind of wiped out both physically and mentally. The constant hustle and bustle as well as the emotional demands that come with caring for preschoolers can leave me feeling pretty drained. So to be honest, I’m eagerly counting down to the upcoming spring holidays. I can not wait to have a break from that early morning alarm and squeezing in household chores before and after work. I’m so excited to get a refreshing break and I also want to soak in the warm sunny spring weather! DREAMING I’m pretty sure that this prompt refers to goals, aspirations or desires. But lately, my nights have been filled with some incredibly vivid dreams. They have been so ‘real’ that I have been scaring my husband during the night. I guess that means we’re even now, considering how much he snores. Haha! Apparently the other night I was moaning and talking in my sleep, which according to my husband sounded like a horror movie. He said he was lying there feeling unsure about whether or not to wake me. The next morning he asked about my dream and it took me a moment to remember. Then it hit me – I had dreamt that I was all excited and ready to go on a trip of a lifetime to Disneyland. But when I got to the airport I wasn’t allowed to board the plane because my passport was out of date and I had forgotten to renew it. Now that was a terrifying nightmare, no doubt about it!! EATING During the last few weeks of August, I have been eagerly waiting for spring to arrive. The sunny winter days were so inviting and got me in the mood to visit the Saturday morning farmer’s market. There I bought a rainbow of fresh delicious fruit and veggies and it got me really excited to cook! Over the last couple of weeks, I have also tried to incorporate some meat-free meals into our weekly menu. So I tried a chickpea curry (not spicy!) and a spinach and ricotta lasagna. As I type this, I realize I haven’t planned a meat-free meal for this week. But that’s ok-there are still a few days left so I’ll have to come up with something fast. Maybe a three-bean chilli might be good? USING TO DECORATE Here in Australia, we don’t go all out with home decorations throughout the year, except for Easter, Halloween and of course Christmas. I find it so fascinating to see how this is so different from other parts of the world. I have noticed that in places like the United States and many European countries, there seems to be a strong tradition of decorating homes for various occasions. Such as Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day and even to celebrate the changing seasons. We are pretty laid back over here about home decoration. And that’s a wrap! Thanks so much for hanging out with me and reading along as I share a bit about what has been going on currently in September. I hope you have an amazing Wednesday!

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Father’s Day Weekend

4 Comments / Hello Monday

Hey there, everyone and welcome to a recap of our fantastic Father’s Day weekend. A big shout out to my friends who enjoyed the long Labor Day weekend. I hope you had an amazing time with your loved ones! Friday Night Friday night was all about checking off one of those fabulous movies from my list that I recently shared in my Cozy Solo Movie Nights post. And I decided to kick it off with “Amelie”. It was a really charming, quirky and visually appealing French film. Full of vibrant colourful costumes and scenery. I enjoyed this cute and heart-warming movie about Amelie who makes it her mission to bring joy to others. It was a perfect start to my cozy solo movie nights! Saturday On Saturday morning my friend and I were texting and we both needed to go to the shops and do some Father’s Day shopping (yeah last minute, I know!) And she suggested we hit the city together. It was so fun to be spontaneous and having a friend like her who is up for instant plans is gold! I didn’t snap many photos because we were on a mission with a clear plan of what we needed and where to find it. Also, we didn’t arrive in the city until 3.30 and the shops were closing at 6. But we both found what we were looking for in a flash. Sunday Sunday was Father’s Day and the four of us went to our favourite Italian restaurant to celebrate Steve big time! And Luke’s lovely fiancee joined us back at our place later on. Making it even more of a fun gathering! We started with mouthwatering grilled octopus and prosciutto pizza. The star of the show was definitely the huge tomahawk steak served with the most scrumptious Diane sauce and potatoes cooked to perfection in olive oil, garlic and lemon. It was a feast! Building A Computer Over the last few weeks, we have been getting all sorts of different-sized boxes and packages delivered to our house. Because Sam had big plans to build his own super-powered computer. Lucky for him, Luke and his tech-savvy fiancee had already tackled the same projects themselves by building their own computers. So Sunday evening was the perfect chance for them to team up and dive into this computer-building adventure. Steve and I sat in the lounge room watching episode after episode of Blue Bloods while ‘the kids’ joyfully geeked out on assembling the ultimate computer setup. I loved hearing them have so much fun together. We capped off our fun Father’s Day weekend with a scrumptious layered sponge cake I picked up. It was full of delicious fresh cream and jam in each layer, topped with sweet strawberries. After the kids finished building the computer. We all tucked into this sweet treat and it was the perfect way to end a great day! Thanks so much for joining me today and I hope you have an amazing Tuesday! Linking up with Holly and Sarah

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My Favourite Month!

10 Comments / Friday Favourites

Hello September! Ahhhh my favourite month is finally here and I can hardly contain my excitement! I’m practically channelling my inner Maria from The Sound of Music and ready to twirl a mountain top. Because friends, the hills really do feel alive! So let’s kick off this week’s Friday favourites by talking about my favourite month, a few other favourites and of course my favourite season-spring!! Now, I know some folks might be gearing up for pumpkin spice lattes in other parts of the world, but down here in the southern hemisphere, we’re rolling out the floral carpet and embracing the magic of spring! 1 I love seeing the pretty flowers coming alive in the front garden. I also get excited seeing the kaleidoscope of colours in other people’s front gardens as I walk to and from work. 2 September has only just begun, but I’m already loving the longer days – no more pitch-black mornings as I roll out of bed. And I’m just so excited that I can enjoy more than just a mere half hour of daylight after work. September, you give me so many reasons to love you!! 3 On Tuesday my special friend surprised me with this beautiful gift. A gorgeous Snoopy Halloween mug! Isn’t it just the cutest? I love how September marks the beginning of some fun celebrations and the shops begin to sell Halloween decorations and goodies. 4 Onto some other favourites for this week, these brioche buns were amazing! I mentioned on Wednesday that I ordered hamburger buns. But they were substituted with these instead when I got my grocery order delivered. So I made pulled pork and coleslaw rolls. The change of menu plan was a real winner! 5 We have been making healthier snack choices over here because my husband is on a mission to lose weight. So I have stopped buying chips and dips. Instead, we have been snacking on things like dark chocolate, nuts and fruit. And we have been careful with the amount of healthy snacks we eat too because you know….calories. I’m being very supportive but I don’t know how long I can last before I make a sneaky solo trip to McDonalds for a Big Mac, fries and a strawberry thick shake!! 6 A tidy and organised fridge is a big favourite that makes my heart sing. So I made sure to give the fridge a good clean before I put my groceries away. 7 I love these small avocados! They’re a perfect size because I can eat a whole one instead of eating half of a big one. And I don’t have to deal with the other half turning brown or potentially going to waste. 8 Honey in my tea or drizzled over creamy Greek yoghurt is my favourite. And let me tell you, this particular honey I bought from the farmers market is exquisite! 9 This week at preschool we have been busy making Father’s Day gifts for this Sunday. The kids used bold colours for their handprints. We asked them questions about their dads for their special cards and some of their answers were just downright funny! They also drew on special shrink paper to make unique keyring decorations. And that about sums up my favourite things for this week! The weekend is here, and I’m excited. It’s time for some well-deserved fun and relaxation. I’m ready to make the most of it and I’m sure you guys are too! Happy Friday! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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August-What’s up Wednesday!

6 Comments / Family Life

Hi friends and welcome to the August edition of What’s Up Wednesday! I am linking up with Shay and Sheaffer to recap a fun August and share a little of this and that. WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK Over the weekend I made a big batch of granola and it tastes so good. It’s actually my favourite recipe because It has just the right amount of crunch, sweetness and slightly chewy pieces of dried fruit. I love to sprinkle some over natural yoghurt or just eat it on its own as a snack. Steve and I went out for dinner on Sunday night but I made a quiche for Sam in case he was home for dinner. You just never know with teenagers because they are always out and about! Monday – I cooked this delicious mango and sweet chilli chicken that I bought from Woolworths. I also roasted some potatoes and pumpkin, made a salad and it was a super easy dinner to put together. Tuesday -I made fall-apart roasted pork. But this time I made crackling and I felt like a hero because it worked! You guys, this is the first time that I have ever had any success with crackling. When I have made it in the past it’s always turned out rubbery. Bleh! Wednesday -We will be having leftover pork with coleslaw on brioche buns. I actually ordered hamburger buns because I wanted to make turkey burgers. But when I received my delivery I found that they had substituted them for brioche buns instead. I prefer brioche buns with pulled pork so I’ll probably make the turkey burgers on the weekend when I have a chance to go to the shops and buy ordinary burger buns. Thursday – Teriyaki salmon, rice and snow peas are on the menu Friday – Chicken schnitzel, roast veggies and lots of gravy. Saturday- leftovers! WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT To be honest I can’t think of anything I am reminiscing about. Because I am very excited about the upcoming fun warm months ahead! WHAT I’M LOVING Airtasker! We are not handy people, well I am handier than my husband but he won’t know I said that because he doesn’t read my blog hehe! Anyway, we needed a plumber desperately a few weeks ago because the shower head was dripping. At first, it was a slightly annoying slow drip and I knew we had to have it fixed eventually. Then when I came home after work one day it was leaking profusely. I was able to hire a plumber through Airtasker and he fixed the leaking shower head the next morning. So easy! We have a few odd jobs around the house that need doing so we will be hiring through Airtasker for sure! WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO August has been a really fun and busy month. We got together twice this month with all our cousins, once on the first weekend of August and then again last Sunday. Australia went nuts over our Matildas doing so well in the Women’s Soccer World Cup. It was fun joining in all the excitement when Steve and I went to a pub in Newtown to watch them play the semi-final game. We enjoyed cozy date nights at home. As well as some really delicious dinners out. I had a fun shopping trip to Ikea with my lovely friend and was dazzled by all the colours that are trending at the moment. We caught up with friends and enjoyed nice meals together. I went to the local Farmers market a few times and picked up some delicious fresh fruit and vegetables. Which then inspired me in the kitchen. Our preschool got to go on a fun excursion to the local primary school. It was a fun day but it left us all totally exhausted! We had a couple of very low-key birthday celebrations. One for my husband and another for my two cousins who share the same birthday. I went to see Elvis: A Musical Revolution at the State Theatre not once but twice. Haha, which I did enjoy even though I’m not even a big fan. WHAT I’M DREADING I’m not dreading anything and for that, I am truly thankful! WHAT I’M WORKING ON Catching up on all the things because term three has left me beat! This month, I’ve been feeling like I’m constantly playing catch up. My menu planning game? Not so great. The same goes for my blog planning and keeping up with my favourite blogs. But you know what? The one thing that I am still winning at is staying on top of household chores and laundry. It’s been a whirlwind of a month and I am really looking forward to the upcoming spring school holidays. So I guess I am just working on surviving the next few weeks! WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT Saying goodbye to winter and hello to Spring!! It’s no secret that winter is my least favourite season. And I am just bursting with excitement that Friday is the 1st of September because September is my favourite month. WHAT I’M WATCHING I have gone back to watching Sweet Magnolias after stopping and starting a whole bunch of times. For some reason, I have been having commitment issues with TV shows lately. While I can’t say that I totally love Sweet Magnolias. I am enjoying it enough to keep watching it on my iPad while I am doing chores around the house. Or on the Google Home hub when I’m cooking dinner. I am also glad that nothing terrible has happened to any of the characters on the show so far. Because I’m not in the mood for anything too dramatic at the moment. So it’s kind of a relaxing show to ‘watch’ while I’m busy doing other things. I also made a list of movies that I have never watched before and I am planning to watch them on Friday nights. I’m excited to work through

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Fun and Busy Weekend

6 Comments / Hello Monday, Home

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you all had an amazing weekend. It’s time to link up with Holly and Sarah to share a few things that I got up to over this fun and busy weekend. A Fun Evening at The State Theatre Friday after work I raced home to finish my Friday favourites post. Then it was a mad dash to get ready to go to the city to see Elvis: A Musical Revolution at The State Theatre with friends. I’m not a huge Elvis fan but when my friends invited me along. I was more than happy to do something fun on a Friday night. And I decided that my plans for a cozy solo movie night could wait until the following Friday. I love the city any time of the day. But it’s especially pretty when all the buildings are lit up at night. We had planned to eat dinner before the show but we were running out of time and didn’t want to scoff our food down in a hurry. So we decided we would rather wait and eat a very late dinner after the show. We grabbed some light snacks to eat inside the theatre to keep those tummy growls at bay! The State Theatre is heritage-listed in Sydney. And it is just so beautiful! The show was great and I enjoyed it much more than I expected. It was lively and fun with a great cast of very talented dancers. The finale was spectacular, and the whole cast came out wearing gold sequined costumes. They did an amazing medley of Elvis’s greatest hits and I decided then and there that I might be an Elvis fan after all! A Late Dinner The show finished at 10.30 and by then we were all starving! We knew we didn’t have many options as to where to eat. Because by then most places had stopped serving food. But I had a light bulb moment and remembered that there is a place called City Extra which is open 24/7. So we caught the light rail to Circular Quay and enjoyed a nice cozy dinner. Saturday Saturday morning I made another trip to the farmers market. The previous weekend I had bought some mandarins and they were so sweet and delicious. Even my husband who probably eats two pieces of fruit a year loved them. This time I bought a big bag because we can’t stop eating them! I also bought a few other leafy green vegetables. And as I was heading back to my car, I walked across the park just as I normally do. Then all of a sudden I felt a big noisy whoosh over my head! Then another whoosh. I put my shopping bag over my head because I realised that a magpie was attacking me! Luckily I had parked my car close by and I made it inside safely. Nesting magpies can be dangerous, a few years ago a friend of mine was knocked off his bike by a magpie and he hurt himself pretty badly! Food Prep I was feeling very motivated and energetic when I got home from the market. So I got busy making some granola. I always add dates and cranberries but this time I added dried mango I bought from the market as well as the usual dates. I love this granola recipe as it is easy, tasty and healthy. I’m sure you would love it too! You can find the recipe here. I also used the leeks that I had bought to make a chicken and leek pie filling. I froze the filling in a zip-lock bag to keep for a night when I need to put together a quick meal. Then all I have to do is throw the filling into some shortcrust pastry for a delicious chicken and leek pie. Bon Voyage Cousins! Most of my cousins are heading off to Europe next week for a fun five-week holiday. So my aunt organised a farewell cousin connect dinner on Saturday night. I won’t see them until October and that seems like such a long time away. I will miss them for sure! We decided that we might still have a small cousin event for the cousins who are not going on the trip. We are planning to maybe do something fun like laser tag. For dinner, we had delicious pasta, garlic bread and salads! Then we gave our usual board game we like to play a rest and decided to play Jackbox TV instead. Oh my goodness it was so much fun and I laughed so hard my tummy was hurting! Sunday Would you believe that I went to see Elvis again on Sunday? You see my husband is a huge Elvis fan and I mean huge! I was sad that he missed such a spectacular show on Friday night because he was at work. So I was able to get some tickets for the matinee performance on Sunday. And he absolutely loved it! I have to say that I really thought Sunday’s performance was even better than Friday night’s because the audience was way more enthusiastic. After the show, we went to a pub for dinner. We both had the chicken schnitzel with chips and salad. And two servings of gravy because you can never have enough gravy in my opinion! For dessert, we shared a berry crumble with ice cream. Yum! And that was my fun and busy weekend! I can now safely say that I’m all Elvised out! Happy Monday friends and thanks so much for stopping by to read my blog!

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Friday Favourites

6 Comments / Friday Favourites

Hi there friends it’s great to be back to share some quick favourites. It’s been one of those super busy weeks that has left my head spinning. So even though it has been a really fun week I am excited that it’s the weekend. Because even fun things can be super exhausting! Food Favourites Monday night I made a chicken and snowpea stir fry. I didn’t use a recipe instead I just did what my mum used to do. She would add a splash of this and a sprinkle of that. My mum never followed recipes, she used to say she preferred her tastebuds to guide her. And clearly, her method worked because she was an amazing cook! On Tuesday I made a big spinach and ricotta lasagna. Making a generous portion was a real win because it meant that I didn’t have to worry about cooking dinner the next two nights. I’m lucky my family aren’t fussy eaters and we’re all happy to eat leftovers. In fact, I often joke that if I served rocks, they’d probably eat them too! Preschool Excursion On Wednesday our preschool went on an exciting excursion. Our local public school invited our preschool to join their costume parade for Book Week celebrations. The kids from both schools dressed up as their favourite book characters. It was such a fun and vibrant event and the anticipation was at an all-time high! This was because we hadn’t experienced an outing like this in three years due to the impact of COVID. The kids were so excited to be riding on the big purple bus! So many colourful costumes at the school. Our kids had a blast when it was their turn to parade their costumes in front of the big school kids. I loved seeing the older students giving high-fives to the little ones during the parade. It was a lively adventure! Our brief excursion had us back on the bus by around 11 o’clock, heading back to the preschool. The morning was packed with so much excitement that a few of the kids were starting to doze off – a sure sign of a day well spent! Counting and keeping our energetic bunch safe was a true mission and oh boy was I exhausted. The entire preschool team felt like we had squeezed two days of work into one! Staff Dinner Every term our parent committee kindly treats our preschool staff to a dinner out. This time we went to a Japanese restaurant and enjoyed some really delicious food. This entree looked pretty spectacular with those glowing chopsticks! It was a fun night eating and chatting with my work colleagues. Pretty Necklace I was bursting with excitement to finally wear my pretty layered silver necklaces, which I bought a few days before my thyroid surgery. After years of avoiding necklaces to downplay my growing nodule, I was so looking forward to the day when my nodule was gone and my scar was less visible. Wearing my necklaces to the staff dinner was a real highlight because it really made me appreciate how happy I am that I don’t have to worry about those thyroid nodules ever again! And that’s a wrap, friends. It’s short and sweet today as I’m just about to run out the door to see a fun show at the State Theatre. !I’ll be sure to come back on Monday and tell you all about it. I hope you have an amazing weekend everyone! Happy Friday! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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Cozy Solo Movie Nights

9 Comments / My Favourite Movies and TV shows

Most Friday nights I’m home alone because my husband is at work and my son is usually out with his friends or girlfriend. So I have decided that it’s become the perfect opportunity for me to enjoy cozy solo movie nights. Featuring thrillers, drama, science fiction and romance as these are my favourite genres. I’ve got a lineup of all-time favourite movies that I like to watch on repeat. They’re like old friends-reliable, entertaining and they never disappoint. But I feel like shaking things up a bit, stepping out of my cinematic comfort zone and injecting some new excitement into my movie nights. So I have come up with a Friday night movie plan. Cozy Solo Movie Nights Guided by my love for thrillers, drama, sci-fi and a hint of romance. I have put together a list of movies that fit the bill and that I have never watched before. My plan is to get all cozy either on the sofa, beanbag or floor ( I love sitting on the floor). Grab some favourite snacks and get down to satisfying my movie night cravings. Oh yes and let’s not forget the beverages- maybe either a small bottle of Bundaberg ginger beer, a cup of tea or a glass of wine will add a touch of luxury to my cozy solo movie nights. But I am fully aware that a glass of wine might just turn movie night into a snooze fest! I’m really excited about my movie night plan. It’s the perfect recipe for me to unwind, be entertained and try something refreshingly new. These nights are more than just about movies. For me, they are going to be a great way to embrace relaxation and also enjoy my own company! It will also be so helpful to have a list of movies to be guided by. Instead of spending ages flicking through Netflix or some of the other subscription channels. I usually waste so much time doing this and then I feel so indecisive that I just end up rewatching an old favourite. Here’s What’s Currently Lighting up My Movie List Amélie The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants Mystic Pizza Marry Me Interstellar Dune Fall The Gray Man Fried Green Tomatoes The Big Sick These cozy solo movie nights will add a sparkle to my Friday nights and I’m really looking forward to enjoying ‘me time’. I’ll be sure to come back and share my thoughts and reviews on each movie. Also if you guys have any recommendations that aren’t on my list, I’d be thrilled to hear them. Please feel free to share your suggestions in the comments, I would really appreciate it!

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Lower Back Pain Solution

5 Comments / Health and Well Being

Hi friends and welcome to Wellness Wednesday. Life gets crazy busy, right? And sometimes taking care of ourselves ends up at the bottom of our never-ending list of things to do. So I thought why not have a special day just for us? Wellness Wednesday is all about finding simple ways to feel good, both inside and out. I’m excited to share personal tips, stories, and little things that can make a huge difference. I hope to keep it going regularly and it can be our midweek wellness boost. Ready to dive in? Today I’m sharing my own experience about my quest for lower back pain solutions that came in the form of an unlikely saviour-a podiatrist! Dealing With Stubborn Lower Back Pain A few years ago I had the most annoying and persistent lower back pain. The dull pain would shoot down my right leg and knee. It basically made my life a misery….Ugh! The pain would go away if I sat or lay down and I was always pain-free first thing in the morning. But sure enough, as the day went on the pain would creep in and then settle in for the whole day. And of course, working in childcare meant that I was on my feet all day long. Sometimes the pain would get so bad that I would have to lie down on the deck in the preschool playground to stretch my back. The kids thought it was hilarious but I was just trying to make it to the end of the day! No Luck With The Physiotherapist I went to see a physiotherapist who worked on my back weekly for about two months and still, I got no pain relief. Now don’t get me wrong I think physios are great. Years ago I had a back spasm and the physiotherapist did wonders for me and the treatment really did the trick. But this time around my pain just didn’t improve. Just by chance, I met another physiotherapist at my husband’s swim club and I told her all about my woes and she suggested that I might have spondylitis, which is an inflammation of the vertebrae. When I got home I googled spondylitis then panicked and pictured myself in a back brace forever. The Unexpected Turn: A Focus on Orthotics for Lower Back Pain Solution It was my husband who suggested I visit his podiatrist and I was so sceptical! I was convinced that there was no way a podiatrist could offer me any solution. After all, I thought they just dealt with feet and my feet were fine (or so I thought)! My back was the problem! But by then the pain was really getting me down and at that point, I was willing to try anything. The amazing podiatrist I saw took the time to examine me thoroughly and delivered the final diagnosis. It turned out that my nagging lower back pain was all due to the lack of proper arch support in both my feet, with my right foot being the main culprit. He explained that the discomfort on the right side of my lower back was a result of my right foot’s tendency to roll inwards with each step I took. This in turn caused my right knee to be misaligned, which then sent pain signals to my lower back. It was like a chain reaction of discomfort! Orthotics The podiatrist prescribed custom-made orthotics, he took moulds of my feet using plaster and then special orthotics were made just for me based on these moulds. I went back a couple of weeks later once the orthotics were ready and I honestly didn’t expect any great results. I was full of doubt and seriously sceptical. But guess what? They worked like a charm. Once I put them in my shoes and started walking things changed almost immediately. The pain went away and it was like a mini miracle! Who would have thought that something as straightforward as orthotics turned out to be the answer I needed? Take a look at my orthotics. If you look at the bottom picture you can clearly see that the right one provides more arch support compared to the left. And that is exactly what I needed-that extra arch support on the right side to tackle the pain in my lower back, leg and knee. The podiatrist advised me to wear the orthotics mainly during working hours. So now all I wear to work are comfortable shoes that will fit my orthotics. As you can see they may not be the most glamorous, but comfort is boss! In a nutshell, that’s my story. Wearing orthotics during work hours and opting for shoes that accommodate them has been a total game changer. Their impact on eliminating my back pain is undeniable. So if you’re grappling with back pain, consider consulting a podiatrist. It could be a worthwhile option to explore!

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Weekend Events

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Hello friends and hello Monday! I hope you all had an amazing weekend and are now geared up for the new week ahead. I’m back today linking up with Holly and Sarah to recap the latest weekend events. Let’s jump in! Friday Night Movie Have you seen ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody’? It had been on my list of movies to watch for a little while, so I watched it on Friday night. I had read some of the reviews which said the movie wasn’t great. But I thought it was a good movie that showcased Whitney Houston’s amazing “once in a generation” voice. Boy could she sing! I spent most of the weekend singing right along with Whitney Houston and now I feel like I should go and apologise to all my neighbours for my dud voice! Saturday Morning At The Farmers Market We caught up with some friends at the Ramsgate Farmers Market on Saturday morning. It was such a sunny morning even though the temp was around 16°C which is low for us Sydneysiders. We grabbed some coffee and snacks and found a good spot to sit which had just the right amount of sun for me because I’m always cold. And just the right amount of shade for Steve who can’t handle getting too warm. It was nice to sit around chatting and eating. The time flew by so fast and we could hardly believe that we had been sitting there for over two hours! We then went for a walk around the market and there seemed to be more stalls than usual. Probably because the weather was so beautiful. The flower stall was full of gorgeous colourful flowers which made me so excited because it’s another sign that spring is on the way! Here is my farmer’s market mini haul. I love exploring the markets and bringing home fresh colourful produce. Soccer Semifinals Saturday evening we got together at our friend’s house to watch the semi-final of the women’s world cup soccer. We sat around the TV eating and our friends spoiled us with so much delicious food. Sunday After church, I came home and tackled a few nagging tasks around the house that had been bothering me. I cleaned the washing machine filter, organised my cleaning caddy, tidied up the laundry, and made sure the remaining odds and ends of laundry were folded and put away. Despite having a cleaning routine, these little jobs were necessary and had been on my mind. They didn’t take much time, and once they were done I felt so relieved. Small victories can feel so good! My reward for all my effort was a steamy pot of apple tea and then I sat down to do a bit of blogging. Dinner with Friends In the evening we had a fun dinner outing with our friends, another lovely couple, and we enjoyed a wonderful time together. We tried a restaurant called Vecino that serves up an interesting fusion of Korean and Mexican flavours. We got a kick out of the table water being served in a tequila bottle. It was a fun touch that made it seem like we were chugging down endless glasses of tequila! Steve and I ordered the beef nachos each and I was relieved that it wasn’t spicy. The beef had a hint of sweetness to it, which I guess comes from the Korean influence. I much prefer sweetness over spicy! After dinner, we made it home in time to watch the last few minutes of the Women’s soccer final. Our cat Sushi was only interested in cuddles. And that’s it for my weekend events. Here’s to carrying those good vibes into the week ahead. Take care, everyone!

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