Ruth(playworkeatrepeat), Author at PLAYWORKEATREPEAT

Italian Meatballs-Easy Recipe

I’m always on the lookout for simple yet delicious meals that I can make for my family. There are days when the time seems to slip away faster than I can chop an onion! So I’m all for recipes that cleverly cut corners and make my life a little easier. This deliciously satisfying recipe for Italian meatballs ticks all the boxes because it’s healthy, full of flavour and so easy to make. Another big bonus is that Italian meatballs are a perfect dish for entertaining. I have made it for when it’s been my turn to host our monthly family get-together and it’s always been a real winner! Italian Meatballs Ingredients 500 grams of minced meat (beef, pork or a combination of both) 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs Onion flakes 1 tsp of minced garlic 2 tbsp dried parsley 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tbsp onion flakes 1 egg 1/2 tsp white pepper 1 tsp salt For the tomato-based sauce 3 cups of passata 1/2 cup of chicken or beef stock 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp minced garlic 1 tbsp onion flakes or one medium-sized chopped onion salt and pepper to taste Instructions In a large bowl, combine the minced meat, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly combined. Shape the mixture into meatballs of your desired size. You can make them small or large depending on what you prefer. In a large pot, combine the passata, stock, dried basil, dried oregano, minced garlic, and onion flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine. Gently drop the meatballs into the sauce, ensuring they are fully submerged. The sauce should be at a simmer. Cover the pot and let the meatballs cook in the sauce for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until they are cooked through. It’s a good idea to stir the meatballs occasionally to make sure that they cook evenly. Serve over your preferred side dish and enjoy! Reasons Why Italian Meatballs Are A Perfect Dish For Entertaining Easy To Prepare This recipe gives you a hassle-free way to prepare meatballs for a crowd. By eliminating the need for pan frying or baking. You save time, effort and best of all washing up and mess. While the meatballs are simmering in the rich tomato sauce you can be focussing on all the other things that you need to get done to prepare for your gathering. Or better yet you can be attending to your guests. Versatile Italian meatballs are a versatile and crowd-pleasing dish that attracts a wide range of tastes. You can also customise the recipe using different types of minced meat, such as pork, beef, turkey or chicken. Additionally, you can also adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes and the dried herbs can be easily substituted for fresh ones. Make Ahead Option Italian meatballs can be easily prepared and stored in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. This means that you can plan and prep for your gathering ahead of time. This will eliminate last-minute stress and it will ensure that you can enjoy spending time with your guests. Serve A Crowd This recipe can easily be scaled up or down to accommodate the number of guests you are entertaining. Whether you’re hosting a small gathering or a larger party, you can adjust the quantities of ingredients accordingly. Accompaniment Options This Italian meatball recipe pairs really well with a variety of side dishes. You can serve Italian meatballs with different pasta shapes such as farfalle, spiral pasta or good old spaghetti. Italian meatballs are also delicious when served with mashed potato, rice or even simple crusty bread. Whether you’re looking for a simple weeknight meal for your family or planning a fun and relaxed gathering with friends, this easy recipe for Italian meatballs has got you totally covered! It’s the kind of dish that is so fuss-free and simple to make yet full of flavour and will leave everyone asking for seconds. Other Simple Recipes You Might Like To Try Easy Lasagna Recipe Fall Apart Roasted Pork Leg

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Thyroidectomy Recovery

21 Comments / Health and Well Being

Hey, there lovely friends! Wow, it feels great to be back and saying hi to all of you after a few days away. I’ve missed you guys and am super excited to catch up with all of you. So, in case you have been wondering where I have been. Well, I’ve just undergone a total thyroidectomy, and let me tell you. I’m so glad it’s all over! Thyroid Problems A few years ago I went to my doctor about a sore neck. And she found some nodules on my thyroid. This unexpected and totally unwelcome discovery led me down a path of incessant worry and anxiety for years. You can read all about it here, anyway in March this year I finally had enough. I plucked up the courage and made an appointment to see an endocrinologist. And when he examined me in May he immediately recommended that I get a total thyroidectomy. He said that I had three nodules and a cyst. If I didn’t do anything about it now, the cyst was bound to give me problems in the future. Once he told me this I just agreed to go ahead with the total thyroidectomy. I was done with worrying and resigned to getting it over and done with asap! So it was a huge relief to book the first available surgery date-15th of June. Thyroidectomy So the day that I had dreaded and worried about for what feels like forever finally arrived. And early Thursday morning Steve drove me to the hospital. And I tried really hard to act like a brave grown-up even though I felt like a scared kid. I’m just no good with any medical stuff. The last time that I had surgery was when I was about four years old to get my tonsils removed. We waited for ages for the nurse to come and finalise my hospital admission. See the scans in the brown bag? I joked to Steve that I guess I’ve reached that time in my life when I have now started to collect these. Anyway, the nurse was really lovely, she asked a bunch of health-related questions and she assured me that everything would be fine. She could tell I was clearly super anxious. The nurse led me to my hospital bed and gave me a blue gown, compression stockings and non-slip socks for me to get changed into. I liked the blue and pink colour combo, they used to give out bright red ones. (My mum had quite a few red ones from all of her procedures) But I think that these are much prettier! I said bye to Steve and after he left I burst into tears. Yep, I had run out of bravery by then! The sweet nurse gave me a cuddle and I will forever be grateful to her for her kindness and understanding. The rest is a bit of a blur but I remember being wheeled to the operating theatre and thinking about all those medical shows that I really wished I had NOT watched. Then I spoke to the anesthesiologist, said hi to the surgeon and his lovely assistant and then it was nighty night for me. The Surgery Was Finally Over I think I went into surgery around 11 or 12 and I woke up around 3 pm. Later in the day another kind nurse gave me something to eat and she helped me get changed out of the blue hospital gown and into my pyjamas. I had a drain thing sticking out of my neck so I needed help, plus I felt so groggy and sore. Groggy, sore but oh so relieved that it was over! My wonderful boys came right up to my room once they heard I was moved to the ward, they had been waiting around at the hospital. My cousins also came to visit and I got so many lovely texts and messages from kind friends. Steve, Sam and Luke stayed until the end of visiting hours and we watched an episode of Dr Who and an episode of Star Trek on Sam’s laptop. Haha, I have absolutely no clue what happened in either show! I was still floating in the world of anesthesia. Before the boys left to go home my surgeon came around to see how I was doing and he asked me if I wanted to see a photo of my thyroid that was removed. I had signed some paperwork at his office giving permission for them to take photos to show medical students. So I said yes! I did indeed want to see it and so did Luke and Sam, even Steve who gets easily grossed out agreed. Well, after seeing that photo I am so happy that I underwent a total thyroidectomy. I could see the large nodule that had been visible on my neck. But I was so surprised to see that it was nothing compared to the size of the huge ugly cyst that had been growing on the right lobe of my thyroid. Oh my goodness I don’t know how that thing sat inside my neck but it was certainly taking up a lot of space! Thyroxine Early Friday morning I took my first-ever thyroxine tablet. And now that I don’t have a thyroid anymore, I will be taking this little tablet daily for the rest of my life. Thyroxine, also known as T4 is a synthetic hormone that I now have to take to make up for what my thyroid used to do naturally. Thyroxine will ensure that my metabolism stays balanced and my energy levels remain steady. Home! Steve picked me up from the hospital on Saturday morning and I was so happy to come home. Sushi kept meowing and meowing when I walked in. I think she might have missed me. I am just so incredibly grateful for the unwavering kindness and support from my family and friends during this time. Their calls, texts, and

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Best Travel Tips

5 Comments / Cleaning and Organising

Hey there friends it’s time for our June edition of ‘Let’s Look’ and today we are going to be looking at our best travel tips. Now it’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to pack my bags and set off on a fun getaway. But I still have a bunch of travel tips from my past holidays that I’m excited to share with you. Best Travel Tips Embrace Your Sense Of Adventure Travelling is the perfect opportunity to get outside of our comfort zones and embrace new experiences. So be open to trying new things that you might have never gotten the chance to do before. Break free from the same ol’ resort and jump into the heart of the real destination. Why spend your whole holiday doing the same thing in different places when there’s a whole world out there just waiting for you to discover it? Go ahead and immerse yourself in the unique culture, attractions and hidden places. This will make your holiday a truly unforgettable experience. Oh, and the stories you will have to tell when you get home….priceless! Plan But Be Flexible It’s always great to have a solid plan of all the places that you really want to visit. But it’s also important to remember not to over-timetable yourself. Flexibility allows you to seize unexpected yet incredible experiences. Immerse Yourself In Local Culture Interact with locals, embrace the local culture, try traditional cuisines and explore customs and traditions. This is the best way to truly gain an understanding of the world and its rich diverse communities. Capture Memories, Not Just Photos Of course, you want to take many photos so you can look back on your wonderful time away. But consider giving your phone camera a rest and immerse yourself fully in the moment. By doing this you will create unforgettable memories that will stay with you forever. Embrace Technology These days there are so many travel apps that will make your holiday so much easier. You can use these apps to find the best local spots, map your routes and discover new places. You can also stay connected with your friends and family who will be dying to know what you’re up to! Travel Responsibly As travellers, we need to remember that we have a responsibility to preserve and protect the places we visit. Respect the local traditions and customs. And always be aware to minimize your environmental impact. Pack Like A Pro Efficient packing is the key to avoiding unnecessary stress. Use packing cubes to maximise space and consider versatile clothing that you can mix and match to create different outfits. Don’t forget to pack light so that you have room for all those souvenirs and bargains that you might be able to nab. Take Time To Relax It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement and then forget to make rest, relaxation and self-care a priority. Make sure to find moments to relax and unwind. Find a local coffee shop, or park or just sit down somewhere and inhale the local surroundings. Appreciate the beauty of your newly found amazing destination. Learn A Few Local Phrases Connect with locals by learning a few basic phrases in the local language. This is a fantastic way to break the ice, simple greetings and thank-yous can work wonders in making connections and showing respect and appreciation for the local culture. Create A Travel Playlist Before you set off on your fun trip, create a playlist filled with your favourite upbeat music that grabs the spirit of adventure. Let the music set the tone for your trip and make your travel experience a total blast. Then whenever you hear those favourite tunes. Your mind will transport you back to your wonderful travel memories. Because that’s exactly the powerful effect that music has on us- it transports us into different times and places! Keep A Travel Journal Don’t forget to take a journal with you and document your adventures. Write about what you see, hear, and how you feel. Stick little memorabilia in your journal such as transport tickets, menus and pamphlets of places you visit. You can even stick things like snack wrappers (just make sure they’re clean). This is such a fun and creative way of remembering the treats you indulged in during your travels. It’s so fun to look back on your travel journal. And you will be so glad that you kept a record of even the little things that you might have otherwise forgotten if you hadn’t documented them. So there you have it! Eleven best travel tips to make your next adventure even more incredible. Happy travels! Linking up with Shay and Erika

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How I Became A Mum

19 Comments / Family Life

Hey everyone it’s great to be here today for this month’s edition of ‘Not Just A Mom’ hosted by Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne Lauren and Sarah. Today we are sharing about how we became a Mum (or Mom). I had been dreaming about being a mum since forever. Looking back now, I was that kid who was always playing with baby dolls. And I could hardly wait until I had my own little real live baby! I was 19 and my husband was 25 when we got married. By the time I was 23, I was more than ready to finally have the baby that I had always wanted. Looking back now I can’t help but chuckle, we were so young, full of enthusiasm and virtually owned nothing. We were renting a small flat and probably couldn’t even afford a cot let alone a baby. Anyway back then I didn’t worry about things like that. We were just so excited to be having our own baby that practical things like being able to afford one didn’t really cross our minds. Now I seem to have more than made up for my worry-free days and have a knack for worrying about almost anything! Luke Anyway, we had our little boy in 1993 and named him Luke. My husband chose it because it was a biblical name and it got my vote. Because hey, I’m a huge Star Wars fan! I just loved being a mum and I made sure to document every detail and milestone. I still have Luke’s baby book complete with a lock of his baby hair and hospital bracelet. Anyway, I always knew that I wanted a gap between kids and I thought that maybe 4 years was just right. Well, life had other plans for us. My husband became really unwell with an overactive thyroid when Luke was about 4. I had no clue about thyroids back then. And I didn’t know how badly they can impact a person when their thyroid becomes overactive. Trust me it’s bad and the fact that we survived those years is a miracle. So fast forward about ten years since we had Luke. We were finally in a good place and we decided that if we didn’t want Luke to be an only child. Then we better have another one…. and soon! I am an only child and I always wished that I had a sibling (I still do!) Thankfully I fell pregnant really fast and I was so excited about telling Luke that he was finally going to be a big brother. I sat him down and had not considered that by the age of 11, he had gotten quite used to being an only child. So when I broke the news to him, his response was nothing at all what I had envisioned. He burst into tears and asked me “Who told you you were having a baby”. I said,” Well, the doctor did”. His response “Why did you have to go and ask him for…waaaaahhhhhh?”. Hahaha! I laugh about that moment now! (but I didn’t then). Sam Sam was born in 2004 and we named him after my cousin Sam who lives in Los Angeles and is one of the nicest people on the planet. Having children 11 years apart was interesting. On the one hand, I knew that time just flew by so fast and the baby stage was over in a blink. So I savoured every moment and didn’t stress so much over the small stuff. But on the other hand, it meant that Luke was a teen when Sam was a toddler and didn’t always enjoy having an inquisitive little person getting into his ‘stuff’. Now they are super close and Sam will always turn to Luke for advice. He really looks up to his big brother and Luke loves his little brother. Except neither one of them are very little, Luke is 29 and Sam is 18. They are both over 6 feet tall and every time they get together, they measure each other. Sam is determined to be taller but at the moment they are the same height. So I guess this is a super short version of how I became a mum. I think it all went by too fast and I long for the days when the boys (men) were babies. The saying “The days are long, but the years are short” is just so darn true! Thank you so much for stopping by today and letting me share with you my story about how I became a mum. I hope you have a wonderful week.

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Quick Favourites

8 Comments / Friday Favourites

Hi friends I hope that you have all had a great week! I am really excited that over here we have a long weekend as it’s the King’s birthday. I have a few quick favourites to share with you today and I am so glad that you are here. So let’s get started! 1 First up I had some leftover chicken from Saturday’s cousin Connect dinner. We polished off all the leftover lasagna in a flash. And I needed a quick side for Monday night’s dinner and I made Mediterranean couscous. Easy and healthy recipes that take no time to make are my favourite! I finished throwing the ingredients together into a dish when I got a text from my friend reminding me that it was our monthly dinner with friends at the club and that she was coming over to pick me up in an hour. I had completely forgotten!! Oh my gosh, my brain has been all over the place lately and I’m having trouble concentrating and even remembering what day it is! Anyway, Sam and Steve were at work and they weren’t going to be able to make it to the dinner. So it was leftover chicken and Mediterranean couscous for them. Easy peasy! I got ready in record time and I was so glad that I went because we had a lovely night eating and catching up. We had some delicious fried dim sims to start with. My friend ordered a vegetarian chow mein as a main. And I went back to my good old favourite- the steamed barramundi with boiled rice and broccoli. We also had cake to celebrate one of our friend’s birthday. Then we finished off with a cozy cup of hot chocolate. 2 Another huge favourite is that my lovely, kind and very funny friend has been doing casual work at the preschool. She worked with us over twenty years ago and now she’s back! She’s so sweet, and sometimes she brings me treats like this. She knows that food is the way to my heart. Hehe! 3 It really is a huge favourite when the classroom is full of happy kids who are busy playing. This week we transformed our home corner into an animal hospital and the kids had a blast. The rest of the classroom was practically untouched as they all congregated in that tiny space taking care of the sick animals. 4 I was feeling a little down the other day and I opened the little box my bestie gave me, it sits on my desk and is perfect for days when things feel overwhelming. It honestly made me feel so much better. Thank you, sweet friend! 5 The other night I was too tired to sit on the couch and watch a favourite show. So instead I got into bed with a hot cup of tea and Steve and I watched an episode of ‘Vera’ on my iPad-we don’t have a TV in our room. It was so cozy and yes I did fall asleep but managed to follow the plot somehow! 6 Here is my new favourite water bottle that I use at work. I bought it last year from William Sonoma and I didn’t really need a new one when I bought it. But I couldn’t resist it and I’m so glad that I did buy it because now my old one needs replacing. 7 Sam finished his two-week hospital placement today and now he is on holiday from uni. I know he’s a big boy but I was happy to be packing his lunches again just like when he was at school. This morning I wrote him a little note and put it in his lunchbox just for old times’ sake. And that brings me to the end of seven quick favourites for today. I hope that you have a wonderful weekend and I’m excited to be back here again on Monday. Happy Friday! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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Currently-June 2023

7 Comments / Discovering NSW Australia, Family Life

Hey there friends and happy Wednesday! I am excited to be joining Jennifer from Overflowing with Thankfulness for the June edition of Currently. This is a great link-up where we get to reflect on some things that have been going on in our world. I always enjoy the prompts and this month we are going to be chatting about what we are currently loving, doing, trying, seeing and reading. LOVING I have been loving our warm winter days! A few weeks ago the cold temps hit and I was all like “Oh no here we go”. Then all of a sudden we started getting some really unusually warm days. According to this article from TimeOut, it looks like we might be in for a warm winter. Apparently, the nights will be very chilly but the days will be dry and warm. This makes me very happy! DOING I seem to have been doing a lot of eating! Whether it’s been going out for dinner or staying at home. I just seem to have been eating a lot. Sam bought a fancy high-tech smart scale with Bluetooth and a bunch of other features. He is right into fitness and going to the gym etc. Well, I made the mistake of going on it out of curiosity and the silly ‘smart’ scale tells me that I am 3 kilos heavier than my good old-fashioned scale with the dial thingy. Not weighing myself on that ever again! TRYING This probably sounds crazy but I have been trying to learn how to do the running man dance step. Hahaha, my version looks more like the clunking elephant dance step than the running man. But it’s something that I have always wanted to know how to do. I follow a YouTuber called Starface_k2 and she breaks all these fun dance steps down really slowly. But not quite slow enough for this old girl. I’m trying hard though! SEEING I saw some beautiful views of Sydney when I went out with my lovely friend a couple of weekends ago. We caught the ferry from Circular Quay to the zoo. We went to see the Wild Lights at Taronga Zoo, which were absolutely beautiful. And we made sure to take full advantage of the day by going to the zoo earlier to see some animals before the Wild Lights came on at around 5.30 pm. But sadly we hardly saw any animals at all! They all seemed to be hiding away during the late afternoon except for these friendly alpacas. A sleepy Koala And kangaroos, yep if we want to see kangaroos we have to go to the zoo as they don’t roam around freely in the city or surrounding suburbs. There were also some big animals like this guy! READING Other than fun blogs, I haven’t been reading any books at the moment. I used to be a big reader and always seemed to have my nose in a book. When I was a kid it would take me over an hour to get to school. So I would read on the train and then I would keep on reading as I crossed a big park all the way to school. Then as an adult, I was always reading on my lunch break or at home. But now I don’t really have a lot of time and I tend to use my lunch breaks and the little spare time that I do have to work on my blog and read other blogs. And that brings us to the end of what I’m currently loving, doing, trying, seeing and reading in June. Thank you so much for stopping by today and I hope that you guys have a wonderful Wednesday!

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A Fun Weekend!

6 Comments / Hello Monday

Hello friends and Hello Monday! It’s time to welcome a brand new week and after such a fun and super busy weekend, I’m ready for it (sort of 😜). Friday night I felt pretty tired after such a busy week at work. But luckily I didn’t have to worry about making dinner because hello leftovers! And so I got onto doing some food prep to get things rolling for our Saturday night Cousin Connect dinner. I always look forward to our fun monthly get-togethers. And this time It was my turn to host! Here is the menu for the night While I was making the sauce for the chicken lasagna and beef lasagna. I was watching/listening to Masterchef on my Ipad for extra cooking inspiration. I love using Mutti passata because I think the tomato has the right balance of sweetness and acidity compared to other brands. Haha, I’ve really been influenced by how they talk on Masterchef. They are always commenting on the right balance of flavours! This Speedy Spaghetti spice from Gewürzhaus is amazing because it makes bolognese sauce taste so good. Now I use it all the time whenever I make spaghetti bolognese or beef lasagna. I seasoned the chicken lasagna with some sage and thyme just to give it a unique flavour that set it apart from the beef version. Then I let everything cool and popped the sauces in the fridge ready to make the lasagnas on Saturday. Relaxing with Friday Night Sweet Treats Afterwards, it felt so good to finally sit down to watch 9-1-1 with a cup of tea, some cookies and hazelnut chocolate. Aaah so relaxing and a delicious Friday night treat! Saturday Dinner Prep On Saturday around midday, I assembled the lasagnas using my incredibly easy lasagna recipe where I don’t have to bother with making a bechamel sauce. Instead, I just mix ricotta cheese and cream and it turns out amazing. I roasted the chicken. Made the potato wedges. And a big salad. I set the table and everything was ready when everyone arrived at around 5.30 pm. We ate so much! Then we played a super animated, loud and very fun board game. Time for dessert! There were so many sweet treats. We had the apple crumble with ice cream that I had on the menu and my aunty also brought some fabulous-looking doughnuts. We’ve added another cool tradition to our family dinners: birthday cakes! My cousin brought a small birthday cake, which we’ve decided to do whenever someone in our family has a birthday during the month. And guess what? In June, we’re celebrating two birthdays! It was a fantastic night with lots of yummy food, fun games and a whole lot of belly laughs. Sunday Sunday I visited my aunt and uncle who I hadn’t seen since February. My aunty made a delicious lunch and I stayed and chatted with them for ages. She gave me some huge avocados from her tree to take home. I’m really looking forward to enjoying them when they are ripe enough to eat! It was such a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. When I got home I had to take care of this mountain of folding. Haha, after such a fun weekend it was back to the reality of chores that I hadn’t had a chance to get onto. In the midst of getting everything ready for our awesome family dinner, I managed to keep up with the washing and hey, I figured I’d tackle the folding whenever I got the chance. It didn’t take too long as there were a lot of sheets and towels so I was done in no time. Sunday Night Steve had Sunday night off from work. He hasn’t been home on a Sunday night in two years! So it was really nice to hang out on the couch eating snacks and watching TV. But after a couple of episodes of Blue Bloods, I kept doing my old snooze and wake-up routine. So I’ll have to go back and rewatch the episode properly. I went to bed and I’m pretty sure that my head must have touched the pillow and that was it. I was out, so tired after a really fun and super busy weekend. I hope you guys had a great weekend! Thanks so much for stopping by to have a read and I hope to see you back here on Wednesday. Linking up with Holly and Sarah Sharing on

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Favourite Highlights

8 Comments / Friday Favourites

Hi there friends! I hope that you have all had a great week. It’s so good to be back again for Friday Favourites and share some favourite highlights from the week. 1 I kicked off the week on a high note, all motivated and enthusiastic about prepping my lunches for work. Here’s my colourful healthy salad for Monday. Then I gradually lost my drive and by Friday I was just throwing leftovers into a container. As you can see here it’s all a bit of this and that. Not very pretty but I guess it’s a great way to get rid of leftovers! 2 Leeks! I just love leeks!! They are so delicious in everything, especially chicken and leek pies. I made the pie filling on Tuesday and then popped it in the freezer. So next time I need a quick meal I can just thaw out the chicken and leek filling. Then use some frozen shortcrust pastry to make a pie. I always feel like I’m winning when I have at least one backup meal! 3 These individual apple pies were one of my favourite highlights from the week. We don’t have dessert regularly so this was a real treat for a Tuesday night. I was really glad that I had some in the freezer to satisfy my sweet craving. 4 Steve and I went out to our favourite Italian restaurant on Wednesday night and I had the most delicious spaghetti seafood marinara. Honestly, if I could have picked up my bowl and licked it after I finished the last bite, I would have. It was that amazing! Steve ordered the spaghetti seafood marinara with white sauce and he enjoyed his meal too (but I think mine was better 😋) For dessert, we had a yummy Ferrero calzone to share. We also had complimentary limoncello which was a really nice surprise. 5 Then Thursday was our mid-term staff dinner. A small group of us went to a local pub for a nice meal and lots of laughs. Not all the staff could make it and there were only about seven of us in total. A few of us got there earlier just by chance and so we ordered a pre-dinner cocktail. And this was my dinner, crispy barramundi with chips and salad. I have to tell you about a funny moment I had when I arrived at the pub. It was my second time there, ages after my first visit. I went to open the glass doors to what I thought was the entrance and the darn doors wouldn’t budge. So there I was pushing, pulling and rattling them, making a huge commotion. I suddenly realised that the people seated in the pub had turned around to look, I was so embarrassed! Luckily one of my co-workers was already inside and had witnessed the whole scene. So she came out and rescued me by guiding me to the automatic doors conveniently located just around the corner. We both burst out laughing and she kindly reassured me, that at the very least I hadn’t walked right into the doors nose first. 6 On the list of favourite highlights for the week is this new top that I bought last week from Witchery. I wore it on Thursday night and I really like the subtle gold shimmer in the fabric and gold buttons (not sure you can see it in the photo). I am surprised that I love this top so much because I don’t usually go for anything gold. 7 And to top off the end of a pretty good week with lots of favourite highlights. The weather has been unusually warm for winter. After complaining about the cold on Wednesday, the last couple of days have been so warm and it looks like next week the temps are going to be pretty good. Yay! And that’s a wrap for this week’s Friday favourites! I hope that you guys have the best weekend. Hooray for Friday! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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What’s Up Wednesday-May 2023

8 Comments / Family Life

Hello friends! Wow, I can hardly believe that we are just about to hit the middle of the year! It almost feels as if I blinked and May flew by in a flash. And now here we are again for What’s Up Wednesday, May 2023. This is a fun monthly link-up with Shaeffer and Shay where we get to share a little of what’s been happening during the month. So let’s go ahead and dive right in! What’s Up Wednesday- May 2023 WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK Monday-Meatballs with mashed potato and veggies! I made meatballs on Sunday night and we had leftovers for Monday. Tuesday- Chicken schnitzel, jacket potatoes and sour cream, veggies and lots of gravy Wednesday- We are going out for dinner. Yay! Thursday- Beef stroganoff, rice and veggies Friday- Hopefully, leftovers Saturday- I’m still deciding on the menu for our Cousin Connect dinner. I’m thinking I might make lasagna, garlic bread and salad. WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT The warm weather! Brrrr we are now right into the cold weather and I’m not a fan at all. I know that compared to many other countries our winters are mild. But here in Sydney as soon as it gets under 16°C I pull out my thermal underwear, jumpers, puffer jackets, scarves …..and complain a lot!! WHAT I’M LOVING Eating all the comfort food and drinking endless cups of tea and hot chocolate! The best part about winter is eating all those delicious carbs, not feeling guilty and then saying “Oh I’m hungry and can’t stop eating because I’m so cold”. WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO Steve and I have both been busy with work but still enjoying our regular Wednesday night date nights. Sam is on holiday from uni classes and has just started his student placement at a nearby hospital. He has really been enjoying it and telling me that there’s never a dull moment on the ward he is on. He also says it is giving him a really good picture of what nursing is all about. WHAT I’M DREADING I am booked in for surgery on the 15th of June and so I’m really dreading that A LOT! It will be so good when it’s all behind me. You can read all about what’s been happening here. WHAT I’M WORKING ON A garden to decorate the wall in our preschool classroom! Many of the kids are really interested in insects so we have jumped on this and are in the process of creating a fun collage. The children have been busy adding to it each day and it has become a real draw card for some of our reluctant preschoolers. Term 1 was tricky as we had a lot of new children and some were struggling to settle. But this term our little group is starting to thankfully come together and it’s so great to see progress. The classroom teacher and I high-fived each other today because it feels like we have finally turned a corner! WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT After the 15th of June, I’ll be excited about everything! WHAT I’M WATCHING I really needed a good comedy to take my mind off things. So I have been watching Everybody Loves Raymond. It’s such a funny show and it always makes me laugh. I really should start from season one but I have just been randomly picking episodes. Masterchef started a couple of weeks ago but I only started watching it this week and I am hooked. It was so sad that Jock Zonfrillo, one of the judges on Masterchef died one day before the premiere of the current season. He was only 46. WHAT I’M LISTENING TO Right now I am typing this while I’m on my lunch break at preschool. And I can hear lots of noise from the preschool classroom! WHAT I’M WEARING All the coats and jackets to keep me warm! WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND It’s time for Cousin Connect again! On the first Saturday of every month, my whole family gets together for dinner and this time it’s my turn to host. WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH We have a long weekend coming up on the 12th of June for the King’s Birthday. Even though we don’t have any plans to go away anywhere. I’m still excited about a three-day weekend! But to be totally honest and at the risk of sounding like a broken record. The thing that I am most looking forward to is getting that surgery over and done with! WHAT AMAZON PURCHASE DID I LOVE THIS MONTH This Matcha powder has been great for making delicious and healthy smoothies. This Garnier Olia hair dye is hands down the best! I recently made the big mistake of buying another brand that was half-price at the supermarket. And it left my hair dull and dry. I don’t know why I never thought of buying this hair dye from Amazon before. But I’m so glad that I had a light bulb moment and I ordered it. To top it off, it’s so much cheaper on Amazon than it is from Woolworths. Garnier Olia does exactly what the box says, it leaves my hair soft and the colour is long-lasting. I don’t have the time or patience to go to the salon to get my hair coloured. And at the rate my grey roots grow I would have to be at the salon every three weeks! So I absolutely love Garnier Olia and I use 6.0 light brown. It also comes in a variety of colours and shades. And that just about wraps up a little of what has been happening in May. Thank you so much for stopping by today, I always appreciate you guys reading my blog and I hope you have the best Wednesday!

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Wild Lights At Taronga Zoo-Vivid Sydney 2023

10 Comments / Discovering NSW Australia

Hey there friends! I’m super excited to share with you all about my visit to Wild Lights at Taronga Zoo. It’s that fun time of the year again when Vivid Sydney is back on for 2023. The annual festival of light, music and ideas held in the spectacular city of Sydney, Australia. Vivid Sydney Vivid Sydney is an event that transforms the city into an amazing wonderland full of creative light displays. All around the city, you can find iconic landmarks like the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and various buildings throughout the city illuminated with spectacular ever-changing colours and patterns. The whole city comes alive for a truly immersive and dazzling experience. I think that it’s a great way to draw people out of their cozy homes during the cold winter months. I don’t like the cold weather but it’s totally worth braving the cold, bundling up and stepping out for a fun night walking around the city. Wild Lights At Taronga Zoo Last year I went with my lovely friend to see the dazzling lights all around Circular Quay for Vivid Sydney 2022. But this year we went to Wild Lights At Taronga Zoo and I was just in awe the whole time! It really was such a fantastic night. We queued up for about 40 minutes outside the zoo, then as the sun began to set at around 5.20 pm they opened the gates and in we went. The first display I saw was a brightly lit koala right at the entrance. And then we walked along the beautifully illuminated pathways. The lights were just so pretty, it was a feast for the eyes! And I loved how we could hear soft captivating music and animal sounds as we walked along. It looked like the whole zoo was sprinkled with a dash of pure magic for the night. There were so many families with their children but it wasn’t as crowded as it gets in the city. So we got to really enjoy the light displays without bumping into everyone. I found the visit to the wild Lights at Taronga Zoo very relaxing. Magical Jellyfish I think that my favourite display was the underwater wonderland. There was a whole area filled with these amazing jellyfish and they looked like they were floating around all aglow in the most vibrant colours. Illuminated Bugs A giant cicada There were bees and bugs all around in the trees. So Many Native Australian Animal Displays Some kind of native Australian frog. Echidna A Dingo A Goanna It doesn’t take much to scare me and this fly was a bit scary. It made noises when you touched it! Tigers. More native Australian animals. The emu, possum and platypus. Gorillas Me with my mates the Gorillas! The way Taronga Zoo combines outdoor light shows with neon lights is truly one-of-a-kind and quite impressive. Using neon lights as decorations at events really amps up the fun and visual appeal. Imagine customising neon signs with your favourite animals—it’s such a personalised and fascinating way to decorate! These customisations not only enhance the ambience of a home or venue but also showcase individual taste and creativity in a uniquely artistic manner. If you are looking for a magical and illuminating adventure the Wild Lights at Taronga Zoo is an absolute must-visit! I made a short video of my visit to Wild Lights at Taronga Zoo so you can get a better idea of what it was like. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great day!

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