Friday Favourites

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

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

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

Hi friends, it’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika to share a few of my favourite things from the week. Let’s go! Preschool Moments Do you know how good it feels to go to work and actually enjoy the day? I had forgotten what that was like. But now that I have two great classes across the week, I remember! It’s week five, and I’m getting to know the new kids, and I can tell they’re feeling the same way about me. On Tuesday, I sat on the deck with a couple of them just chatting, and soon a few more joined in. We talked about their pets, favourite colours, and how many siblings they have. I loved how comfortable they felt sitting next to me, flopping against me and sharing their stories. It’s been a long minute since that happened, and it felt so good. Back in the classroom, I’ve been sitting on the floor helping the kids with puzzles. Some of them are such clever cookies! On Wednesday, I was amazed by a tiny three-year-old. She persevered until she mastered a complicated 24-piece layered puzzle and could do it by herself. That darn puzzle is hard! After surviving last year, when we were all on constant patrol to keep everyone, including ourselves, safe. Now, being able to enjoy chunks of time playing and just being with the kids is the best. I’m also not spending the whole day mentally begging for the clock to go faster. Now I don’t even count the minutes till the end of the day, and time just flies! I even have time to be creative with classroom displays. I’m in the process of cutting out what feels like a hundred thousand leaves for a family tree where we’ll display their family photos. I have a vision of adding fairy lights to sprinkle a little magic. Hopefully, it turns out as good as it looks in my head. Quick edit: I wrote this last night when I hadn’t spent a whole day stuck inside due to wet weather, and I was feeling all la-di-da. Today it rained, so it was a different story. Although we don’t have the behaviour issues like we did last year, by the end of the day, I was very ready to be outta there. Wet weather days are never a favourite, but luckily, the weather’s rarely bad enough to keep us indoors for long. Phew! Favourite Things Now, onto some other favourite things from my week… My lovely friend gave me some mugs for my birthday, and I love them! When we renovated the kitchen a few years ago, I went into full minimal mode and made sure almost everything we bought was white. I did keep a few special pieces—a pink mug from my cousin, a red teacup and saucer from another friend, and my blue and white Johnson Brothers dinner plates in ‘Indies’ pattern, which I love. Apart from those, everything is mostly white. My friend, who knows me very well, made me laugh when she told me all the effort she put into tracking down white mugs from my favourite shop, Country Road. A New Watch I got a fun new watch! A few weeks ago, I was reminiscing about my teen years and remembered how much I loved my old Swatch. Steve, Sam, and I went into the city on Tuesday to pick up my birthday Swatch. We’re not very good at deciding what we want for birthdays or Christmas. We always fall back on the old line, “I’ll have a think and let you know,” and then end up scrambling at the last minute. This time, I knew exactly what I wanted, but we hadn’t had a chance to go and buy it. We could have ordered it online, but I wanted to try it on first, and this week was the first chance we got. I can’t believe I picked out a fuchsia one. Even my original Swatch back in the 80s was grey. I always go for neutrals, but not this time and nobody is more surprised than I am! Keratin Treatment Time Time for a keratin treatment to fight the frizz. It had been over a year since my last treatment, so I was well overdue. With the weather so humid lately, my hair was really bad. It was so nice to sit in the air-conditioned salon after work on Wednesday, and this time, the two hours it took to get the treatment flew by. I love how they treat you with a coffee, a Tim Tam and a heart-shaped chocolate. Now I’m in that awful in-between stage, waiting for the keratin to do its thing. I have to wait three days to wash my hair (tomorrow is the third day, hallelujah) and two weeks to colour it. The keratin has made my hair a bit orange, and it’s so flat it’s practically glued to my scalp. I was tempted to wear a baseball cap to work since Wednesday, but you’re supposed to let it be and not even tie it up to avoid kinks. In the end, I had to tie it back anyway because I didn’t want to scare the children. And just like that, it’s the weekend. How did the week go by so fast? I hope you have an amazing weekend, and I look forward to being back here on Monday.

Hi friends, it’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika for Friday favourites. It’s been a bit of a celebration week over here with Lunar New Year activities at preschool and my birthday on Wednesday, so this week I’m sharing a few celebration favourites. Thanks so much for being here😊 Birthday Drinks On Monday, I met a friend for a birthday drink, and it was margaritas all round on a very hot day. Leaving Work Early Wednesday was my birthday, and I was able to leave work early because I had some time owing. I only worked three hours, and Steve picked me up from the preschool gate at midday. As I jumped into the car, I said, “Drive, Steve, drive!” Haha, it felt like I was making a great escape. Lunch Treats We went to a little Vietnamese bakery and picked up bánh mì for lunch and an iced matcha. So yum! Afternoon and Dinner In the afternoon, I gave myself a pedicure and watched a bit of TV before getting ready for dinner. My oldest son and his lovely partner joined us, so there were five of us in total. I chose an Italian restaurant near our house that I’d heard good things about, and we had pizzas and pasta until we could barely move. Then we came home for cake, and this year I picked a mix of éclairs and tarts to share. I thought it would be fun to do something a bit different from the usual birthday cake. Surprise Visit Around 9.30, we wrapped things up, and after saying bye to my son and his partner, I put my PJs on. Five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. It was my cousin and her boyfriend. What a lovely surprise, and lucky I was wearing decent PJs! They came by to say happy birthday and brought me two sweet treats that looked like mushrooms. They didn’t taste anything like mushrooms and had a delicious hazelnut chocolate filling in the middle. Netflix Laughs We sat around chatting when my cousin started telling us about a comedian she’d discovered, Marcello Hernandez, and how funny he was. We ended up watching some of his Netflix show American Boy, and she was right. What made it even funnier was how relatable it was for both of us, since we were raised in Latino households. Yikes! Lunar New Year at Preschool Our preschool runs in sessions, with different children attending at the beginning and end of the week. So we ended up celebrating Lunar New Year twice, on Tuesday and Friday. Friday turned out to be the bigger event, with a parent coming in dressed in a special cultural outfit. She read a story and shared some of her family’s traditions. Then it was our turn, and some of the educators presented a story about Nian, the legendary monster. Nian is said to appear every Lunar New Year, and families use red decorations and loud noises to keep it away. Our Little Performance My very fun coworker and fantastic friend organised the whole thing. She was the narrator and puppet handler and got help from another educator who did the voice of Nian. I was in charge of sound effects, backdrop, prop handling, and a few character voices. With only one quick run-through 10 minutes beforehand, we kind of winged it and just laughed through the parts where we messed up. I don’t think the kids noticed the bloopers, and now we are joking about taking this show on the road….maybe not just yet. Birthday at Preschool Another coworker and I have our birthdays a day apart, so today, the staff and children sang happy birthday to us. Nobody ever turns older than five at preschool, and that is exactly the way I like it. I got five firecracker claps after they sang happy birthday. Clap and whoosh! It was very cute and a perfect way to end a wonderful week. Happy Friday!

I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately, thinking about some of my favourite things I miss from my teen years. I think this wave of nostalgia is because of a couple of reasons. First, I just finished watching Stranger Things, which is set in the 80s. The music, fashion, and general vibe transported me straight back to those years. And the other reason is that my birthday is next week. So once again, here I am, wondering how time flew so fast. It feels like I blinked and fast-forwarded to now—yikes! Anyway, I thought I’d go all in on the nostalgia and take you along as I share some of my favourite things I loved from back in the day. Thanks so much for being here! Favourite Things From My Teen Years Levi’s 501s Oh my goodness, I don’t know if it was the jeans I wanted or the guy in the Levi’s TV ad—probably both. My first paycheck (yes, I literally got paid by cheque) went straight towards a pair of faded 501s, and I wore them until they got a hole in the knee… and then I felt even cooler. 😂 Impulse Spray In high school, most of us kept a can of Impulse spray in our lockers to freshen up between classes. I think my favourite scent was called Dancing Queen. I remember it had a pink lid. They still sell Impulse, and a few years ago, probably around my birthday, when nostalgia hits, I bought a can, but I couldn’t stand the smell. Not even as a bathroom spray. Dolly Magazine Ah, Dolly magazine. Every Aussie teen girl had to have it in the 80s. I loved going through each new issue, checking out the fashion, taking quizzes like Answer These Top 10 Questions to Know if He Thinks about You, catching up on celebrity gossip, and collecting some of the posters of my favourite boy bands, pop stars, and TV heartthrobs. Rob Lowe was my teen crush. Even though it featured stars from overseas, Dolly was Australian, printed and sold right here. Sadly, it stopped publishing in 2016. Swatch Watches I had to wait for my 15th birthday to get one of these and I chose a grey one with faint colourful lines on the dial. Haha, always the minimalist when it came to bright colours, even back then. I really wish I’d kept it, but I didn’t. That is the downside of decluttering, you throw away good stuff sometimes. But then again, what would you do if you kept everything? I feel like I’m going around in circles here. Coke in a Glass Bottle I think that Coke in a glass bottle just tastes so much nicer, even today. They aren’t as common as they used to be, but I occasionally treat myself to a glass one. I just remembered I forgot to order it with my grocery delivery that arrived today. Boo! Ray Ban Wayfarers After years of wanting a pair, I think I finally bought prescription ones in either 1987 or 1988, and I’ve still got them and still wear them sometimes. Yay! Off-The-Shoulder Tops Remember Flashdance, when Jennifer Beale wore that off-the-shoulder sloppy joe (we call them sloppy joes here)? I wanted one so badly! The same year the movie came out, we had a Textile and Design assignment at school to make a sloppy joe. Not Flashdance style, but the proper ones. I was painfully slow during class, and since we didn’t own a sewing machine at home (my mum hated sewing with a passion), I never finished mine and didn’t get to sew on the ribbing around the neck or sleeve cuffs. So, I accidentally ended up with one that actually looked like the one on Flashdance. I failed the class, but I loved my top! Big Hair Accessories Scrunchies were all the rage, but I didn’t really wear my hair in a ponytail. Instead, I liked the Madonna-style hairband with a big bow. As long as I didn’t tease my hair too much, because my mum said only the naughty girls wore their hair like that, I was allowed to wear the headband. Well, I guess that’s a wrap on some of my favourite 80s teen memories. I’m sure I’ll remember a dozen more as soon as I hit publish, but for now, I’m off to see about treating myself to a Swatch and some faded 501s. I never really know what to ask for my birthday, but I’m thinking this year, a few classics are the way to go.

Hi friends, and thanks for stopping by for Friday favourites. I’m so glad you’re here! 1 I can hardly believe it’s already Friday, and this week has gone by so fast for me. I’ve really enjoyed my second week back at preschool so far. We’ve met most of the children, with just a couple more to start, and for the first time in a long time, I have a feeling it’s going to be a good year, even though I’m trying not to say it out loud just in case. I’m not entirely sure what happened over the past few years, but things definitely changed after COVID. I’m no expert, but as an early childhood educator, I really felt the gradual impact it had on children and their families, and I wasn’t the only one. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just me who thought this, so I’d regularly check in with coworkers and people I knew in other schools and early childhood settings. Everyone I spoke to said the same thing. Children’s behaviour was noticeably different, and not in a good way. Last year was the hardest in all of my 35 years working with children and very nearly brought me undone. I usually try to soften things on the blog, but sometimes you just have to say it. It’s been rough! Now I feel like we’re finally on the other side of that, and things are settling back to what I guess life was like pre-COVID. I’m so relieved that many of the reasons I loved working with children are starting to come back. For a long minute, I even wondered if I could keep going. I couldn’t remember who that person was—the one who wrote Six Favourite Things About Working in Early Childhood Education. Anyway, I’m happy and very relieved to say she’s slowly coming back, and that is a big favourite. 2 A while ago, I shared that I had this amazing system for remembering to take my thyroid tablet in the mornings. I’d leave a glass out on the kitchen bench as a signal that I’d taken it. I also loved that it killed two birds with one stone. I took my tablet with a full glass of water, so I started the day medicated and hydrated. What a winner! The system usually worked. But sometimes it didn’t. There were days when I remembered drinking the water but not taking the tablet. And last year, for all the reasons I’ve already shared, I was often not sure whether I was coming or going. And I forgot to take my tablet three days in a row more than once. When you don’t have a thyroid, that medication really matters. Missing a dose here and there doesn’t cause instant drama, but over time, especially when you’re already exhausted and stressed, it can start to catch up with you. Without enough thyroxine in your system, you start to fade and flop like a ragdoll. So I took the advice of a lovely reader who had commented on the post where I shared my not-so-great system and bought a pill organiser. Revolutionary stuff! Do you know why I never bought one for myself before, or even considered it? Because I always thought it was for older people. Ha! How ridiculous is that? Anyway, I love my pill organiser, and this Gen Xer better start facing the truth. Feeling 29 doesn’t make it so 😅 3 I’ll finish off my week’s favourites with this refreshing glass of Aperol Spritz I had on Thursday night at Humphreys Hotel. Cheers to more happy weeks at work, and cheers to the weekend! Happy Friday Linking up with Andrea and Erika

Hi friends, happy Friday! So glad you’re here. Oh my goodness, it is so hot and humid over here. I just got home from work and had to jump straight into the shower before I could even sit down to write about a few of my favourite things from the week. Now that I’m feeling squeaky clean, I can think a little better. Ok, so let’s get into it. Today I have five quick favourite moments from my first week back at work. 1 First up, I’m so happy to share that this week has been a positive start at work. After feeling more than a bit unsure, it has been really nice to ease into the week and feel that things are heading in the right direction. I don’t want to say too much and jinx anything, but I’m tiptoeing my way into feeling optimistic about this preschool year. Phew! 2 Hello, shiny new coffee machine! Normally, it’s instant coffee for us at work, so this feels like a major upgrade. I’m enjoying figuring out which strength and blend I prefer, and yes, this machine stores your own coffee profile. I had no idea this was even a thing. This is my first real experience in the world of coffee machines, as I only have a plunger at home. I’ve had more coffee than usual the past couple of days and had to cut myself off before heading down the road to heart palpitations—yikes! 3 On Monday, I shared that one of the positives of going back to work was that I eat a lot healthier. While I often look at my salads and wish that I had the power to turn them into a Big Mac, I know that this is better for me. 4 Thursday afternoon, Sam texted that he had arrived safely in Bali. Maybe one day I’ll get used to it, because I have a feeling he’s going to be someone who loves to travel. But I don’t love it when my boy is way up high on a plane. Even though I know flying is the safest mode of transport, I can’t help feeling anxious. I’m also not sure if it’s helpful to track him on Flight Radar, but I did anyway. 5 Steve and I went out for happy hour at Humphrey’s. Cheers to Sam and his friends landing safely! That’s week one, term one, done and dusted. This work week went way better than I expected, and I couldn’t ask for more. Well… yes, I can—I want more weeks like this one, please! Now it’s time to enjoy the weekend, which looks like a very quiet one at home. I don’t have any plans, and I think I’m ready to watch the last season of Stranger Things. I’ve been holding off because I didn’t want it to end, but the longer I leave it, the more chance there is of getting spoilers, right? Hope you all have a lovely weekend! Linking up with Andrea and Erika  

Hi friends, it’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika to share some highlights from my week. Let’s go!! One One of my favourite moments this week was sitting on my verandah, soaking up some Vitamin D (good for my bones as I get older), drinking coffee, and jotting down dates in my new 2026 diary that my friend gave me for Christmas. Two The postman came while I was there, and I received a postcard from my cousin, who went to New Zealand five weeks ago. Haha, that’s snail mail for you! I’ve actually already seen her, but it was so nice of her to think of me while on holiday. Three When my boys were little, I would let them pick a box of sugary cereal for the school holidays. Now that they’re grown men and eat men food, I’ve kept the tradition for myself and buy a box of my favourite cereal, Rice Bubbles. I actually don’t even eat cereal except when I’m on holidays, get up late (won’t say how late), and can enjoy it properly. Four I lit this cute candle I got from one of the preschoolers as a Christmas gift. It has a lovely scent, and the little gold propeller on top spins as the flame burns. The temperatures were much cooler this week, which is why I actually used a candle. I can’t even look at a flame on those boiling hot summer days. Five The cooler temps made me crave soup, so I made a chicken and vegetable one. I always add Parmesan cheese to mine after I heat it up. It’s something I learned as a kid from my mum’s best friend. We would all get together at their house, and while my mum chatted, I would play with her daughter, who is now my longtime friend, and for lunch we would have soup with Parmesan cheese. I caught up with her last year at her dad’s memorial. Somehow, we got onto the topic of soup, not sure how, and we both said at the same time, “With Parmesan cheese!” She was amazed that I remembered. How could I forget such an incredible taste sensation? Six I saw a huge jar of pickles at Aldi and took a pic to send to the family group chat. We are a close family divided by our love for pickles. About half don’t like them, and half do. I’m team pickle all the way. But I didn’t buy this massive jar, that would be a bit too crazy. Seven Yum, a glass of Merlot and chocolates on Wednesday evening. We didn’t have any dark chocolate, so we cracked open a box of another thoughtful Christmas gift from a preschooler. Working as an educator has some big benefits, don’t you agree, hehe. Eight My favourite evening this week was when my eldest son and his partner came over for dinner. We started with some mini quiches and crumbed prawns before tucking into some family favourites. I made South American food, which I don’t normally make because there are too many steps and I have to follow a recipe. While we enjoyed our entrees around the coffee table… we watched a YouTube clip of Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, and his speech from the World Economic Forum in Davos, and oh wow! I think this might be my most favourite of all the favourites. I loved that, as a family, we watched a truly memorable, historic speech, and it gave us hope. And just like that, my five-week end-of-year break is coming to a fast end, bah! I start back next Tuesday after Australia Day. But shhh, let’s not talk about that and just get on with enjoying the weekend. Happy Friday!

Hi friends its time to share five favourites on this sunny Friday. Thanks so much for stopping by! One I really love sitting out the front of our house to drink my coffee or any other beverage. But until this week, we didn’t have anywhere to sit. The chairs we’d had there for years went out with the council clean-up about six months ago, and we hadn’t got around to replacing them, so I was using the front steps. This week, we finally got a small three-piece set, and it fits perfectly. Now we have somewhere comfortable to sit, drink, read, and enjoy. Sure beats the steps, which weren’t very comfy! Two You know you’re a full-grown adult when you get genuinely excited about a shiny, clean shower screen, right? About five years ago, my husband got a Karcher Window Vac for his birthday, and I think he used it once. I pulled it out this week and thought, why not try it on the ensuite shower screen? Bingo, what an aaahh moment, and I’m never going back. That Karcher Window Vac is all mine now. Three The other day, it was my turn to pick a movie, actually, it’s always my turn, which is totally okay with me–hehe. A couple of weeks ago, I picked a real dud called A House of Dynamite, so this time I had to regain my top movie-picker status. I chose Everybody’s Fine with Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, and Kate Beckinsale. Some of my favourite actors, and the movie was so good! I won’t spoil it, but it’s about a man whose wife has died and who wants to reconnect with his grown-up kids. I think it really hit me because of where we are in life. One of our boys flew the nest years ago, and the other, while he has no plans to go anywhere, I know the day will come. The movie had me sobbing at the end. I haven’t cried this much since I watched Titanic! I don’t usually like films that make me sad, but this wasn’t a bad sad. It was a heartfelt sad. Maybe I could relate because it feels like only a minute ago our kids were little, and now they’re not. Watch it. I’m sure you’ll love it. Four We walked up to a local Japanese restaurant for dinner on Tuesday night. I’d been there before with a friend and had told my husband how good it was. Since we’d just booked our trip to Singapore and Japan on Sunday, we were both excited to enjoy some Japanese food. A little pre-trip treat before the real experience. Only 80 days to go! The countdown is officially on. Yikes! It’s the holidays. Well, I’m still on holidays, so we’re doing things we wouldn’t normally do. Like going to a dessert bar for a sundae as big as my head. It had half a waffle, brownies, and little crunchy things. It was delicious, but I would never go back again. Big desserts scare me, and I was glad we shared. Five This week, my husband and I had a lovely couple of days away in Gosford for our 36th wedding anniversary. Whoa, that’s a lot of years. We had a fun time eating our way around town, and it was great to enjoy a change of scenery. Funny enough, on our way home, I saw something on Instagram that really stuck with me. Someone said the highest form of love is friendship, and that felt so true. Steve and I actually started as friends all those years ago when we met at church. We’re still good friends, and I’m pretty sure that friendship is what carried us through the inevitable bumpy times. Having a good sense of humour has helped too. I love to laugh, and I love people with a good sense of humour—it’s just easier, isn’t it? One of my very first memories of Steve is that the day I met him, he made me laugh a lot, so that was a big win. He will argue that he’s funnier than me, but he’s wrong. Obviously 😉 We stayed at the Hotel Gosford, the same place we stayed a couple of years ago. It’s an old pub that has been renovated, but they’ve kept the original lift that you have to operate yourself. I love that they’ve preserved this historical feature, even though it freaked us out a bit every time. You have to operate the doors by hand, turn the room key, and press the button. So much coordination! The first night we had steak for dinner, and it was so tender. The menu said tender, but they don’t always tell the truth. This restaurant did, and I was so happy. Chewy steak is not my favourite. I had the crème brûlée, and Steve had the cheesecake. They looked so pretty! The next night, we shared a cob loaf and salt and pepper squid as an entree. Steve had the fish for mains, and I had the prawn linguini. It was so delicious I couldn’t stop moaning as I ate, and Steve was grateful there weren’t many diners around. The friendly waitress asked if we were celebrating anything special, and we told her it was our anniversary. She kindly surprised us with a complimentary dessert, dark ale pudding with ice cream. It even came out with a sparkler! What a lovely touch. And that’s a wrap for this week. It’s been a long time since we’ve eaten out at so many different places! It’s my last week of the school holidays, and I can’t believe how quickly the weeks have flown by. They always do during the holidays, Ugh. Anyway, I’m not going to think about it now. I’m going to enjoy the last of it before term one starts. Oh my goodness, I’m really hoping for a better year than last year. The trauma is real! Enjoy your weekend, friends. See you