Hello Monday

Hi there and happy Monday! I hope you all had an amazing weekend and are ready to embrace a new week. I’m feeling extra chipper today because it’s so warm and sunny—though we won’t mention the 50 km/h winds that nearly blew me away on the way home! Anyway, it’s time to share some weekend highlights on today’s Hello Monday link-up with Holly and Sarah. Thanks for joining me! Saturday Spring is my favourite season! This year it seems to have arrived extra early and that’s more than okay by me!! I just love looking at all the colourful flowers and the bright blue skies. The novelty of going for regular walks with Steve hasn’t worn off and I’m loving it. Haha, he doesn’t completely share my excitement. But he has been a real champ about keeping up with his physio exercises which of course includes doing regular walking. So we hit the pavement on Saturday and walked around the neighbourhood for almost an hour and a half! We stopped for a sticky beak at an open house- we don’t have any plans to move but if I see a house that’s open for inspection, I’m in for a look! It was a nice house but I didn’t like the awkward layout or the quick reno job they have done to probably try and sell it fast. Gosh, I thought I was a messy painter!! We picked up some sourdough on the way home and made some sandwiches for lunch. The rest of the day I took full advantage of the sunny, windy weather and did a few loads of laundry. I’ve quit feeling annoyed about carrying household chores into the weekend. There’s that saying about laundry–that it’s a reminder to be grateful you have clothes in the first place. Yeah, I’m embracing that mindset–namasté! In the evening, we watched a few more episodes of Blue Bloods. If you’re a fan of the show and love food like I do, you might notice the delicious meals at their regular Sunday dinners. I tend to pick up on details like that. I also noticed a couple of seasons ago that the characters hardly eat anything! It makes sense, of course—if they’re filming a scene all day, they can’t be eating all day. But this is what I have seen and now I can’t unsee it!!! Erin always adds masses of salt to her food, Danny eats the cucumbers, Pop always butters his bread the whole time, Frank talks, Jaimie pushes his food around and Jenko chews nothing. Hahaha!! I didn’t share any of this with Steve as he loves the show as much as I do. But …well because it was the final season I couldn’t help myself! And now his Sunday dinners with the Reagans are shattered just like mine were. I kind of wish I’d kept my mouth shut! Now Steve sits there counting out loud how many cucumbers they eat! Sunday Sunday was Father’s Day, and while I always try to focus on celebrating Steve as a dad, it’s a tough day for me. I don’t have a relationship with my own dad for many reasons I won’t go into. However, this year, after many years of working on forgiveness, I reached out to him about a month ago, and we had a chat. It wasn’t deep—just polite conversation and that’s okay. I’ve made peace with that and have stopped hoping for anything more. So, I called and wished him a Happy Father’s Day. I won’t lie—it felt a bit awkward, but at the same time, I’m glad I did it. After that, I visited my Uncle Bill at the cemetery. He was more than just an uncle to me—he was like a father, my hero, and my favourite person in the whole world. His unexpected passing ten years ago shattered my world. He was my mum’s youngest brother, and he was the best. I also visited my mum’s grave, which is nearby. It’s tough when the people you love aren’t around anymore. I got home around midday and Luke arrived with his lovely fiancee. She works most weekends so seeing her as well as Luke was such a highlight and an instant mood-lifter! We got takeaway chicken, chips and salad for lunch and got down to the business of celebrating. After lunch we watched Sonic The Hedgehog-we’re all big kids around here so we loved it! Sonic is so cute!! Sam got home from his part-time job and then it was time to order pizza and watch Aliens. Talk about a change in genre! The ‘kids’ loved it and all agreed that they made better movies in the olden days. Hahaha!! We finished the night with a big box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts delivered fresh from the Mascot store. They were incredible—so much better than the ones from 7-Eleven! I thought I was full after the pizza, but the doughnuts were so fresh and delicious that I ended up having two! And that was our weekend- a few lows but way more highs! How was yours, I hope it was a good one!  

Hi friends! Welcome to this week’s Hello Monday link-up with Holly and Sarah, where we share a little bit about our weekend adventures. My weekend wasn’t exactly adventurous. I spent most of it recovering from a yucky cold and a dose of conjunctivitis. I had already taken three days off work last week. But the extra time over the weekend was exactly what I needed. By Sunday, I was finally feeling like my old self again. Yay! I realised how run down I’d been before getting sick and how I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be truly well. Has that ever happened to you? Anyway, it’s great to be here on this gloriously sunny Monday feeling great! Thanks so much for stopping by. Saturday Strawberries and blueberries are back at reasonable prices again! It’s wonderful to see that we don’t need a bank loan to enjoy these delicious berries now that they’re in season. They were perfect to enjoy with our pancake breakfast on Saturday. I found a new Swedish comedy-drama called Meaning of Life on SBS. After loving Bonus Family so much I didn’t think I would find another one that grabbed me (I tried a couple). This one did and so I watched a couple of episodes on my iPad and now I’m addicted. The thing with foreign shows is that you have to sit and watch closely to catch the subtitles. But it’s a great excuse to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee too! I’m not sure why I love Swedish shows so much, but it might be because, according to Ancestry, I’m 1% Swedish—hehe. In the afternoon Steve hosed down the car on our front lawn and gave it a vacuum. He said it was a good way to water the garden at the same time. I’m not sure the grass appreciated getting squished. But I guess I could see his point, sort of. Anyway, it was good to see him being so mobile and doing everyday stuff. We enjoyed a short sunset walk on a warm evening. By the time we got home, it was time for dinner. I made steak sandwiches with mayo, mustard, and tomato sauce for me, and BBQ sauce for the guys. We might not share the same taste in sauces, but we all agree on one thing: a big slice of pickle in our sandwiches is a must! We spent the rest of Saturday night relaxing in front of the TV before calling it a day. Sunday I needed a couple of things from the supermarket and felt up to a big walk instead of driving. Steve joined me this time, and we walked about two kilometres there and back—something we wouldn’t have done before he got his new knee. Steve is still adjusting to enjoying walking since it used to be so painful. I can’t blame him for that! We made it home pain-free! I didn’t go to the supermarket for my favourite lollies, but they were half-price, so now my treat jar is full again! We also didn’t go for rosé, but we grabbed a bottle to celebrate the warm weather and toast to feeling well and a great weekend. We are having the best spring weather even though we haven’t quite hit September. But I’m still fully prepared for a change back to winter. So I won’t be storing away any of my warm jumpers just yet. For now, I’m loving the sunny blue skies, and on Wednesday, the forecast is a top of 28ºC—a heatwave in some parts of the world! I can’t wait!! Happy Monday!

Hey everyone, I’m so excited to be back today! I’m joining Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday. It’s time to catch up on a super fun three-day weekend that just flew by way too quickly! Friday I had Friday off from work because I had accumulated enough time for a day off. It was amazing not having to get up so early and I spent most of the day enjoying my time at home. I even got a head start on a few weekend tasks and it felt like I was winning! We went for a walk and saw some beautiful spring blooms that I shared on Friday favourites. Spring is coming! Surprise Dinner Destination Then in the evening, we went out for dinner to celebrate Steve’s birthday. I kept the location a surprise and didn’t tell him I had booked a table at Mr Wong’s a famous modern Cantonese restaurant in Sydney that we’ve both been wanting to try. He was convinced we were going to Hungry Jack’s which is our version of Burger King. Hahaha!! I assured him we were definitely not and to wear something nice! We caught the train from Allawah station so by then he knew we were going to the city. While we were on the train, he kept trying to guess where! He was like a kid and he was making me laugh so much. In the end, when I wouldn’t give anything away, he made me promise that if we didn’t eat enough at the restaurant “could we please go to McDonald’s as well”…sheesh!! It was a good 10-minute walk from Martin Place station and Steve walked like a champ! Before his knee replacement, we would have taken it real slow or even caught an Uber. So that’s massive progress and it makes the whole surgery so worth it! When we turned into Bridge Lane, Steve still had no clue. The alleyway was dark and mysterious—exactly the kind of place where you’d expect something shady to happen. He was completely confused! But as we reached the end, there it was, tucked behind a wall—the famous Mr Wong’s. Steve’s expression was priceless and the surprise was worth every bit of the secrecy. Mr Wong’s Before we went, I had spent some time looking at the menu and decided that the best option for us was the Banquet menu. There were just too many delicious dishes with incredible ingredients to choose from. Steve felt relieved that we didn’t have to make any decisions and could just sit back and enjoy a variety of dishes. He was still in shock that we weren’t sitting at a fast food joint—such little faith! Just like all the reviews said, the food and service were amazing! It was definitely a feast, and we loved everything from the delicate kingfish sashimi to the Angus beef cubes that melted in your mouth. One of the standout dishes for us was the Balmain bugs. In case you’re not familiar, Balmain bugs are a type of Australian slipper lobster with sweet, delicate meat. They were so good! We enjoyed ten dishes in total, including dessert, and no, we didn’t need to hit McDonald’s afterwards! I loved the little touches, like how they brought out the dessert with ‘Happy Birthday’ written on it. Palmer & Co After dinner, we decided to continue the celebration and head to Palmer & Co. A prohibition-style bar where all the bartenders were dressed in 1920s attire-so cool! There was also a jazz band playing some contemporary tunes. Steve had a cider, and I sipped on a glass of bourbon that felt like it would have been perfect with a cigar. I’ve never had a cigar, but the whole atmosphere really got to my head! I also tried straight bourbon with ice for the first time and was surprised I enjoyed it (maybe a little too much!) Cousin Connect Saturday We were set to host Cousin Connect on the 10th, but Steve thought he had shingles (it turned out to be eczema) and Sam had a bad cold. So, we rescheduled for this past Saturday, which was also Steve’s actual birthday. It turned out great that we could all be together to celebrate! Cousin S put together another one of his amazing charcuterie boards. I made pulled pork that we enjoyed with bread rolls and coleslaw. Oh, and I also made rice for my little cousin E, who, apart from my mum, is the biggest rice lover I’ve ever met! Cousin T made pigs in blankets, and my aunt brought guacamole. We played our usual board game and laughed so hard at some of the things the cousins came up with. Cousin J even suggested making Cousin Connect T-shirts featuring some of the hilarious one-liners! I think it’s a great idea! Sunday Sunday was recovery day after all the eating and fun. We watched a couple of episodes of Blue Bloods and then thought we better get started on our “homework”.  As I shared in another post, we’re heading to L.A. next January. Along with Disneyland, we’re also planning a visit to Universal Studios, which I’ve heard has an incredible Harry Potter-themed area. The thing is, none of us have ever watched or read anything Harry Potter-related. So, we figured it was high time to start! We watched Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone and we loved it! I was surprised to see The Dowager from Downton Abbey in the film! We’ve also realised that we better get started on watching The Simpsons, as Springfield is also such a big part of the Universal Studios experience. I know, I know—clearly, we’ve been living under a rock because we must be the only ones who haven’t watched these two major pop culture hits! And that wraps up our very fun three-day weekend! Thanks so much for stopping by today, I’m jumping off the computer to go have dinner and catch up on some more homework! Happy Monday!

Hey friends! It’s time to link up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday and dive into our weekend moments. I hope you all had an amazing weekend and are feeling pumped and ready for the last week of July. Can you even believe that it’s the last week of July? The days are just flying by so fast! Friday Night Friday night, Steve and I went out for an early dinner at our local club. We ordered the seafood platter, which was delicious, although a lot less generous than the ones we used to enjoy at the Motor Boat Club. It seems times are tough in the restaurant world these days! The generous platters we used to enjoy have now doubled in price, so we thought we’d try this new venue. We are mindful of the fact that we are planning a big trip next year. So we are eating out less these days and trying places that offer better value. This place wasn’t one of them, but we enjoyed the night anyway and may have stopped off at McDonald’s on the way home for a burger and fries. Haha! Saturday Saturday was a day for pottering around, getting this and that done. One of the tasks was a sewing chore. Sam bought a Sloppy Joe online, and when it arrived, it had a gap on the sleeve where the overlocker must have missed. He emailed the clothing company for an exchange, but they refunded him the cost price and he got to keep the sloppy Joe. A few stitches later, and it was all fixed. I caught up on some blogs, and in the afternoon, my cousins came over to book more things for our trip to the USA next year. Steve put together a quick cheese board for us to munch on while we bought Disneyland and Universal Studios tickets. We also scoured the internet for accommodation. I’m giddy with excitement about our big adventure, though I can’t help but feel a bit nervous too (especially with my fear of flying—gulp!)! While we were sorting out the details, I had to face the fact that the exchange rate wasn’t in our favour. It seemed much better when I was doing ‘girl maths’ in my head. But we’re still super excited and looking forward to our trip! 23 weeks, 5 hours, and 23 minutes to go! Sunday Sunday, I went to my aunt and uncle’s house for lunch. I hadn’t seen them for a few months, and it was so good to catch up with them. We were so busy chatting and eating, and I forgot to take any pics. My aunt is an amazing cook, and we had the most delicious tender and juicy roast pork with vegetables and other sides. In the evening, I went to my other aunt’s house, and we watched some of the Olympic events. This time, I’m just not as into them as usual; I usually get really excited about the Olympics. Steve, on the other hand, watched the four-hour-long replay of the opening ceremony on Saturday. I only saw a few glimpses and wasn’t particularly impressed with some aspects of it. Did you guys watch it? What did you think? Some of my cousins were visiting as well, and I caught up with our fur cousin Zila in her fancy outfit. That wraps up our weekend! And of course, it was back to work today. I had a feeling that last week’s spring-like temps wouldn’t last long, and I was right. It was freezing cold today, and I’m sure it’s snowing somewhere because the wind is strong and the chill is biting, brrrrrr! Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope you have a wonderful Monday morning or evening wherever you are! I look forward to being back here on Wednesday for What’s Up Wednesday. See ya!

Hey friends! It’s great to be back here today linking up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday. I only took a week off from the blog world, but it feels like I was gone forever. I missed you!! Well, just like I expected, the winter school holidays have come and gone in a flash, and today was my first day back at work (sigh). But I’m super happy to say that they were nothing short of fabulous, so that’s a good thing! Today, I thought I’d share a roundup of the things that made my break so special. Let’s go! 11 Favourite Things I Got Up to Over The Winter School Holidays Catching Up With Friends It was so fun to catch up with friends for shopping and lunch dates! I felt like a real grown-up carefree person and it was fantastic! A Quick Getaway Steve and I managed to get away for two nights in Gosford. It was a perfect mix of fun and relaxation. I’ll share more details in a later post, but this mini-escape was definitely a highlight of the winter school holidays! Closet Overhaul I gave my small walk-in closet a complete makeover. Decluttering and organising everything, plus giving all the walls and shelves a much-needed coat of white paint, was incredibly satisfying—hello, more space! We now have so much empty shelf space that the cats think we’ve created a new high-rise apartment just for them. I’ve had to shoo them away a few times, but it looks like they’ve finally gotten the memo that I’m not their cat property developer! DIY Home Projects I painted the doors and doorways white, and wow, what a difference! Although they were already white, they had become a bit dull and dingy, so they definitely needed a fresh coat. I love everything white—it’s like having a clean slate, and it’s so much easier than choosing wall colours, which always feels overwhelming to me. When we first moved in, I was young, inspired, and brave, so I went with a colour called “Grand Piano,” a safe neutral stone shade (that’s as brave as I could get). The living room still features that colour because, no, I didn’t get around to painting it white during these winter school holidays. Aaargh! The thought of moving the lounge and TV really puts me off— I know my big boys would help with that, so it probably won’t be as bad as what I’m building up in my head. Maybe I’ll tackle it in the next school holidays! Anyway, I’m really happy with the switch to all white for the other spaces (except Sam’s room, which is grey). It suits my love for the minimalist Scandi look perfectly! Creating Art Inspired by Bauhaus, I recreated one of its classic designs on Canva (I love Canva) and used that as a springboard to create an original print of my own. Then I had them printed at Officeworks and bought two frames to display them in. It was a fun and inexpensive way to juju up our home. More Art I finally hung up a print from the Matisse exhibition we saw two years ago. I took down the poster featuring Penelope Cruz in Volver—Penelope needed a break. I’m really enjoying the new white frame and Matisse print; it’s a beautiful reminder of that day and looks perfect on our wall. Relaxation and Self-Care I focused on relaxing my neck and face muscles. Face masks helped, and so did lying on the yoga mat to stretch out my neck. Self-care for the win! TV Show Binge I watched some favourite TV shows and steered clear of stressful ones like Baby Reindeer. After two episodes, it was a hard no for me. Trying to keep things light and enjoyable over here! Ikea Adventures I had two fun trips to Ikea. The first was a solo to pick up some storage items, and the second was with my cousin and her kids. We went last Friday for the half-price lunch offer, and on top of that, we got a $25 discount voucher that could only be used if we spent over $100 that day. So, I picked up a few knick-knacks as well as a rug for the living room—since the cats had made a mess of the old one (bleh). My little (not so little cousin, he’s 14) joked, “Come for the meatballs, leave with a trolley full!” Hehe. Walks With Steve Oh my goodness! You cannot believe how happy I am with Steve’s progress since his knee replacement; we both are! He has really turned a corner (so to speak) and is walking so much better now! Over the break, we went on regular walks around the neighbourhood and we did a lot of walking while we were away in Gosford. He also has two physiotherapists coming to the house. One to do regular exercises and the other to retrain him to walk without limping. Poor guy has walked with a limp for over ten years, and now his brain is slowly adjusting to a new way of moving. Christmas In July We had a late Cousin Connect gathering on Saturday since some of the cousins were away over the school holidays. This time, it was all about Christmas in July, and we kicked things off with an amazing charcuterie board. One of our cousins is definitely a Charcuterie board master! We had delicious turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, roast carrots and pumpkin. Followed by the usual banter, jokes, board game and an all-around fantastic time! To top it all off, my youngest cousin even put the tree up with some twinkly lights. It was a brilliant night, and we have all decided that Christmas in July is now a permanent yearly tradition. Yay! That wraps up my 11 favourite things I got up to over the winter school holidays. Winter is not my favourite season, but I loved these school holidays a whole bunch!

Hi friends it’s time to link up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and thank you so much for stopping by today! Most of our preschool team kicked off the school holidays with a great night at the Intersection Tavern on Friday night.   The food was delicious and so were the apple martinis! The fantastic thing about celebrating where we did was that they not only had half-price cocktails after 8 PM, but they also had a DJ starting at 9. So, we hit the dance floor like there was no one watching (and I sincerely hope no one was watching, haha). It was so much fun, and my Apple Watch congratulated me for exercising so much! Saturday morning, I might have taken a couple of Panadol because, oh my legs!! Saturday Around mid-morning we went for a quick trip to the farmers market. It’s been raining so much there’s a pond in the middle of the park with little ducks swimming around! The same thing happened last year. Lot’s of delicious fresh produce. Look what I found!! The mandarins I had been searching for! The same stall that sold them last year had them again this year, and they are the sweetest mandarins ever. Last time we went to the market, I bought some from another fruit stall, hoping they would be sweet, but they turned out to be worse than the ones from the supermarket. They were horrible. They’re still in the fridge, and I want them to disappear. I don’t want to eat them, yet I don’t want to throw them away because I hate wasting food. But they really are not nice. Maybe I should bury them in the front garden when nobody is watching. I picked up some nuts to chomp on, along with dried paw paw and dried mango for making granola. Now I need to make sure that I make more granola in the next few days before I eat all the dried fruit; it tastes like candy—yum! I chopped up the mushrooms I also bought and cooked them to go with our late Saturday morning breakfast. Sunday Sunday was a lazy day, and our biggest achievement was finishing all the episodes of ‘Attack on Titan’. Now, we only have two movie-length episodes left, and it’s over. I never thought I would enjoy anime so much! Next up, we’re planning to watch Fullmetal Alchemist, which, according to Sam, is just as good. For dinner, I made roast pork with vegetables and lots of gravy. Steve was home, so he made the crackling, it turned out so crunchy! Whenever I make it, I tend to mess it up and it turns out rubbery. This time, I paid attention to the secret of good crunchy crackling: leave the skin uncovered in the fridge for an hour or so until it dries, then add salt and no oil! Most recipes I’ve searched suggest rubbing oil, but it never worked for me. It’s a mystery. That wraps up some of the things we got up to this weekend. I just got home from a really lovely day out with my bestie. We shopped, chatted, ate, and shopped some more. I’ll be back sometime this week to tell you all about it. I’m also hoping the days go by slowly so I can savour every minute of the school holidays—fingers crossed! Take care, and I’ll see you soon. Happy Monday!    

Hello friends and hello Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend! It’s great to be back on this very chilly Monday to share a bit about our weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by. Early last week our friend invited a group of us over to her house for dinner and games. She didn’t mention it was for a special occasion, just a casual get-together. As we got to the end of the week, I had a lightbulb moment and remembered it was her birthday! I’m a bit hopeless at remembering birthdays and, to be honest, I would probably forget mine if I could. Our friend didn’t want a fuss or presents, saying all she wanted was our presence. But I did get her a little something anyway. That night, we were all transported to a Mediterranean feast, and I’m sure I put on two kilos in two hours! The food was amazing! We had cheese, crackers, olives tzatziki dip and stuffed vine leaves. I’ve had vine leaves before but not as good as the ones I had on Saturday night. They were generously stuffed and covered in a very lemony sauce, they were just deliciously delicious! For dinner, we started with saganaki prawns. Saganaki is a traditional Greek dish of fried cheese and prawns in a rich tomato sauce. We had big chunks of bread to wipe up the sauce, although I could have quite happily picked up my plate and licked it clean! Then, we had fall-apart lamb with roast potatoes, purple sweet potato, and salad, for the main course. Our friend has a Greek background but grew up in England, so she has an English accent and amazing Greek cooking skills. Sunday Sunday was the kind of day that makes you happy to just stay home because the weather was pretty miserable. We had no plans so we just stayed in and kept warm. I finished watching ‘Bonus Family’ and I felt sad that it was over. Do you get the post-series blues? I couldn’t find anything I wanted to watch on Netflix so I switched over to SBS on Demand (a free-to-air catch-up channel). I was looking for another Swedish series but then decided to go for a Spanish movie by one of my favourite directors Pedro Almodóvar – ‘Women on The Edge of a Nervous Breakdown’. It’s a quirky comedy with strong female leads and a very young Antonio Banderas. The movie is full of bold visuals, bright colours and it has a retro feel. The costumes have that chic fashionable feel from the 60s and the decor features mid-century modern which just so happens to be my favourite! The whole plot was kind of absurd but I really enjoyed it. It was perfect Sunday afternoon viewing. SBS has a few Almodóvar movies and I’m looking forward to watching ‘Broken Embraces’ with Penelope Cruz next. My absolute favourite movie directed by Almodóvar is ‘Volver’ with Penelope Cruz. I love this movie so much that I have a framed movie poster of it in our lounge room. Interestingly, Almodóvar tends to use many of the same actors in his movies. In the evening, Steve and I discovered a new series on SBS called ‘Crossing Lines’—well, it’s new to us, although it was made in 2013. It stars Donald Sutherland, who sadly passed away recently. We watched a few episodes and enjoyed this crime drama series, which follows a special unit investigating cross-border crimes and bringing criminals to justice across Europe. It’s like a blend of CSI and Criminal Minds but with a distinct European twist. The actors all have really cool accents that I enjoy listening to. We spent the entire afternoon and evening glued to the TV, watching until our eyes went square. We only paused briefly to make a simple dinner. Ever since I saw Sarah’s zucchini pasta, I’ve been craving it! Unfortunately, I didn’t have any basil and only one small zucchini, so I’ll save making it properly for another day. This version was tasty with the butter and Parmesan, but I’m sure the authentic recipe will be even better. Then we had another break for dessert and this was Steve’s creation -It looks like a mix of anything sweet he could get his hands on in 60 seconds! And that was our weekend—filled with lots of eating and TV watching. I’m looking forward to this week because it’s the last one before our holiday break. Tonight, we’re going out for dinner with friends. Then, on Thursday night, we have the Boney M concert, and Friday is our end-of-term staff dinner. Remember how I mentioned our preschool underwent two torturous days of Rating and Assessment? Well, we received our results a few weeks ago and achieved a rating of Exceeding. So, on Friday night, we’ll be celebrating big! Happy Monday and I look forward to being back here on Wednesday!

Hi friends! I hope you had a fantastic weekend. Can you believe it’s the end of June already? Woah, how did that happen so fast? It was another quiet and cozy weekend at home for us. We mainly stayed indoors because it was cold and on Saturday it rained so much. I almost thought we might have to build an ark! This kind of weather just makes me want to hibernate. Anyway, it’s great to be back to share a few things about our weekend staying warm and dry indoors. Friday Night Watching the whole series of Masterchef Australia has inspired me to cook! I’m no Masterchef—I’m more of a master eater. Even though I was tired on Friday night, knowing it was the weekend gave me an extra shot of energy! So, I made meatballs with sauce to go with our ravioli. I also made some crème caramel for dessert, which was a big treat since I don’t often make dessert! Saturday I spent a good chunk of Saturday looking at clothes online. With so many end-of-financial-year sales, I couldn’t resist filling up my cart. But then I took a break to cool off my temptation. In the end, I bought a white dress and decided I didn’t really need all the other items. We watched a couple of documentaries on iView in the afternoon, and then my grocery order arrived. I spent the next forty minutes or so putting things away and doing a bit of food prep like slicing the chicken into strips before putting it in the freezer. Not exactly a fun moment, but these little tasks make all the difference on weeknights when dinner needs to happen and energy levels are low. I’m sure future me will thank present me for getting this sorted! In the evening, we watched a whole lot of episodes of Attack on Titan. I have to admit, when Sam first asked me to watch it, I was mostly just happy that he wanted to watch a series with me. I wasn’t overly convinced that I would love animé. Now, after getting into it, I’m really enjoying the show! It has so many twists and turns with some very unexpected moments. It’s more than just a show about huge Titans eating humans—nom nom (haha, I know right!). I think I have discovered a whole new genre I enjoy, thanks Sam! Sunday Sunday was just as low-key as Saturday. With all the rain, I had a pile of laundry to tackle, so I washed it and put it through the dryer. I completely gave up hope of seeing any sun soon and hanging it out to dry. As I went about doing a few chores, Mochi was everywhere I turned. Every time she popped up from out of nowhere, I couldn’t help but hear Sting’s song playing in my head—”Every breath you take…every move you make…I’ll be watching you.” I’ve never felt so much obsession love! Coffee and raisin toast with peanut butter and fig jam for a very late breakfast. It was a winning combo! I caught up on reading some blogs and was inspired by Holly, who I think was inspired by Jennifer, to turn on a screensaver with music. I chose the roaring fireplace so I could pretend to feel warmer. A cup of hot chocolate helped too. Oh no! We need more Swiss Miss-it’s the best! In the afternoon, I watched Disneyland vlogs on YouTube and took some notes. if Disneyland was a subject in school, I would have studied like a champ! Steve was watching football, and for once, his team was winning. He was going bananas cheering, and even though I was wearing headphones, I could still hear him. I’m pretty sure the whole street heard him too! Go the Tigers! Roast chicken (from Woolies) with potatoes, sour cream, veggies, and lots of gravy for dinner—yum! And that was the end of the weekend. I’m on the countdown to the July school holidays—nine days to go! Yay! Thanks so much for being here today and I hope you have a wonderful day! Linking up with Holly and Sarah

Hi friends! It’s time to link up with Holly and Sarah to share some highlights from the weekend. I hope you all had a good one! Friday Night Friday nights are usually low-key for me, but last Friday was different. Sam and I got an unexpected invite to join some boys and their mums from his school for dinner at The Intersection Tavern. The boys finished school at the end of 2022, and Sam became close with about three of them during high school. There are around ten boys in their friendship circle. That night, I discovered these ladies are a tight-knit group who have been friends since their kids were in kindy. Sam didn’t start at the school until high school, so we were new to their circle. I think we got invited because I met the mum who organises these dinners at the airport when Sam went to Japan with her son back in May. It was great to get to know the mums. We chatted over a delicious dinner and reminisced about how quickly time had flown. It felt crazy to think back to when the boys (or men, as I should really say) were little and now they’re all grown up. We even got treat bags, which I thought was a really lovely touch! Saturday Saturday night was my aunt’s birthday celebration. Our family and some friends went to Canterbury Leagues Club for dinner. When we walked into the foyer, I was amazed at how large it was! It was all fancy with the plants and chandeliers. I joked that it was like a mini Las Vegas. I haven’t been to Vegas yet, but I know this club, though huge by our standards, would be tiny compared to the ones in Vegas and other countries. For dinner, Steve ordered the fish and chips, Sam had the beef brisket and I chose the penne bolognese. Afterwards, we went back to my aunt’s house for cake, dessert and drinks. It was a fun Saturday night celebrating my aunt, and I love any reason to get together with my family! Going out on Friday and Saturday nights was a bonus, so when Sunday rolled around, it felt like I had enjoyed an extra-long weekend if you know what I mean. Sunday I spent a couple of hours decluttering the converted garage. It had been bothering me for ages because it was getting messy and cluttered again. Aaarrrgh!! How does this happen so fast!! I do my blogging there, and I wanted to reclaim the space and make it inspiring again. Mess makes me nuts! Four garbage bags later, I felt more zen. It’s so chilly now, and I’m not loving it! What better way to combat the cold than with some delicious chicken and vegetable ramen for dinner? I had never made ramen before and was happy with how it turned out. The delicious broth with chicken, crunchy bean sprouts, spring onions and coriander was so good! And that was my weekend! I love those weekends when I get to go somewhere fun and also accomplish something productive. It’s such a great balance that leaves me feeling better about the new week ahead. I’m excited because it’s week eight, and that means I’m counting down until we break up for the winter holidays on the 8th of July. Yay!! Getting up at 6 am in the cold is tough, but enough of me whinging about the cold, hehe. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I hope you have a great day!  

Hello friends and hello Monday! We had a three-day weekend and it has just flown by! All we did was cozy up at home, kept warm and watched movies. I think the only pic I took the whole weekend was a photo of my grocery delivery. Haha! I guess we’ve had an eventful past couple of weeks with Steve’s surgery, so an uneventful weekend was a welcome change. He’s doing ok and when we saw the surgeon last Thursday, he was happy with how his knee was going. However, his wound wasn’t healing up as well as it should. So the doctor prescribed antibiotics because it looked infected. Wound infections scare me and I’m hoping it clears up fast. We’re going to the GP tomorrow so he can clean it up and redress it. Fingers crossed it will all be looking good when we see the surgeon again this Thursday. I’m taking another day off from work this Thursday to take Steve to his appointment. Last week, the process took up the entire day! After getting ready, dropping him off at the hospital entrance, and finding parking quite a distance away, we then waited an hour and a half before the doctor saw Steve (as usual, specialists never seem to run on time). The day was over before we knew it and I was so glad I took the whole day off because we sure needed it. I’ve often felt guilty about taking time off from work in the past. And I’ve stressed myself out by rushing to work either before or after appointments. But I have so many sick days that I have accumulated over all the years I have worked. So I’m cutting myself some slack and using up a carers’ day. I hardly ever take time off, only when it’s really necessary. Over the weekend Steve and I watched quite a few episodes of Seinfeld, they say laughter is good medicine. And we need plenty of good medicine! We also caught up on The Amazing Race and watched a fantastic movie called ‘Coach Carter’. It’s an oldie but we had never seen it before and we both loved it! I don’t play sports but I love inspiring true stories about sport. My biggest achievement this weekend was finally applying for our passports. I kept putting it off because filling out online forms, paper forms or any type of forms is my least favourite thing to do. Today, we went to Officeworks and got our passport photos taken, and later this week, we have an appointment at the post office to submit all our paperwork. As usual, I have to gather a bunch of proof of identification because I wasn’t born in Australia; I came over when I was eight months old. I’ll be glad when it’s all done, and we have our passports in our hands! Paperwork and me, we are not friends. Tonight, I prepared an extra dish for tomorrow night’s dinner because I have a staff meeting after work, followed by a quick trip to the chemist as Steve has run out of pain meds. Then it’s off to the GP to get his wound looked at. Whew, I’m glad I had an extra day to get organised because tomorrow sounds like it’s going to be a doozy! Wish me luck!! Linking up with Holly and Sarah