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April Edition of Currently

13 Comments / Amazon Finds, Family Life, Home

Hi friends it’s great to be back on this sunny autumn day linking up with Jennifer from Overflowing With Thankfulness. It’s the April edition of Currently and today we are chatting about what we are currently loving, looking forward to, buying, planting and cleaning. Thanks so much for being here! This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for your support! LOVING I am loving these sunny, warm autumn days with blue skies and the cool nights are a big bonus. There’s something so cozy about the crispness in the air and it sure does make falling asleep a whole lot easier, compared to those humid, sticky summer nights. I am also loving and relishing our final week of daylight saving. With the clocks set to go back on Sunday, I know that it will be shorter days for us until spring arrives. Ho Hum. LOOKING FORWARD TO I might have mentioned this a few hundred times but I’ll say it again. I can’t wait for the autumn school holidays, only 8 days to go! We are planning a couple of exciting day trips with my cousin and her family. So I’m really looking forward to those! My cousin’s mother-in-law is visiting from Ohio for a few weeks so it will be great for her to experience Taronga Zoo and do a day trip to our capital city, Canberra. When she asked me if I wanted to join them – yes, please!! BUYING I haven’t bought much of anything lately, except for the usual essentials that help keep us alive, like food, etc. It’s easy not to spend money when I’m busy at work during the term. But coming up to the school holidays when I will be able to enjoy some fun shopping trips then it will be a different story. I’m still trying to be mindful of my spending though. Oh yes, I nearly forgot to mention. I recently bought this amazing motion-activated unscented cat deterrent spray and it has worked a treat in keeping our kitten Mochi off the kitchen counters. If you have a furry friend who is exploring no-go zones then this spray is the best! It’s safe, harmless, sanity-saving and super effective! PLANTING I replanted this little Ivy plant that was in a tiny pot. Now it has a bigger home, I hope that it will start to flourish. CLEANING Apart from the usual daily cleaning chores I haven’t embarked on any major cleaning. Although I have noticed the doors calling my name recently, they have a few marks on them that need a good scrub. It’s the school holidays soon so I’ll probably get to them then. And that’s a wrap for this month! Can you believe that it’s April already, wow! I hope you have an amazing day and I look forward to being back here on Friday. See ya!

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Easter Weekend Recap

12 Comments / Hello Monday, Home

Hi friends! It feels like I’ve been away forever, I took a much-needed mini-break and today I’m excited to be back linking up with Holly and Sarah to share some Easter weekend fun. Thanks so much for stopping by! Good Friday Four-day weekends always confuse me in a good way. While I don’t think that it necessarily makes the working week feel shorter. It’s nice to wake up on Friday and Monday mornings without the dreaded alarm going off. Although I may have panicked for a microsecond when I first woke up on both of those days thinking “Oh no! I have to get up and go to work, I missed the alarm!!” Haha. Anyway, I spent the whole of Friday thinking that it was Thursday even though I knew it was Good Friday. My aunt hosted a family lunch and we hung out eating, talking and playing Jackbox TV games well into the night. Saturday I was just so tired on Saturday and I spent the whole morning thinking that I should do this and that. In the end, I gave up, listened to my body and rested. I had an afternoon nap then I woke up, ate dinner and spent the rest of the evening binge-watching The Amazing Race. Steve got home late from work and he watched the season finale with me even though he hadn’t watched any of the previous episodes. He can easily start watching anything from any point in any movie or show and still gets very involved and interested. You would never guess that he hadn’t watched something from the beginning. I’m nothing like that! I need to watch everything from the start or I’m just confused. I won’t spoil the ending just in case you might want to watch season 35 of The Amazing Race. But it was such a fantastic season and my favourite team was this father-son team. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the strong bond and mutual respect they shared throughout the entire race. Even when things got tough they were always so encouraging and supportive towards each other and they never bickered, not once! To top it off they were excellent communicators! The son is a CODA (child of deaf adults) and they communicated via sign language. It was amazing and inspiring to watch! Easter Sunday Sunday was just such a fun family day! One of my cousins organised an Easter egg hunt at Oatley Park and even though we were a small group as not all of the cousins could make it. We had a blast! Oatley Park is surrounded by bush, perfect for hiding chocolate eggs! My cousin’s husband is originally from Ohio and is sensibly aware of the possibility of snakes in the bush. Luckily it’s not something I had ever considered which is surprising given that I’m such a scaredy cat about so many things! After he had checked the area and hidden the eggs, we ran around trying to find them before they melted! It was a hot sunny autumn day which felt more like summer. I love that our youngest cousins, who are 11 and 13 years old, enthusiastically join in on all the fun kid stuff. They often say that they wish that some of the older cousins with partners would hurry up and have kids already. I can’t see that happening any time soon so for now they are our baby cousins! After the egg hunt, we walked over to the play area where they had this giant climbing thing. The youngest cousins scrambled right to the top in a flash and then so did the rest. Miss 11-year-old started calling me to climb up too (can you spot her in her bunny ears?).”Come on Ruthie climb up I know you can do it!”. She’s so sweet and I felt incredibly flattered that she thought I could possibly make it to the top. It was high and I’m less young than I was a long time ago! Then freshly inspired from watching so many episodes of The Amazing Race where all the teams jumped out of a plane and one team ate spiders. I thought ‘Hey why not!’ and before I could overthink it I ran over and climbed to the top! Coming down was easy as the way out was just through a giant slide. Because the inside of the slide was so dark, I used my feet to stop myself from shooting down too fast. I didn’t want to look like a giant cannonball when I came out of the end. Can you imagine! Hahahaha!! Anyway, I may have felt like I needed a hip replacement afterwards but I’m all good now. Here we are at the top! Easter Monday It’s Monday afternoon over here and I have had the best day doing ‘all the things’ at a leisurely pace. I managed to do a few loads of laundry and my laundry hamper is now empty! This should last maybe an hour or so but that’s ok because I’m living in the moment. I have also finished the rest of the chores that I would normally do when I get home from work. So basically I’m a superhero! Tonight we are catching up with friends at our local club for dinner so it should be a fun night. One of our friends is very good at telling some very bad dad jokes! It’s been a fantastic Easter weekend and I’m super excited that we have only 9 more preschool days until we break up for the term. Wow, that’s gone fast! I hope you have a wonderful week and I look forward to being back here on Wednesday. See ya!

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March Moments

6 Comments / Family Life, Home, What's Up Wednesday

Hi everyone! It’s time to link up with Shay and Sheaffer for the March edition of What’s Up Wednesday. March has been mainly all about work routines and just ordinary everyday life sprinkled with enough fun moments to keep us going! It feels like there were only two weeks in March and it’s slipped by in a flash! Thanks so much for being here today as I share a few March moments. WHAT WE ARE EATING THIS WEEK Monday – Pesto pasta Tuesday – Roast beef and a whole bunch of sides Wednesday – Teriyaki salmon, rice and Asian salad Thursday – Turkey burgers Friday – We are going to my aunt’s house for a late lunch /early dinner. I have also been poaching chicken breast to add to the salads that I take to work. Poached chicken is so tender and juicy! WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT The end of summer! Waaah!! WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO I loved going along to Oatly baths and seeing my husband compete at the swim club. The BBQ lunch after the races was so delicious and it’s been nice to get to know some of the other swim club members. My husband has been part of the club for over ten years, and I only started tagging along for the season’s social events last year and this year. I’m always pretty good at remembering people’s names. But I’m having trouble remembering the names of the other swimmers. The ladies all seemed to be called either Kerry, Sue or Lyn. The guys are either Pete or Dave! The highlight for March would definitely be going along to see FIVE perform. I haven’t enjoyed a concert this much in forever! Another big March event was surviving two days of Assessment and Rating at preschool. I’m sure the assessor must have written the handbook on how to meticulously assess every detail! My cousin hosted a wonderful March Cousin Connect with an amazing taco bar! I finished off the last weekend in March with a fun day out at Kirribilli markets, a walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and exploring some hidden parts of The Rocks. (You can read all about our sunny Saturday adventure here) We enjoyed home-cooked meals! Meals out with my bestie! Date nights at Allawah Pub. As well as cozy date nights at home. It’s been a pretty good month for us! Sam also just finished four weeks of work placement at a hospital where he was in the colorectal unit. I’m so proud of him for doing his Bachelor of Nursing and I can hardly believe he is in his second year. I tell you, It feels like only yesterday we were taking him to his first day of kindy! WHAT I’M DREADING Thankfully, I’m not dreading anything. Yay! WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT The autumn school holidays! WHAT I’M WATCHING I’ve gone back to watching my favourite reality shows from years ago – The Amazing Race and Survivor. They are both on free-to-air catch-up channels. I’m watching season 35 of The Amazing Race and the latest season of Survivor. They are both fantastic shows and I’m completely hooked. WHAT I’M LISTENING TO I stumbled across Victor Lundberg and I have been listening to his soothing calm music while I blog during my lunch break at work. Lately, I have been plugging my Airpods in and drowning out all that noise from the preschool playrooms. Man, those little people are loud when they are having fun! WHAT I’M WEARING Ah, you know how it goes when autumn rolls around, and suddenly it’s all about layers, chilly mornings, and unexpectedly toasty afternoons. Recently, I have also been doing the long-sleeve and shorts combo to try and get a grip on the ever-changing weather. WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND As you know it’s the Easter weekend and I just got off the phone from speaking to my lovely cousin and she asked if our cousin crew were up for an Easter egg hunt. We sure are! WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH Did I mention the autumn school holidays already? Haha! Yes, I’m definitely looking forward to enjoying two weeks off from work and getting a break from juggling work and life! That sums up some of our March moments and I wonder what exciting possibilities April has in store for us. Happy Wednesday, friends!

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What To Do In Sydney This Weekend

3 Comments / Discovering NSW Australia, Home

Hey there, friends! Hope you all had an absolutely fantastic weekend. I’m excited to share our amazing Saturday adventure exploring Sydney with you! We visited the vibrant Kirribilli Markets, strolled across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and uncovered hidden gems in The Rocks. We were surprised that we hadn’t stumbled across these hidden spots despite visiting the area numerous times before! So if you are feeling stuck on ideas for what to do in Sydney this weekend or if you are here from overseas for the first time. I think these spots are absolute must-visits! What To Do In Sydney This Weekend Kirribilli Markets I love that I get to do fun things with my lovely friend. She was the one who had the brilliant idea to explore some weekend activities in Sydney and our first stop was Kirribilli markets. Kirribilli markets are super easy to get to. We just caught the train to Milson’s Point station, walked a few steps out of the station and bam we were right in the heart of the markets. It was such a beautiful sunny and much warmer autumn day than I expected. I just love blue skies! There were so many stalls full of funky fashion pieces, handcrafted jewellery, unique homewares and gourmet treats. There was also live music and we could smell the delicious aromas from the variety of food stalls serving up all sorts of delights from around the world! I thought that this little knitted avocado was so cute! I was almost tempted to buy this eternal pencil. It never needs sharpening and it’s equivalent to 200 pencils. But knowing me I’d put it down somewhere and it would be eternally lost! BTB Kirribilli We enjoyed browsing up and down looking at all the different stalls. Eventually, we got hungry, tired and thirsty so we figured it was time to grab a bite to eat. There was a really nice cafe called BTB Kirribilli just outside the market, and it seemed like the perfect choice to relax for a bit. Turned out to be a great place because it was calm and perfect for a breather. Best of all we managed to grab a table straight away even though it was very busy. I ordered the deliciously cheesy bacon and egg roll which came with an incredibly tasty red gum smoked tomato relish. Yum, my mouth is watering just thinking about it again. My friend asked me if it was the best egg and bacon roll I had ever had. It honestly was! The coffee was amazing too! The Sydney Harbour Bridge If you’re wondering what to do in Sydney this weekend, make sure to include a walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on your list. It’s an incredible experience you won’t want to miss. So much steel! Such a beautiful view as you walk across. Inside the pylon is a museum (sorry about the blurry pic!) This museum offers a fascinating journey through the history and construction of the iconic bridge. Inside, we discovered captivating exhibits, vintage photos, and intriguing artifacts that showed insight into the bridge’s incredible story. Fun fact – Did you know that before making it big in Hollywood, Paul Hogan worked as a rigger on the Sydney Harbour Bridge? We were tempted to climb the stairs to the top of the pylon for the spectacular view, but we decided to save it for another time. For those feeling adventurous, there’s also the option to do the Bridge Climb. Although I haven’t tried it yet, it’s definitely on my bucket list! My friend, who was with me, recently did the climb and absolutely loved it. She described it as a truly spectacular experience. But first, I need to conquer the pylon stairs! Susannah Place After crossing the bridge we ended up in the back part of The Rocks and we were in awe of the historical buildings. Susannah Place is a heritage-listed former grocery store and workers’ cottages and now a historic house museum. The cottages have been renovated and would you believe that people actually live here, can you imagine the view? We spotted a place for sale and wondered how many zillions it cost. Inside the grocery store, it felt as if we had stepped back in time. Ha! I’m not that ancient but my mum used to use Sunlight soap for everything! Then I saw my favourite Ruth Park books that I must have read a hundred times, “The Harp in The South” and “Playing Beatie Bow”. These are fantastic books all about life in early 20th-century Sydney. If you haven’t read them you really should. Ruth Park’s vivid storytelling and rich characters make these novels absolute gems. They are classic Australian literature and they give you a real sense of what life was like in Sydney’s rich past. And that was my Saturday in Sydney! I hope you enjoyed reading along and getting a peek at my beautiful hometown. It’s days like these that remind me why I love this city so much. Thanks so much for stopping by! Here are some other posts about Sydney. Shopping in Sydney! Visiting Beautiful Sydney Linking up with Holly and Sarah.

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Friday Favourites

6 Comments / Friday Favourites, Home

Hi friends, it’s great to be back linking up with Andrea and Erika to share some Friday favourites! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week and are super excited about the weekend. I know that I sure am! *Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them – at no extra cost to you. Just like that the weather changed and Thursday was the first day when it felt like Autumn. Even though it’s been so hot, humid and sticky, I’m not ready to give up summer because I love long hot sunny days, they’re just the best! Thursday the temperature dropped to 15ºC during the night and only got as high as 21ºC during the day. For us that’s cold so out came the puffer jackets and I had my first hot chocolate for the season. Cold weather might not be a favourite but hot chocolate sure is! As I was walking to work I spotted this beautiful tree blooming with purple flowers. You’d think it was spring! In Sydney, we don’t seem to have a lot of typical autumn-coloured trees. Instead, we have a bit of everything, from evergreen trees to deciduous trees and even trees that bloom like this one. Wednesday night date night at Allawah Pub has become a favourite. It’s so close to home, it has a nice vibe and the food never disappoints. I love these Ikea baking dishes. They come with a lid and they fit perfectly inside the fridge. Having an organised fridge is a huge favourite! Meals like this chicken dish where I don’t have to use more than one baking dish are a favourite. Hot on the heels of my one-baking dish chicken meal success, I thought I would copy some food reels that I had watched on Instagram where they cook the pasta in the bolognese sauce. They don’t bother boiling the pasta separately. Uh uh, big mistake! It made the sauce all thick and gluggy because of the starch in the pasta. Something I had not considered! I was home alone for dinner and I ate a bowl of one-pot pasta bolognese. As much as I love bolognese, this was far from great. In fact, it wasn’t even good. Bleh! So I remembered my husband’s advice whenever there is an epic kitchen fail – just add cheese and bake in the oven. I took it a step further and also added cream. It tasted like lasagna and all was well in the world again. My biggest favourite for the week is this can of Sscat. It’s an amazing motion-activated unscented spray that keeps pets away from off-limit areas. See this girl here. She’s very naughty! Mochi is not like our other cat Sushi who is calm and well-behaved. We have tried everything to deter our newish kitten Mochi from jumping on the kitchen counters and I mean everything. From covering the counters with foil, sticky tape and contact (all the things cats supposedly can’t stand). But nothing worked, what’s even more frustrating is that she clearly knew she was doing the wrong thing. Because she would jump off the counter the minute she heard any of us approaching. So I finally had enough and I ordered the Sscat Spray Deterrent from Amazon. Yes, it’s pricey but boy it sure does work! Now I’m not constantly running in the kitchen like a crazy person every time I hear Mochi jump. After a couple of sprays, she has finally worked out that the kitchen counter is a no-go zone. I’m so happy that now I don’t come home from work to a whole lot of little paw prints all over the glass cooktop, the chopping board and the white counters. Nothing grosses me out more than pets in food prep areas. YUCK! Another unexpected bonus is that it’s deterring Steve from opening the fridge after he got sprayed a couple of times. It’s working wonders for his weight loss journey! That’s a wrap for now, thanks so much for stopping by today and I look forward to being back here on Monday. I hope you all have a wonderful, restful and fun weekend!

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Weekend Food Adventures

14 Comments / Family Life, Hello Monday, Home

Hi there friends welcome to Hello Monday. It’s time to link up with Holly and Sarah for a recap of our weekend. As I looked through my photos, I realised that all of them were snapshots of what I ate over the weekend. So I guess this post is a recap of my weekend food adventures! I was craving pizza all day on Friday and it was seriously all I could think about! So after work on Friday, I walked up to the shops to get some pita bread, pizza sauce and shredded cheese. I already had the other ingredients at home. I absolutely love this cheat version of a pizza because it’s just so easy to make and it tastes great. All I use is pita bread as a base and when it comes out of the oven it’s all crunchy and tastes just as good as a thin-crust style pizza, which is my favourite kind. I also think Mutti pizza sauce is hands down the best! Then I just add any toppings I like. This time around I made salami, mushroom and capsicum pizzas. I threw together a Caesar salad and it was a perfect Friday night dinner! Saturday Saturday morning meal planning and online grocery order with a coffee and ham and cheese croissant for extra motivation! In the evening it was time for Cousin Connect and we had a taco bar! Delicious shredded chicken and beef. With all the delicious ingredients to make our own amazing tacos! Then it was time for our favourite board game. The next Cousin Connect will be at my place and this year we’re changing things up a little. To make it easier we’ve decided that the host will pick a theme and then everyone will bring a dish based on that theme. This means that the host won’t have to provide the whole meal and everyone gets to contribute. The cost of food over here is just ridiculous these days! We’re always excited for our monthly get-togethers, and honestly, it doesn’t matter if we end up munching on bread and butter. Sure, we tend to go overboard with the food and always over-cater ( I think it’s ingrained in our DNA!). But what truly matters is keeping those connections strong. It’s all about making sure that we never ever drift apart like we did up until a couple of years ago. Losing my mum shocked us all back to the reality that family is so precious and life is way too short. We figured that if everyone brings along a dish to share potluck style with a theme. Then that means that the cost and work of hosting won’t be so big. We are also saving for an epic Cousin Connect adventure in January 2025 and this will help us stash away more funds! Sunday While my husband was at swim club I went to my aunt and uncle’s house for lunch on Sunday. We’re not technically blood relatives, but our family roots run deep, stretching back three generations. To us, that’s enough to make us feel like family, no doubt about it! Before I went I stopped off at this cute gourmet coffee shop near our place and I bought a packet of fancy cookies. They were delicious and we had them with tea after a meal of ribs and sides. I was too busy chowing down my ribs and forgot to take any photos. But trust me they were amazing! I ate so much at my aunt and uncle’s that I thought for sure I wouldn’t be hungry for dinner in the evening. But I couldn’t say no to a steak sandwich! After dinner, I shared a Golden Gaytime with Steve, nibbled on some Cadbury chocolate and we sat down to watch an episode of the latest season of Survivor. I remember the intro music and then it was nighty night for me! I think I must have slipped into a food coma. It sure was a yummy weekend! Thanks for stopping by and reading all about my weekend food adventures. I hope you have a wonderful day. See ya!

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Friday Faves!

9 Comments / Friday Favourites, Home

Hey there friends! It’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika and share some Friday faves! Last Saturday I caught up with my former boss at a nearby café. She used to be the director at the preschool where I work. I vividly remember when she announced her retirement at a staff meeting: we were all completely taken aback, thinking, “You’re joking, right?” Needless to say, we were all pretty sad to see her go. But fast forward 10 years and I think it’s pretty cool to be able to call your ex-boss your friend, isn’t it? Gosh! Time just flew and before we realised it, four hours had passed without us even noticing because we had been chatting nonstop! We had met up at 10 and ordered a coffee with something sweet – I had a delicious blueberry friand and we completely missed lunch! Never mind, I guess we’ll just have to catch up again for lunch another day. It was a beautiful and very hot Autumn morning at Oatley Baths. Yep, it was another fun Sunday morning watching my husband race at the swim club. I spotted a cute duck family of four. Cute duck families are a big favourite! After the races, it was time for a BBQ lunch. Yummo! We grabbed an early dinner at Allawah Pub on Sunday before heading into the city to see FIVE perform. Double gravy for me!! When we got off the train I noticed that it’s getting darker a lot earlier these days even though it’s still so hot. Hmmm, I’m not really excited about shorter and cooler days that are just around the corner. FIVE performed at the Metro Theatre in the city, and Steve and I had the best time! I think everybody there knew all of the words to all of the songs. So the crowd pretty much drowned out the band! Haha, I had so much fun singing and dancing along with everyone else. By the time we left, I could hardly hear or talk and we were so sweaty!! On the way home on the train, my Apple Watch told me that I had doubled my move goal. I wasn’t surprised!! Fun moments at work are always a favourite. One of the best things about working at preschool is that even on tough days, we will always find something to laugh about, like this gingerbread man. The other day the kids from the other class made gingerbread men and this little guy looks as if he came out of the oven dancing. Good-looking avocados are a favourite! Wednesday night it was time for nachos and more guacamole. A box of Favourites for Friday faves! The chocolates were a thoughtful gift from a kind preschool parent to say thank you and well done on surviving A&R! I’m excited to get together with my family tomorrow for our March Cousin Connect. Then on Sunday, I’m going to my aunt and uncle’s for lunch. The last time I visited them was back in November last year, so it will be great to see them! I also want to catch up on some of my favourite blogs. There are never enough hours in the day and I’m always behind. Then to top it all off, this year I am also doing further study. But I’ll share about that another day – It’s Friday night over here and now it’s time to relax! Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you have the best weekend!

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What’s Inside My Shopping Trolley

6 Comments / Family Life, Home

Hi friends, welcome to the March edition of ‘Let’s Look’ with Erika and Shay. It’s time to share what’s inside our grocery carts! I love a good sticky beak at people’s grocery carts (or shopping trolley as we commonly call them). Another thing I find interesting is seeing food products and packaging from different parts of the world that we don’t have in our supermarkets. I guess that’s why I’m so intrigued by crescent rolls and coffee creamer. We just don’t have these two fascinating products over here! What’s Inside My Shopping Trolley These days I mainly do my grocery shopping online. I used to pop into the shops after work and do small quick shops but these days it’s a whole lot easier to do a single online grocery order. Shopping online gives me a huge breather from the daily hustle, particularly since my days are packed with full-time work. I think this small luxury is what’s keeping me sane! Haha! In my shopping trolley, there’s typically a mix of the usual staples such as dairy, meat or fish, fresh fruit and vegetables, cleaning products, cat food and protein items. Oh yes, and maybe a bottle of wine as well! Extra protein products are also a regular addition to my shopping trolley because my son lifts weights, and it’s all about consuming a certain quantity of protein. Hmmm. Me, I just want to be like the people who come from the Blue Zones and live to 100! So I try and stay away from processed food and too many fatty, salty, sweet (and oh so delicious) snacks. But I’m not a sergeant major about it, so there will always be a couple of treats in my shopping trolley. Here is what I ordered the other day. Can I just say, the price of food these days has gotten crazy!! Anyway, that is usually what I have in my shopping trolley. Of course, it varies depending on what we have run out of and what’s on the menu for the week. What’s inside yours, I’m so curious to know! Let’s Look Here is what we have looked at so far this year In January we looked at how we cleaned our closets. February was all about the little things we do every single day.

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Work-Life Balance: Maximising Post-Work Time

2 Comments / Home, Life Hacks

Feeling overwhelmed with work-life balance? Do you rush home from work only to find there’s hardly any time before you’re back in the cycle again? You’re not alone! Whether you’re employed or running your own business, the struggle to find quality time out of those post-work hours is real. Even when you’ve got upwards of 6 hours left of the day, the time we get after a full day of work can feel miniscule. How are you supposed to enjoy life when it feels like there’s never going to be a balance between these two worlds? Here are 3 tips that might just work for you. Pexels Image – CC0 Licence Work-Life Balance: Maximising Post-Work Time Cook Easy Meals (or Plan Ahead!) Let’s face it, whipping up a three-course meal after a long day at work? Not happening. And who has the energy to figure out dinner on the spot, especially if you’ve got a hungry family to feed? Instead of wrestling with these challenges, why not streamline the process by planning your meals ahead of time? Take a moment on the weekend to map out your meals for the week. Then hit the shops to grab everything you need or save even more time by ordering your groceries online. With your meals planned and ingredients stocked, you’ll breeze through dinnertime without the mid-week grocery runs. You can also say goodbye to spending an hour or more in the kitchen preparing meals. That means more relaxation time on the sofa for you! Another way to balance work and life is through batch cooking. Spend time on weekends preparing large batches of meals to freeze and reheat during the week, reducing daily cooking stress. You can also explore meal delivery services for pre-portioned ingredients and recipes, eliminating meal planning and grocery shopping. Opt for simple, quick recipes with minimal prep time to further streamline your cooking routine. By adopting these strategies, you’ll save time and energy in the kitchen, leaving more room to relax and unwind after work Realise That Not Everything Depends On You Handling demanding projects, whether in business or at home, can be tough. Whether it’s managing a big event or keeping your living space clean, the pressure to succeed can weigh heavily. But here’s an important truth: You don’t have to carry the entire burden alone. In the business world, where deadlines loom and expectations run high. It’s quite common for companies to go into overdrive when they’ve got something big in the works, such as attendance at a summit or a new client that requires a lot of time and attention. Hire a professional to help plan your event, such as Catalyst Event Solutions, and make sure you’re properly staffed round the clock to cope with new project demands. Similarly, when it comes to managing your household, think of it as running a small business. Delegate chores among family members or roommates to lighten the load and maintain a harmonious living environment. Outsourcing tasks like cleaning or lawn care can also provide valuable relief, freeing up precious time for activities that bring joy and fulfilment. By sharing tasks and managing resources effectively, you’ll understand that success doesn’t solely depend on you. Remember, you’re just one part of the equation. Strike a balance between work and life, knowing you have support to thrive in both areas. Don’t Be Hard On Yourself For Taking Time to Relax Do you ever find yourself feeling guilty for simply unwinding at home after a long day of work? It’s a common sentiment, but dwelling on it isn’t productive. Remember, you’re not wasting time – you’re taking the opportunity to enjoy yourself! Relaxation is key, even if it’s just for a short time before bed. Don’t feel bad about taking a break – it’s important! Embrace it, and you’ll feel much happier than if you spent the time worrying about being busy all the time. If you’re constantly feeling like your evenings vanish in the blink of an eye, these tips could be just what you need to reclaim your after-work hours and strike that perfect work-life balance!

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5 Things I Can’t Live Without

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Hi friends it’s time to share 5 things I can’t live without on today’s ‘Share Our Lives link up’ hosted by Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne and Sarah. Some are practical and some are personal and they all help me out every day. While I could add essentials like food, water, family, love etc to the list. I’ve narrowed it down to the five items that make my life easier and brighten my days. So, let’s take a look! 5 Things I Can’t Live Without 1. MOBILE PHONE I remember way back in the dark ages when mobile phones first came out and they were known as ‘bricks’. They probably weighed about the same and looked clunky like a brick. I also remember thinking “Who on earth would need to carry a phone around all day. As if anybody ever needs to be that contactable…hmph”. Well, wasn’t I wrong!! Now here I am in 2024 and the mobile phone has made it to the top of the list of things I can’t live without. This tiny little device has become my lifeline! It connects me to friends and family (as well as the occasional scammer). I can check emails, set reminders and alarms, I have endless information and entertainment at my fingertips. It’s almost impossible to imagine life without a mobile phone. Who would have thought? Certainly not me! 2. AIRPODS My kids surprised me with a pair of AirPods for Mother’s Day last year, and I love them! I use them every day when I walk to and from work. Sometimes I listen to a podcast or music, other times I have hands-free conversations. It’s funny how common it is nowadays to see people out and about seemingly talking to themselves with earphones in. I used to think it was so weird, ha! But now I’ve joined the club! 3. THE INTERNET I can’t imagine a world without the internet and it definitely makes it on my list of things I can’t live without. I know that I’m not alone either. Because on the odd tragic occasion when our internet service hasn’t been working. My whole family (myself included) behaves as if we have had our oxygen supply cut off and our very survival is at stake! 4. ORTHOTICS A while ago, I shared how I suffered from annoying lower back pain that made every day a misery for me. Thankfully, I saw a podiatrist who saved me with custom-made orthotics that support my arch and align my knees, meaning no more back pain for me! Now that I wear orthotics inside my comfortable work shoes, I could never live without them. While my everyday footwear isn’t the fanciest because I have to buy shoes that fit my orthotics, no pain trumps fancy shoes! Plus, the good news for me is that I can wear any shoes I like whenever I go out and on the weekends. Wearing orthotics every workday does the trick in keeping my dodgy knees aligned. 5. COMPUTER AND LAPTOP My computer means that I can do what I love and that is blogging! For the longest time, I held back from starting a blog, partly due to shyness and mostly because I didn’t have my own laptop. Then, I inherited my son’s old Macbook he used for school when they had to upgrade in year 12. It changed everything and I finally took the plunge and started blogging. Then last year I got an iMac and I felt like such a grown-up because it’s so sleek and fancy! That’s a wrap for today! Thanks so much for being here as I shared the 5 things I can’t live without. What are some of yours? Please share, I’d love to know!

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