Our weekly meal plan! 5th - 11th Oct! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! We had a great one. There was a night on the town, housework done yesterday and lots of catching up on TV shows. We had a bit of family time, which was nice too. There's good about going into a new week with all the jobs done around the house, it doesn't happen often so when it does I feel very pleased with myself.

Last week's meal plan went well. We ate everything and mostly on the day I had planned it too. We ended up not getting a takeaway on Friday night and just helped ourselves out of the fridge and cupboards. We ate out on Saturday evening, just at the local Wetherspoons (a cheap and cheerful pub chain). I had a Tennessee burger. I had to Google why it was called that. It's because of the Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey sauce that comes with it. You learn something new every day! We ended up having the peanut satay chicken burger on Sunday! I think that's enough burgers for me for a while.

We have another Gousto box this week which I am looking forward to. I do love having Gousto boxes because it takes some of the thinking out of meal planning and I get all the ingredients for the meals sent too. We have a new meal to try and two of our favourites.

I don't have any plans for this week, nothing at all and I am looking forward to it. I have some craft things that I can be getting on with and I want to do a bit of baking too. My family are all at work, so I get to be home alone and potter around doing my own thing after I have finished all the boring things like tidying up and cleaning!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal -Thai Style Peanutty Pork Udon Noodles!

This is a new recipe to us. We love a noodle dish and the peanutty sauce sounds right up our street. It's got pork, udon noodles and a Thai-style peanut sauce which sounds like a great combo. It looks like a simple meal to make and that is just what I want for a Monday!

Tuesday - Gousto meal - BBQ Pork Belly With Apple Slaw And Chips!

We've had this one before and really enjoyed it so when I spotted it on the Gousto menu we had to have it again. There's BBQ pork belly, chips and apple slaw and it all goes together really well. This apple slaw is the best and so simple to make! It's simply chopped spring onion, grated carrot and sliced apple with mayo and white wine vinegar! I have made it lots of times, even without having the Gousto meals.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Lamb Mince & Buttery Tatties With Minty Peas!

This is proper comfort food! It's one of those meals that I know we're going to enjoy and I think I've chosen to have it on the chilliest day of the week when it will be appreciated. There's the lamb mince with buttery mashed potatoes and minty peas, so it's simple but full of flavour. Usually I won't eat peas as a side dish but minty peas are different. I love them!

Thursday - Something out of the freezer!

I have no idea what yet but there is always plenty in there to make a meal and there are, of course random things in tubs, like Bolognese, sausage casserole or some sort of curry.

Friday - A takeaway of some sort!

Friday night is an easy night for me. I don't cook and we order takeaway. It could be pizza, Chinese or Indian food or even ordering from the fish and chip shop. We will decide on the day what we fancy.

Saturday - Pizza!

Homemade, shop bought or just frozen ones out of the freezer, I am not too sure yet.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plans for Sunday at all. Everyone can help themselves to whatever they fancy and use up bits from the fridge, freezer and cupboards. There is always something that needs using up.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 27th Sept - 3rd October Week 40 of #Project365

Happy Sunday!! I hope you've all had a lovely week and are enjoying your weekend. I am planning on having a lazy day today as I had a night out last night so I think I have earned it! I have Strictly Come Dancing to catch up on, the wrestling to watch and then I am going to watch the movie Armageddon. Over the last week, a few times when I was just about to turn the TV off, I kept seeing Armageddon being shown. I watched about 10 minutes earlier in the week and it got me in the mood to rewatch it properly!

Week 40 sounds so close to the end of the year! Eek! September flew over and I have a feeling October and November will too. We have quite a few things planned for the upcoming months which I am very excited about and then it will be Christmas, which I am feeling organised about at the moment because of buying some presents this week.

Now for a photo every day!

270/365 27th September

The sky was so moody looking on Sunday but off in the distance it was quite bright! I love taking photos of the sky and probably take too many but each time it looks so different. This one looked like we were about to get some awful weather but it never came.

271/365 28th September

We had to take the lift in Primark as the escalator was out of order. I hate lifts, every time I walk out of one I feel dizzy. I thought I would take my mind off it by snapping a quick photo!

272/365 29th September

It is a tradition that when I am watching The Great British Bake Off I have to eat cake and I got some fancy ones from M&S. I tell myself every week that I don't need to buy cake especially for it and then somehow I end up buying cake especially for it. hehehe

273/365 30th September

I was in town and saw these Fried Egg flavoured crisps in a shop. How odd! I have seen lots of flavours in my lifetime but not fried egg. I didn't buy them because I wasn't sure I was brave enough but now I've thought about them again, I am starting to regret leaving them behind! Next time I will get them and try them!

274/365 1st October

Ellie's main Christmas present arrived. A Red Bull F1 top! It cost a stupid amount of money, more than I would spend on a T-shirt for myself but Ellie is really into F1 and I can justify the price by saying it's for Christmas.

275/365 2nd October

I was at my dad's on Friday and he has the best trees for seeing the change in seasons. The leaves are starting to turn brown and it won't be long until he is spending his days raking them all up!

276/365 3rd October

I was quite surprised to see another flower in the garden. I thought we'd be getting to the point where most of the flowers had finished for the year but no! The Cornflower was definitely worth a photo!

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This week my Word of the Week is: Balanced!! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

I keep saying it but if time could slow down a little, that would be great! Where did September go and this week too? One minute it was Sunday and I was thinking about everything I needed to get done and now somehow it is Friday again, well it was when I was writing this. The week has gone by in a blur but it has been a good week. I think sometimes the weeks where nothing exciting happens are the ones that make you realise just how much you have got done. I have been busy getting on with normal life and for once normal life feels quite good. That is probably why my word this week is balanced!

I've been trying to find a bit more balance in my days over the past week. The last few months have been busy and stressful for various reasons. Nothing bad but I've been out of my usual routine and it has felt hard to get it back again. This week I've been getting up earlier and going to bed earlier, moving more and staying on top of things. I think I am finally getting back to a point where everything feels a little more even and normal.

I've had a busy week. Housework has been done, meals have been cooked, Christmas presents have been bought, I've remembered to reply to texts and messages, made sure everyone knew where they were meant to be and made sure they got there, planned some fun stuff for my family, blog posts have been written and I've done plenty of other stuff which at the moment I can't think of. I know I've been busy because I've barely sat down but at the same time I haven't felt like I've been running around like a headless chicken. I've had plenty to do but things have felt more under control, well apart from the grocery shop, I forgot to order that on my usual day but it's coming today so no harm is done.

The highlight of my week is getting a good chunk of the Christmas presents bought. I am trying to be organised this year. I'm not saying I'm going to have everything bought, wrapped and labelled by the end of the month but it's a start. I always say I am going to be organised for Christmas and every year I somehow end up Christmas shopping right up until the last minute. Maybe this year will be different.

Balanced feels like the right Word of the Week for me. I want to carry that feeling into the next few weeks too. I don't want to go back to trying to do everything at once or feeling guilty if I haven't ticked every single thing off my list. So I'm going to try to keep things balanced. Get the jobs done but have a sit down. Look after everyone else but remember myself too. Be organised but don't beat myself up when I forget something.

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one! I am of course linking up with Anne who blogs at Raisie Bay to join in with her Word of the Week linky!

What I have loved this week! Week 40. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you've all had a good week. We have had a really great week with lots going on and it feels like it has gone really quickly. I have a few things that have made me smile this week and of course, I am linking up with Erika and Andrea to share what I have loved this week!

The Gentleman!

I've started watching The Gentlemen on Netflix this week and so far I am enjoying it. My brother recommended it and I am glad he did. It is a British crime comedy/drama created by Guy Ritchie. The story follows Eddie who inherits his family's huge country estate after his father dies, which sounds lovely but soon discovers that the estate is also home to a very profitable illegal cannabis business. Before long, Eddie finds himself mixed up with criminals, gangsters and people who are definitely not the sort of people you'd invite round for Sunday dinner. It's a crime story but it's also really funny. There's plenty of violence and some pretty dodgy goings on but it's mixed with dark humour, ridiculous situations and some great characters. I like the fact that I never quite knew what was going to happen next. There are plenty of twists and turns and just when you think someone has got everything under control, something else goes wrong.

These cakes.

Do you know what makes shopping more enjoyable? Cake! We had a little cake and coffee stop halfway through a shopping trip this week and it was very much needed. I had a lemon muffin and my fella had a mini pecan loaf. It was a reward for all the shopping we'd already done.

Christmas shopping!

I am feeling pretty proud of myself this week because I have got a good chunk of my Christmas present buying done. I hadn't even planned to get so much done. We were just out shopping and then I spotted something for my eldest which she has always wanted. It was reduced in price too, so I had to get it. I also found some Funko Pops which my girls collect at TK Maxx for £6.99 each. We had seen the same ones somewhere else for £12.99 each, so I was very happy with my bargains. While we were out, Ellie also mentioned a F1 Red Bull racing top. I had absolutely no idea these even existed! Apparently they are basically like football tops but for Formula One, so when I got home I ordered that. The main presents for my girls are now sorted, which is a huge relief. All that's left to get is stocking fillers, chocolate and PJs. Now I just need to remember where I've put everything when Christmas actually arrives!

Autumn weather!

It has been perfect Autumn weather this week! Chilly on a morning and then warming up throughout the day but not so warm that I am sweating by lunchtime. I've been able to wear pretty dresses with tights, my boots and even a jacket on some days. I love being able to start wearing my Autumn clothes again. I am not ready for the really cold weather yet though, I hope that holds off a bit.

This air freshener!

I am loving this Febreze Vanilla Butterscotch air freshener. It smells amazing and it has been fantastic in the bathroom. It's just a winter edition, so I might have to buy a few more to keep enjoying it.

Celebrity Traitors!

I am writing this yesterday afternoon before the new series of Celebrity Traitors has started but I am looking forward to it! I am really looking forward to seeing all the celebs not trust anyone. lol There are two comedians going in Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan who are best friends and I am hoping one is a Traitor and one is a Faithful but I think that would be too obvious!

What have you loved this week?