Why I’m useless at giving advice but still love soaking it up!

I always feel guilty asking people for advice. I really appreciate it when it is given to me but I think it's because I am not the best at giving it myself. It’s an odd contradiction! You’d think that someone who loves listening to advice would have picked up a knack for giving it back but no! This isn't a blog post asking for any advice or anything like that, all is good here. It was just one of those things I was laid in bed thinking about and thought I would write about it.

I think part of the reason I’m terrible at giving advice is that I know how complicated life can be. Everyone’s problems and worries are different and no one else fully understands but the person living it. I want to be that person who offers the right words at the right moment, the wise friend whose pearls of wisdom sparkle but the truth is when someone asks me what they should do my thoughts go into overdrive. What if I suggest something and they do it and it somehow ruins their day/life/relationship? By the time I’ve thought through all the possible outcomes, the conversation has usually moved on.

Even though I’m rubbish at advice giving, I love getting advice from others. Sometimes I don’t even want advice that’s practical or logical, I just want to hear another perspective, a different way of thinking about whatever mess I’m in or things that I am fretting over. There’s something good about sharing your struggles and hearing that someone else has been there too or that they see a sliver of light where you only see darkness. When I get advice, it’s not always about finding the right answer but about feeling supported. I think part of why I love hearing advice is the variety of it all. Everyone’s experiences and perspectives are different so even if ten people give you advice on the same problem you’ll probably hear ten different takes on it and somewhere in all of that might be the piece of wisdom that clicks perfectly for you.

Why is it so hard for me to give good advice? I know all too well that what worked for me won’t necessarily work for someone else. Advice isn’t a one-size fits all kind of thing but that said, I’m working on getting a little better at giving advice or at least being more comfortable offering it when asked. I’ve realised that people often aren’t expecting you to have all the answers sometimes, they just want a different perspective, a bit of encouragement or even just a listening ear.

If you ever find me stumbling over my words when you ask for advice sometimes I just can't find the words but I am trying and I do care! Are you good at offering advice or do you second guess yourself like me?

Our weekly meal plan! 23rd - 29th March!! #MealPlanningMonday

How was your weekend? Ours was a good one. I spent some time out in the garden giving it a tidy, cleaned the house and watched The Dinosaurs documentary off Netflix which was so interesting and that's about it. It doesn't sound too exciting but to me, it was the perfect weekend. Jobs got done, I felt productive and had plenty of time to relax.

Last week's meal plan went pretty well and we ate almost everything on the day I had planned. I like it when I have a good run of our meal plan going to plan. The Sage & Onion Pork Stuffing Yorkshire Pudding Wrap was my family's favourite meal of the week. It was amazing but it was a bit of a faff to make, getting all the timings right and cooking the Yorkshire pudding twice as my biggest tray wasn't big enough. You can see a photo on my Project 365 blog post. Ellie wasn't too happy as it was her evening to wash the dishes and there was a lot. The only thing we didn't eat was the chippy tea on Friday. Becky was at work and Stu didn't fancy anything after a big lunch, so Ellie and I ordered a McDonald's. What a treat!

This week Becky chose the Gousto meals and we all agreed that they are good ones. I was quite surprised she picked the rice dish as she isn't a massive fan of rice but like she has said, the older she gets, the more her taste is changing. A few months ago, she would never eat eggs apart from scrambled but now she can't get enough of them. I know there were a lot of things I wouldn't eat 20 years ago that I love now, like parsnips, cabbage and peanut butter!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal - Oven Baked Pork Belly & Winter Veg Pot Roast!

This is proper comfort food. It says to cook it in a pan but I ignore that and throw everything into the slow cooker because I like to make life easier where I can. Pork belly, carrots and parsnips in a herby gravy, served with roast potatoes. Ellie usually turns her nose up at anything that comes out of the slow cooker but this is the one exception. She actually asks for it at least once a month, which says a lot.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Swedish-Style Pork Meatballs With Mash And Peas!

We have had this before but it's a good one. A classic dish made with juicy pork meatballs served over creamy mashed potatoes with homemade gravy. There are peas on the side finished with dill and cranberries!

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Cheeseburger' Rice Bake With Saucy Relish!

The cheeseburger and rice together sounded odd but I am looking forward to trying this. It is an oven baked and made with seasoned mince, onions and rice which are cooked together then topped with cheese. It’s finished off with a drizzle of burger sauce and a spoonful of tomato relish.

Thursday - A Chippy tea!

We're swapping our usual Friday tea to Thursday because it is just easier that way this week. I have a busy day planned on Thursday and it will be easier to get something delivered than me cooking!

Friday - A help ourselves evening.

Stu and I are home alone, so we will probably just make something quick and simple like an omelette or a toastie.

Saturday - Gousto meal - Peanut Satay Chicken Burger With Sesame Chips And Lime Slaw!

This sounds so fancy. A fusion-style dish featuring pan-fried chicken coated in a rich, creamy peanut satay sauce, served on a soft brioche bun. It’s topped with zesty lime slaw for a bit of crunch and comes with crispy sesame chips on the side. To me, it's just a satay chicken burger with chips and a bit of salad. lol

Sunday - A roast dinner!

I don't know what meat we're having yet but I fancy cooking a roast dinner with all the trimmings. Mashed potato, roast parsnips, carrots, peas, cabbage, stuffing, Yorkshire puddings and gravy!

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 15th - 21st March Week 12 of #Project365

Happy Sunday! I hope you have all had a good week! Mine has been a good mix of the normal day to day stuff, relaxing and getting things done. I know it was the start of spring on Friday but this week has felt very spring like here, which has made me happy. I have had a good weekend so far, a mostly quiet one. Becky finished a night shift Saturday morning, slept a bit and then got ready and went out for a night on the town. I watched her getting ready, thinking How do you have the energy? Oh to be young again! lol The plan for today is to sit down and watch the Tyne–Wear derby. Newcastle vs Sunderland and finish watching The Dinosaurs documentary off Netflix. It is so interesting and has the voice of Morgan Freeman, I could listen to him all day!

Before I get into my photos from the week, I just wanted to take a moment to mention something really important. The lovely Suzanne who blogs over at Life With Chickenruby is doing something amazing. She’s running the Brighton Marathon next month which is such a huge achievement for anyone but what makes it even more special is that she only started running back in October. She’s doing it in memory of her daughter Stephanie who sadly passed away in October 2024 from an ischemic bowel. I can’t even begin to imagine what she and her family have been through but she’s using her strength to raise awareness and hopefully help other families avoid going through the same heartbreak. If you’re able to, even just a small donation on her Just Giving page would mean so much and if you can’t donate, even sharing her page helps spread the word.

Now for a photo every day!

74/365 15th March

Mother’s Day this year was lovely. I was spoilt rotten and one of my favourite things was actually something really simple, the inside of one of the cards Ellie gave me. It was a pop-up card and what made me laugh was she didn’t even realise until she went to write inside it. I'm sure she walks around with her eyes half closed sometimes, she misses the most obvious things and then acts surprised when they suddenly appear in front of her.

75/365 16th March

I was in the garden pottering around and spotted what I thought was one ladybird on a little tree. I do like ladybirds, so I went to have a closer look and noticed about 6 of them just doing their own little ladybird thing. I hope this isn't a sign that there will be lots this year. I am sure it was last year there were swarms of them. I don't mind though, they are less annoying than some of the bugs and critters that we get in the warmer months.

76/365 17th March

Someone asked me to share a photo of the Yorkshire Pudding wraps that I made. This was the best one, they all didn't look this good. lol They tasted amazing but were a faff to make and created a lot of washing up but were still worth it!

77/365 18th March

Wednesday was a washing day! I got a couple of loads dried outside. Everything always smells cleaner when it has been on the washing line and it makes me happy to see a line full!

78/365 19th March

I saw these Oreo Creme Egg biscuits online a few weeks ago and I thought they were fake. I have seen fake things especially when it comes to seasonal stuff so I am always sceptical but I found them in Morrisons. They are quite nice. I don't think I will buy them again but they were good to try just for the novelty.

79/365 20th March

The Peaky Blinders movie arrived on Netflix and I had nothing to do on Friday afternoon, so watched it! I really enjoyed it and I am not going to say anything else in case I ruin it for people who haven't seen it yet.

80/365 21st March

As the delivery guy said to me when he dropped this off, it must be Saturday! I always get the Gousto recipe box delivered on a Saturday. Becky picked the meals for the next week but you will have to wait until Monday to read about them.

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

This week my Word of the Week is:

For the last month or so I’ve got into the habit of sitting down to write this post with one clear word already picked out in my head. This week there were just too many words that I could have used, I had options and that is the word I am going with.

It could have been sport! I keep saying I’m not a sports fan but I've had another week of watching quite a bit of sport. There was another F1 race and plenty of football too. We’ve had a couple of Tottenham Hotspur matches on in the house and then there was the Newcastle United match on Tuesday. Oh my goodness, what a game that turned out to be. They were playing Barcelona and for a while it actually looked hopeful and then it all went a bit wrong. One mistake, a penalty given away and from that point on it just went downhill. They lost 7–2. Eek!

It could have been poorly! Poor Becky hasn’t had the best week. At first we both thought the hayfever had started early but after a couple of days of a snotty nose and scratchy throat, it became pretty clear it was a cold. Not the worst cold in the world but enough to be annoying. She has carried on with life, with a pocket full of tissues and thankfully hasn't passed it to the rest of us. Then there’s my dad. I had a chat early in the week and he mentioned he had a bit of a tickly cough, but when I rang again a couple of days later to check in, it had definitely got worse. He's fine in himself and just has a cough. Oh, and a sore throat now from all the coughing!

It could have been planting! I planted plenty of seeds over the weekend. Some flowers, sweetcorn, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucamelons and strawberries. They are all sat on the windowsill in the kitchen. It's the perfect spot for them at this time of year as it gets all of the sunshine. I am hoping to see them growing any day now! This year will be the year that I successfully grow strawberries. I have never had any luck with them.

It could have been early! I don't usually go to bed early but this week I have, all because I have been getting up early. It all started over the weekend. I had planned to have a little lie in on Saturday but woke up early as the curtains weren't shut properly, the sun was in my eyes and on Sunday, I was up earlier than I would be on a Sunday because it was Mother's Day and I wanted to make the most of being waited on hand and foot. hehehe There was also the fact I wanted to watch F1. All week I have been waking up early which of course means I have been going to bed and going to sleep earlier. It’s not a bad routine to fall into but I don't feel like I am getting that quiet time on an evening when everyone else is in bed.

It could have been holidays! This is the time of year when work holidays start getting booked and it always turns into a bit of a battle. Stu and Becky both have to think ahead, especially when it comes to family birthdays. They always try to take those days off, which is lovely but this year it’s going to be a bit tricky as a lot of the birthdays fall on weekends and everyone wants those days off. It is going to be a race to get them booked and Stu it up for it and is checking the holiday app every few hours and Becky is a little more chilled but keen to get her dates booked in.

It could have been T-shirts! That's all I've worn for most of the week, only putting on a jumper or hoodie later in the evening when it has got colder! It has felt nice to have some sun on my skin and I do have so many great T-shirts which haven't seen the light of day. Becky even got me a couple more for Mother's Day with my favourite wrestlers on. They're oversized and are so comfy, I can see them getting a lot of wear over the next few months.

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!