The Wednesday Hodgepodge #42

I hope you are all having a good week. It's Wednesday, which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. What's something recent that had you 'tickled pink'?

This one’s easy, new pans! My dad recently gave us a set and I am properly tickled pink with them. Not just because they’re new but because they actually match. I was expecting my dad’s old, slightly battered ones that had seen a lot of meals but we ended up with these beauties. I don’t think I’ve ever owned matching pans before. When Stu and I got together 20 years ago, we did what everyone does and shoved our pan collections together. They were a random mix that did the job but looked like it had been gathered from several different households over several decades. Now, with matching pans, I feel so grown up and organised.

2. A bed of roses, everything's coming up roses, every rose has it's thorn, stop and smell the roses, rose-colored glasses, a rose among thorns...which rosy expression might currently be applied to your life in some way?

Everything’s coming up roses feels right for me at the moment. Life isn’t perfect, it never is but at the moment it does feel like things are clicking into place. My ducks feel like they’re finally in a row, that phrase does make me chuckle, plans feel doable and things seem to be moving in the right direction without me having to push, shove or overthink every single step.

3. What makes you feel loved and appreciated?

It's all the little things. Like my family doing things without me having to ask, being thanked for everyday stuff I usually do, being listened to properly, someone making me a cup of tea without me having to ask, being included, kept in the loop and not feeling like an afterthought, a proper hug, funny videos sent to me which means someone thought of me and someone taking an interest in my interests.

4. A box of chocolates or a bouquet of fresh flowers-what's your pleasure? Any special plans for Valentine's Day?

I like fresh flowers, give me a simple bunch of daffodils and I am happy! My favourite ever flowers I received were the rainbow roses from Stu. They were a total surprise. When we lived in the North East, there was a little stall in the middle of Newcastle selling flowers and they always had the rainbow ones and I always said I would get some on the way home but after a day shopping with the kids getting flowers was the last thing on my mind. Stu remembered this and bought me some one Valentine's Day.

We are planning to get a meal from M&S. A starter, main, side, dessert and drink for £25. Stu is going to do the cooking and our Valentine's Day will be spent shopping for DIY supplies. We're painting the dining room next week.

5. Share a favorite quote, scripture, or song lyric relating to love.

Love is not about how many days, months or years you’ve been together. Love is about how much you love each other every single day. - Unknown

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Last week I said I wasn't too bothered about watching much of the Winter Olympics but here I am a little obsessed with it. I keep putting the TV on and then getting suckered into watching the heats of various sports and then of course have to watch right up until the final of that event.

Share Our Lives: Binge worthy shows!

It's that time of the month again to share some of my life and join in with the other Share Our Lives bloggers. This month the prompt is: Binge Worthy Shows!

Binge worthy shows are the main reason my armchair has permanent imprints in the shape of my backside. lol There’s something so comforting about getting lost in a series, ignoring the world outside and telling yourself you’ll just watch one more episode which somehow turns into an entire season. I could write a list of the best TV shows to binge watch and I know I have mentioned plenty in the past but I am going to go with something different and share what makes a TV show binge worthy to me!

Getting hooked from the start!

If the first episode doesn’t grab me within the first half hour the chances of me turning off are high. Life is too short to watch TV shows which don't have me hooked from the beginning! I need to be invested from the opening scene, whether it’s a mystery that immediately has me questioning things, a dramatic twist that makes me gasp or a character that I instantly love or love to hate! Some of my best binge watching memories are from shows that had me completely hooked in the first episode. I remember the first time I watched Breaking Bad, I was glued to the screen within minutes trying to figure out what would happen next.

Characters I actually care about!

A show can have the most stunning scenes or the cleverest plot twists but if the characters don’t make me feel something, I’m done. I need to feel love, hate, pity, amusement, just something! If I don’t care whether they live or die, I’m not sticking around for six seasons. Take Gilmore Girls. I can rewatch episodes over and over because the characters feel like real people. You grow with them, cheer them on, get frustrated with them and by the end of a show you feel like you know them!

Cliffhangers that torment me!

I have a love hate relationship with cliffhangers. I love them because they make it impossible to stop watching but I hate them because they can ruin a good night’s sleep. Nothing makes me press next episode faster than an "Oh no they didn’t" moment at the end of an episode. Season 6 of The Walking Dead had a huge cliffhanger which had me shouting at the TV and I was so annoyed that I had to wait for months to see who lived and died.

Pacing that makes me forget time exists!

Some shows drag and make every episode feel like a chore but binge worthy shows know how to pace themselves. I remember watching Stranger Things for the first time. Each episode felt like it was packed with energy, mystery and just enough going on to keep me interested. By the end of the first season, I realised I hadn’t done anything else that entire weekend but I didn’t even mind. That’s the magic of good pacing: time disappears and all that matters is the story unfolding in front of you.

A world I want to live in!

Sometimes it’s about escapism. It could be the glamour of Manhattan in Sex and the City, the fantasy world of Game of Thrones or the comforting charm of a small town cafe in Gilmore Girls. I want a place I can get lost in, if only for a few hours. It's not just entertainment, it’s a little escape from real life. I can laugh, cry, gasp and cheer without leaving my sofa.

What makes a show binge worthy to you?

I am linking up with:

Adrienne from Mom Life with Adrienne.

Dara from Not In Jersey.

Jen from Show me & Sweet tea.

Joanne from Slices of Life.

Our weekly meal plan! 9th - 15th February!! #MealPlanningMonday

Monday again! They do seem to come around quickly! After last week being a bit meh, I’ve decided this one is going to be better. It's nothing to worry about, I think I was just hit with a touch of the winter blues. It's a new week and a fresh start.

Last week's meal plan went really well. We ate almost everything on the day I had planned! The only day we changed things was on Friday. We got tea delivered from the local chip shop and I feel zero guilt about it. It was grim outside, raining sideways and my mood had taken a proper nosedive. It was the best decision of the week. I managed to get an absolute bargain. Four large battered sausages, two large portions of chips, a massive tub of gravy and a big tub of baked beans for £12! That fed all of us and would normally have cost double! I hope the chip shop keeps that deal going a while!

I say I don't have much on this week but I do want to get a few things done as next week Stu is off work and Ellie is off college for her half-term break. I want to do a couple of decluttering jobs, a bit of baking and maybe start another craft set.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Corned beef crisp bakes with chips and baked beans.

We’re starting the week with something easy and familiar. These corned beef crisp bakes are one of those things that just work. Corned beef, potato and onion, all wrapped up in a breadcrumb coating. I’ll make homemade chips and baked beans to go with them.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Smoky BBQ Chicken With Pepper & Corn Salad!

Tuesday is a Gousto night and we've had this meal before but it's a good one. Fried chicken in a sticky tomato paste sauce with Henderson’s relish and smoked paprika, plus crispy potatoes and a pepper and corn salad on the side.

Wednesday - Asian Style Udon Noodles with Pork and Mushrooms!

A super quick and incredibly easy udon noodle dish with pork, mushrooms and sriracha sauce. Ready in 20 minutes, Midweek calls for something quick, and this one ticks all the boxes.

Thursday - Gousto meal - Beef Chuck Stew With Homemade Thyme Dumplings!

Thursday’s Gousto is a proper comfort meal. Slow-cooked beef, carrots in a rich tomato sauce, herby dumplings and mash on the side. This is exactly the sort of thing I want when the week is dragging and I’m counting down to Friday.

Friday - Pizza!

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

Saturday - A Valentines Day meal!

Stu and I are treating ourselves to a meal from M&S. Three courses plus a drink for £25. The poor kids are going to have to fend for themselves. lol

Sunday - A help yourself day!

Sunday is a free-for-all. Everyone can fend for themselves, eat leftovers, make toast, have cereal for tea, whatever works.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 1st - 7th February Week 6 of #Project365

Happy Sunday! I hope your weekend has been a good one so far. Mine’s been fine. Not amazing, not awful, just plodding along nicely. The only real issue has been the weather which is doing my head in. I know I bang on about it every year but I am so fed up of rain. I always say I could happily stay at home forever, barely leaving the house and being a hermit but it turns out that when I actually stay home for days on end I start to feel restless and a bit unsettled, like I need a change of scenery. I keep reminding myself that brighter days are coming. You can already tell, it’s staying lighter for longer on an evening now and it's not properly dark until almost 5pm which I am loving.

You can also tell when I’ve had a slow week because my Project 365 photos are always food and the TV! If there’s not much going on the camera ends up pointing at plates and screens.

Now for a photo every day!

32/365 1st February

Toad in the Hole, mashed potato and baked beans. A proper Sunday tea! I did take the photo before I drowned it in gravy. I always forget that some of my readers don’t know what Toad in the Hole actually is. Every time I mention it in a meal plan, someone asks. There are no actual toads involved, its sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding batter and it’s proper British comfort food!

33/365 2nd February

Ham and crisp sandwiches. If I have this for lunch, it’s a dead giveaway that Stu is at home. I never make these for myself because he does it better. Some things just taste nicer when someone else makes them! It has to be white bread, loads of butter, proper ham slices, and a mix of prawn cocktail and chicken crisps. The crisp combination is important. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

34/365 3rd February

Becky was home all day and didn’t move far from this spot. It was really nice to just be around each other without doing much and no, she didn’t get dressed properly. It was PJ bottoms and a snuddie all day. Some days are just made for comfy clothes.

35/365 4th February

The latest book that I am listening to and I am really enjoying it. Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they're crazy, but it's the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy's at work in the day and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

36/365 5th February

Double chocolate and cherry hot cross buns. I had high hopes for these. They were nice but not as nice as I was expecting. There wasn’t enough cherry in them, which was a real let down. I of course still ate them. I didn't want them going to waste.

37/365 6th February

The Winter Olympics started and despite telling myself I wasn’t that bothered, I ended up watching the curling and getting right into it. I don’t even fully understand the rules but I was sat there like I knew exactly what was going on.

38/365 7th February

New pans! Well new to us. I keep saying we need new pans but the price always puts me off. There’s always something more important or more fun to spend money on. A few days ago, my dad asked if I wanted any pans and of course I said yes. I assumed he’d bought himself new ones and was passing his old set on which I would have been perfectly happy with but no. He turned up with these. A full set of matching pans. It’s been years since we’ve had a full set that looks like it belongs together. I am so happy with them! I can’t wait to try them all out properly.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter