Tuesday 27 June 2017

What I have been doing (19th-26th June 2017)

As this blog is called 'DIARY of a Busy Working Mum' I thought that I need to treat it like a diary and let you know what I have been up to ( It isn't 'Secret Diary... after all).

It was a busy week which started out at Quilting club on Monday. I am making a throw quilt for my bed and wanted to do hexagon flowers. I have made a few up to now but there are still plenty to go as I am hand sewing them all. It will probably be ready for Winter 2018 as the only chance I generally get to do anything is at the club which is once a fortnight.

 (1 down, 49 to go)

Tuesday was a big day for Emma as she had been invited to the Student of the Year presentation at the Lowry Theatre by her college. Some of the students had overcome tremendous obstacles to stay in college and I really admired them for their resilience and courage to complete their studies. Emma didn't win Student of the Year but I was still proud of her for getting Student of the Term
She is now looking for an apprenticeship doing photography or videography but there is little out there at the moment but she is definitely trying hard. She wants to be a travel photographer eventually but is willing to do anything to get experience.

Wednesday brought Emma a little closer to buying her own DSLR camera when she came into work with me to do a research project for my boss. She has been in a few times before doing other projects and it is what made her decide that working full time in an office was not for her. ( I can't blame her, I wish I was in a more active job sometimes)

I managed to resist temptation on Thursday when I took Matthew to Krispy Kreme for a treat. I stuck to coffee whilst he tucked into a sprinkle doughnut

I love going there and watching the doughnuts being made. This time they had the glazing machine on as well. We have been lucky in the past and have been able to go behind the counter and see how the doughnut mixture is made and then filled and ate our own doughnuts. Matthew has also been to a party there and came back on such a sugar high from all the doughnuts he had eaten it was a wonder he wasn't sick.

I was in cooking and organising mode on Friday when I made the Spicy Lamb kebabs from Prima magazine for my brother in law, J.  Craig and I then helped him organise some paperwork he needed for the legal separation from his wife. J had a massive stroke nearly 3 years ago and isn't able to organise the paperwork himself due to the brain damage he suffered.

I also did my own planning for the week and decided to start decorating my planner the way I have seen people on Instagram and Youtube. I have made the inserts as I have not yet found exactly what I want and even these aren't perfect but they are close



The weekend was spent mainly out of the house visiting friends and family. I did lose 1 1/2lbs this week at Slimming World putting me a bit safer in my target zone. I want to get to the lower end of my target zone so that I have got a bit of wiggle room for events and holidays. I also managed to get these planters to brighten up my front garden a little.



We went to Morecambe on Sunday and ended up catching the last part of the kite festival. The kites were huge and it was a good job they were well fastened as it was extremely windy on the front.


We ended up getting back a little later than planned from there because of the Kite Festival so I have got to spend this week catching up with housework. I am glad there isn't much else planned for this week.


Monday 26 June 2017

Menu Plan week Commencing 26th June 2016

Wow, I can't believe how quickly last week went by. It doesn't seem two minutes since I was posting my last menu plan. The best meal of the week was the Spicy Lamb kebabs. It was quite a busy week which is probably why it went so fast. I hope everybody else had a good week.

The weather 
Thankfully cooler than last week ( I am not a great fan of the heat). It stayed dry today for Matthews sports day but there is rain forecast for most of the week.

I am currently reading;
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. It is about the laws of attraction and how you can get anything you want by asking for it and believing you have already received it. I will probably do a blog post about this once I have read it as I definitely think there is something in it.


In the craft basket:
In the quilting group I go to I have decided to make a throw quilt for my bed using hexagon flowers. I am paper piecing and it is all going to be hand sewn. Based on the size of my bed I figure  I need 49 flowers plus a white hexagon between each flower emphasise each flower. At the rate I am going it will be ready for winter 2018 but I am not in a rush as I do find it relaxing

On the Menu:

Monday - Nobody but me is eating at home so it will be whatever I can be bothered doing
Tuesday: Slimming World Chilli and Rice (cauliflower rice for me)
Wednesday - So juicy Chicken with cubed potatoes and steamed vegetables
ThursdayFresh tortellini with a tomato and mascarpone sauce with garlic bread
Friday - Burger in a bowl with salad
Saturday: 1 pot BBQ chicken and rice (recipe from Countryside Cravings)
Sunday = Garlic and herb penne pasta

On my to do list

  • Make appointment for contact lens check and eye test
  • Clear out and tidy shed
  • Decorate planner for next week
  • Decide on goals for July and write blog post
And finally

From the camera



We went to Morecambe to see the parents of friends of ours and we saw these sculptures on the front. They look like they are made of wood when you see them close up but colour wise they blend with the rocks.

The Kite Festival was also on and we caught the end of it, just as they were reeling them in. Some of these kites were huge as you might be able to see from the size of the people in the picture and you might just be able to make out a kite in the shape of a diver. They definitely chose the right day for it as it was exceptionally windy on the front.

I am linking up with Sandra at Happy Homemaker Monday and Organising Junkie


Have a great week

Deborah

Monday 19 June 2017

Menu Plan week commencing 19th June 2017

I hope everyone in the UK is enjoying/coping with the heatwave we are currently experiencing. We had a busy weekend with Emma's 18th birthday party and Fathers Day Barbecue at my sister in laws. I was glad there was plenty of shade to keep a little bit cooler in.

Anyway, I thought I would do the menu plan post a little differently as I found Happy Homemaker Monday on Diary of a Stay at Home Mom so I will be using her format to give you a little more than just a menu plan each week.

The Weather.  

Glorious but I am glad it is going to cool down during the week. There is nothing worse than being in work when the weather is hot, hot, hot.


On my reading pile

I have recently re-purchased some books that I had when I was trying to get organised but I must have given them away in a clear out a few years ago. Anyway I bought them again as I feel that I need to sort out myself out as things have 'drifted' so to speak. So they are

Totally Organized by Bonnie McCullough
Confessions of an Organized Homemaker- Deniece Schofield
The Family Manager takes charge - Kathy Peel.

They were only 1p on Amazon (with £.2.80 delivery on each book ) so I couldn't resist. 
I am not going to read them cover to cover, they are more to dip into to get inspiration and ideas.

Movies or Shows I watched this weekend
Doctor Who
The Pioneer Woman

On the Menu this week

Monday -YOYO (You're on your own)

Tuesday- Chicken Stir Fry

Wednesday - Gammon, Eggs and Slimming World Chips

Thursday - Vegetable risotto

Friday- Spiced lamb kebabs and salad

Saturday - Curried Mince Beef and Rice

Sunday - Roast Chicken Dinner

On my to do list

Make contact lens check and sight test appointment
Do the WI newsletter
Buy the curry for the Curried Mince Beef
Student of the Year ceremony-Tuesday (Emma has been nominated ;)  )
Make an list of all account numbers and contact numbers (utilities, pensions, insurance etc) so easy to find if need to contact and also all in one place to grab in case of emergency.

hhm

Also hooking up with Organising Junkie as usual.

Have a good week.

Deborah