You know what rhymes with Friday - Alcohol!

Friday 30th April 2021

Turn your wounds into wisdom.

I did have a good day yesterday, there were tears but I blame Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 for that!   Bailey's mom had dementia and her words and feelings about it all were just so poignant and a little too soon, then it carried on into Station 19, but in that there was also unbelievable racism that just made me so angry and sad that such people live in this world.   I did watch a good film called Braking for Whales, well I enjoyed it, a comedy drama, a little different which I enjoy. 

On a positive I sorted out my office filing drawers, I have 3 small units with about 8 drawers each, so much paperwork, most now in bin or burned - yeah I had a fire up the garden :) felt good getting a little more done and sorted but my arm / shoulder wasn't impressed by the end of it.

Foodwise, I skipped breakfast, just wasn't hungry, had early dinner which was a repeat of the day before, my sisters lush lasagne and then last night I had a sarnie with chips and veggie fingers on, they were really tasty, I'll be buying more veggie stuff, not only is it tasty, it reduces the meat in my diet which is good for the environment too. You get four fingers for 212 calories and I only had 2 on my sarnie, to be fair, it didn't need the chips.   

I'm going to make these noodles today, I'll use frozen spinach and half the recipe to serve just me, nice cheap tasty meal that'll be.  

Hoisin noodles By Rachel Phipps Hoisin noodles recipe - BBC Food

Preparation time less than 30 mins Cooking time 10 to 30 mins Serves 2 

Hoisin is the secret to creating an easy, no-cook Chinese sauce to serve with these cheap and cheerful noodles. Cooking the noodles and spinach in the same pan helps cut down on washing up, too. 

Make this dish for less than £1 per portion. 

Each serving provides 385 kcal, 18g protein, 56g carbohydrate (of which 8g sugars), 8.5g fat (of which 2g saturates), 5.5g fibre and 3.5g salt. 

Ingredients 

2 nests medium egg noodles 

1 tbsp hoisin sauce 

1½ tbsp soy sauce, plus extra for seasoning if needed 

½ tsp toasted sesame oil 

50g/1¾oz baby spinach 

2 free-range eggs 

2 large spring onions, thinly sliced

salt toasted sesame seeds (optional), to garnish 

Method 

1. Cook the egg noodles in a pan of boiling water with a pinch of salt, over a medium–high heat according to packet instructions, until tender. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the hoisin, soy sauce and sesame oil to make the sauce. You might want to add an extra half tablespoon of soy sauce, depending on how much salt there is in the hoisin sauce. 

3. Remove the noodles from the heat and add the spinach to the pan. 

4. While the spinach is wilting, dry fry the eggs in a non-stick frying pan over a high heat, taking care to ensure the eggs do not burn. 

5. Drain the noodles and spinach well before returning them to the pan. Stir in the sauce and the spring onions. The spinach should contain enough residual water to help the sauce cover the noodles, but you can always add more of the reserved cooking water for a looser sauce. However, be careful not to make it too watery. 

6. Divide the noodles between two bowls and top each with a fried egg. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds before serving, if using.

I've just had a slice of toast because I wanted to take some painkillers for my arm, now to decide what to do today...

I could box some more stuff in the office, or try and get a bit more out of the shed ready for my brother tomorrow.  Yeah the shed I think, it'll save him some time and I'll know where stuffs going, I know have the shelving empty in the alley ready for stuff I need to keep.  I won't do loads though, I can't afford my arm getting worse, but at the same time, I can't NOT use it.  

I wished it would bloomin warm up, I don't like having to put the heating on but there's only so many clothese you can wear indoors before getting uncomfortable lol.  

I had great news yesterday my brother and his wife in Corfu have finally got an appointment for their Covid jab next month so when they can come over, they will have had at least one of the jabs which is brilliant.

Right I'm off, 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

Moms back in the living room!

Thursday 29th 2021

The only successful way to reach and maintain a healthy weight is to find what works for you.

Well I'm sat looking at a cardboard tube covered in doves, clouds and trees that's holding moms ashes, she's still bloody heavy, it's a bit weird for me I won't lie, they're not giving me any emotional vibes.  Having said that I'm proper bloody emotional at the minute, I cried a few times yesterday, frustration mainly because I want stuff done in the house and I need to wait.  I feel like I'm squatting with these bare walls and floors.

Oh wow I've just looked up and out the window and saw a heron flying over, so today is going to be a very, good day, I'm smiling again now and feeling positive after seeing him.

I just need to be patient and ignore the chaos around me, I'm aware of things that I want doing, things I need to get done to start our new business, so I'll start with the new business and put my focus on that for now.  I'll also start decluttering the paperwork in my office, that will help a great deal and it'll occupy my brain. 

 

Ah then there's the physical weight I need to shift!  I'm not beating myself up about that, it'll take as long as it takes, 

Breakfast was a bacon and egg sarnie with a little brown sauce 252 calories. 

I'd treated myself to this Sainsbury's cheese and onion pizza roll with a slice of serrano ham 289 calories - ham was lush, pizza roll looked better than it tasted! I wouldn't buy it again.

Then my most amazing sister made me a huge portion of lasagne so I wasn't that hungry last night so cut a piece off it and had with 2 slices of garlic bread and peas. The garlic bread was perfect from Sainsbury's, 9 slices for £1.65, they're fresh so I can just grab a couple at a time 101 calories a slice. I've just looked though and the frozen version is £1 and there's 10 slices, so I'll try them next week, 98 calories a slice.

As you can see I'm watching the pennies, obviously now I'm on my own I need to but I've also realised the less I spend the less I need to earn and I don't want to be working a 60 hour week again, I want to be able to waste a day like I did yesterday. Actually I didn't waste the day, I rested, I allowed myself to feel the emotions I was full off and I had a couple of lovely telephone conversations with friends and a catch up with my sister.

I've got the paperwork to arrange mine and Annes funeral, need to get that filled in and because I can pay by card, I'm going to pay for one this month and one next so that I get the cashback on my cash back card lol, if there not a partner like the ones below, you get 1% off everywhere on your first £1k each month, hence paying for one this month and one next month, that'll knock a tenner of my bill each month! I love saving money now, it's my new favourite thing, I love getting my 3% from Sainsbury's, also it's no 'expensive' shopping there, if you shop smart. The garlic bread is the same prize in Iceland.

I feel okay this morning, so obviously collecting moms ashes yesterday was having an impact on me even if I didn't realise it, I also think I'm hormonal because I can cry at anything!  

I'm gonna get stuff done today, I did watch some work training videos yesterday so I was somewhat productive, I did the washing up too lol.  

Declutter office paperwork starts today, yeah let's get it sorted!  

I've got lasagne to look forward to later, so I'll have a lighter breakfast, maybe yogurt, I could get some raspberries out the freezer or have tinned fruit.   There was a sneaky packet of peanuts consumed yesterday, but they're out my system now, I won't want them again for a long time.  

Can you believe it's the last day of April tomorrow!  A third of the way through the year - let's make May matter shall we?  Yeah, but don't wait till then, start taking care of yourself today, whatever that looks like, it might be giving yourself permission not to be perfect, to eat the cake, to take time out for yourself to go for a walk and have some time for you. 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me x

Here's to dancing in the puddles

Wednesday 28th April 2021

Diets are like marriages, you can’t cheat on them and expect them to work.

I need to get my ass into gear and start working again, so please if you have half hour to spare and want to know mre about UW and if they can help you save both time and money, gve me a shout, I had my bill yesterday and I saved £15 on my bill this month with my cashback card, not bad for a single person who's not really doing anything other than food shopping and setting up a business with Elle.  I'm so glad all my bills are in one, it's helping me get my finances sorted, one instead of four or five different ones really helps.  We've just had these things called eeros added to the packages for people who want them and they're 

So much more than a signal booster, these amazing devices create a powerful new network that runs throughout your home - it’s WiFi, but not as you know it!  Then there's fibre to the property becoming available throughout the year, about 20% of our customers can have it already, but tbh I have ultra plus and it's never let me down.  

Anyway back to the other stuff, I'm putting off talking about food because I've not been calorie counting or properly watching my intake, I need to get a grip, I can't keep usng the 'I'm grieving' card! 

I need to get some work done today distract me from food and start keeping my journal and record what I'm eating.  Actually I don't 'need' to do it, because that words laced with guilt - I WANT to do it because I want to get my healthy back, lol I want to get my clothes back on more like. 

This was delicious that I had yesterday, chicken thigh and cheesy mash, I only ate one of those thighs, Alfie had the other and it was huge, easily the size of a breast but so much more flavour.  

My sister gave them to me, they're from Chicken Range - Cheeky Charlies and these ones were the chicken kebab ones, as for calories, just weigh the chicken and use count as chicken thigh Calorie checker - NHS (www.nhs.uk) according to this NHS website, 70g chicken thigh fillet raw (skinless and boneless) is 110 calories so that works out at 143 calories per 100g, I'd just weigh my chicken before cooking and work it out from there.  For those not great at maths if the chicken thigh weighed 240g, that would be 143 x 2.4 = 343 calories. 

I had the same meal for my tea just smaller and then I undid all my good work with a bottle of wine and pink and whites!  Be glad when they've gone, I think I ate 4, although they are only 50 calories each, so could've been worse.  

I've got another cheesy pie in the fridge because I used up all the mash, now I could use this as an excuse not to write it all down today because I didn't measure anything, or I could use my common sense and know I used almost a pack of Cathedral city lighter so about 300g which would be 331 calories per 100g, and the finished product weighed 700g I know this because I split it into two metal trays, therefore there was 400g boiled potato 296 calories, proper maths lesson for you this morning, but it's making me realise I can work out the calories in it, t doesn't mean I have to say, 'I'll start tomorrow', I know I'm an orphan now but I don't want to be the Annie of dieting, 'tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll diet tomorrow!'   Right, back to the mash, total calories = 331 x 3 = 993 (cheese) + 296 (potato) = 1,289, I ate half yesterday, so what's in the fridge is worth 644 calories!  It's a huge portion so will easily do two smaller meals with something else, or one massive meal on it's own - no excuses now. 

If you want to work out your allowance BMI calculator | Check your BMI - NHS | Your BMI result (www.nhs.uk) is the quickest and according to that I can have 

Recommended daily calorie intake:

1603 - 2061 kcal

To lose 1-2lbs a week stick to the lower end of the range.

I have no excuses now, the journals coming out, oh and just for info, wine is about 600 calories a bottle!

Time to sort it out ain't it, I have managed to lose a few pounds since mom died but the last week hasn't gone so well so I can feel my 'sod it' syndrome creeping back in!  

Right I've motived myself writing this thankfully, not sure if I've bored you to death lol, but hey ho, tis what it tis ;) 

Have a wonderful Wednesday, ignore the rain! 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx 

What tweak can you make this week?

Tuesday 27th April 2021

Get started as if you are motivated. Pretend. And the motivation will come!

I know I'm about to start my new story, but really after lockdown ends we all are, aren't we!  What have you learned about yourself over the last year, what would you like to be different?  

I'm 5 weeks into my new world, yep mom's been gone that long and the difficult times we'd had with dementia are starting to fade and all I'm remembering is the love and how many adventures and how much fun we had together and damn does that make my eyes sting with tears!  

I'm sure I have a few adventures left in me but for now I'm enjoying resting and taking my time, pottering about, reading books, listening to music, watching movies, walking the dog, it's much needed.  I'm looking forward to when we can all sit in a room together -  OMG I've just checked the calender, 3 weeks today as long as the easing of lockdown continues, how bloomin exciting is that.  Part time job that i love and also money coming into the house again lol, don't knock that.  I really need to get more UW work going but I'm still working on routine and sorting myself out, I'm not rushing myself through this time, I've rushed about for so long, I need and want a rest.  

I sure had that yesterday after my massage and pedicure, thank you to everyone who contributed to my collection, I enjoyed them very much, (2) Embrace beauty | Facebook Michelle is your lady, she is willing to do mobile too, get in touch, apparently I already have good feet, I've looked after them by not wearing high heels all these years ;) 

Planning meals yesterday made me realise I have lots of food to work my way through so I don't have to buy much, I do fancy something really scrumptious though, I had a craving for chicken wings all day yesterday, so ended up driving down the tesco garage about 7, Alfie was barking upstairs when I got back, he wasn't impressed, but if I keep just nipping out for a bit here and there, hopefully he'll realise I'm coming back and relax.  I shared the bbq wings with him, actually I'd say it was 70/30 in his favour!  They hit the spot although, when you buy pre flavoured wings, you don't get all the wing!

I hadn't had anything to eat since my dinner so it wouldn't have done too much damage, actually I should weigh myself I'll do it tomorrow now, I've had a cuppa lol ;) I like to weigh when I first get out of bed, but Monday, I was same as last week, which I'll take, I'm 6lb down and I see that as a win to say my emotions are all over the place, they have been particularly that way the last few days.  My bestie called me last night and we had a chat, I needed that for sure. 

Right I need to get a wriggle on, places to be, people to see, things to do!  The posters arrived for our a frames yesterday, it's all money but from the feedback and interest we're getting, I think it'll be worth it.  

Have a happy Tuesday!  Remember to lose weight effectively, it's important to focus on small, sustainable changes you can make every day, so ask yourself what tweak could you make this week?  I'm going to find my water bottle out, carrying the bottle will remind me to drink, sometimes we confuse thirst with hunger, here's to hitting my water intake today.

Love ya 

Love me  

Make Monday Matter

Monday 26th April 2021

Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be.

Well my plan today is to plan some meals for the week ahead, one so I have meals to look forward too, I love anticipating what's going to be eaten next.  The other reasons are financially it makes sense, I always save money when I only buy what I need and I also save calories, if I've thought about it and planned then I can work out the calories beforehand and stay within my daily quota.  

Why have I started my blog like that, straight into the bones of the blog, well because yesterday I didn't plan past my breakfast, to be fair I haven't planned for the last week and there's no routine to the times I'm eating, it's just when I think about it, which is okay if I don't end up getting the munchies later on but yesterday I did.  Don't get me wrong I didn't eat half the world, mainly because it's not in the kitchen to eat thankfully (we'll come back to that in a bit), I had a small plate of cheese and crackers and a couple of pink wafers, did similar Saturday night too, I had only had two meals throughout the day both days, so here's to planning for 3 and knowing how many calories I'm going to be consuming.

Why didn't I eat half the world?  Because I'm working on sorting my surroundings, my plan is I can't eat what's not there!  Now I know lots of people say, 'I've got to have it in for the rest of the family' and I get it I really do, so many only buy enough to last them for the week and put it out of sight because that helps too.  I had to go searching for those pink and whites and they are only here because my sister bought them for me, she also bought me the second box of white chocolate rice crispies - killing me with kindness lol.

But seriously, if you don’t want to eat it, don’t buy it, the truth is NO ONE needs junk in their home. Your kids don’t need it and neither does your other half!  It is that simple, instead make sure your house is full of quick to grab, delicious and healthy snacks.

If you've just raised your eyebrows at me because that's just not going to happen, work out your trigger foods, then ones that once you start you can't stop and maybe keep them out or limit how often they get to live in your kitchen.  One of mine is St Agur cheese, I bloody love it, so treat myself now and again because I know I'll pick at it every time I open the fridge!

There's other things you can do to sort your surrounding though other than the food stuff including the things you read, from books to magazine, they can really impact how you feel and think and your attitude towards body image and weight loss.  If you do buy books and magazines make them positive  ones!  Studies show that pictures in magazines have a strong impact on girls (& boys I bet) perceptions of their weight and shape.   Read personal development books just a few pages a day can make you feel more positive about yourself and life, let's make everything better about ourselves not just lose weight.  Then there's the gratitude journal I blogged about yesterday, that's a good one to be doing too.

Tidy up, it is true that a clean and tidy environment makes you feel better, research has shown that messy kitchens are associated with poorer eating habits and more out-of-control eating. Some of this is thought to be due to stress. A messy kitchen is stressful, and stress is a stimulus for (comfort) eating for most people. Plus, if your kitchen is messy it’ll feel more overwhelming or difficult to take the time to make a healthy meal or snack. You'll be tempted to grab something processed or quick instead and you’ll regret later.

Then there's decluttering, that can make you feel lighter just by throwing stuff away, I love doing it when I'm in the mood, then once it's done everywhere looks bigger.  If you've not worn something for a year, get rid, you're not gonna get back into it and if you do, you'll want something new to celebrate probably.  Actually with lockdown, we'll say the last 2 years because everythings been different the last year, we've not been about to go out and wear stuff! 

Anyway, I've got a busy morning, I need to move my backside, having me a massage and my feet done, my treat thanks to the collection my lovely friends did for me last month, so kind.  (10) Embrace beauty | Facebook is doing it, make sure you support local businesses. 

Right I'm off, catch ya tomo, oh I've got the meal plan to do too, I won't forget.

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx

Stay thankful always

Sunday 25th April 2021
Pause and find the blessings in every day. 

Another very early morning!  It was a funny old day yesterday, some photos in my memories on Facebook set me off I think, well that and dreaming about mom the night before, then when we got back from our trip out, Alfie ran in the house all excited into the living room looking for mom, he hasn't done that since she died and it just made me a little emotional, my feelings started to roll down my cheeks and they continued to do so on and off most of the day.  Not wailing, snooty crying, just remembering the good times and being thankful that we go to have them and a little sad that we wouldn't get to make any more memories or laugh together ever again.  We really were best mates and those photos that show up every day in my memories on Facebook are visual evidence of the good times we had together. 

I didn't sit crying all day don't worry, I actually had a lovely day, my brain is finally calming down, which has took this long, until now, I haven't been able to do one thing, I've multitasked to keep my brain busy, not really being able to fully concentrate on certain things.  I actually enjoyed listening to my audiobook, I sat in the sunshine for an hour and also listened to it whilst sorting out my shelving in the alley/shed ready for the big shed out the back to be taken down and walking Alfie.  I really enjoyed tuning out from the world and listening to a lovely bit of feel good fiction.

I've just seen a list of things to be grateful for on pinterest, so I thought it would be good to share some of them, taking time to stop and reflect on your day (especially if you're having a tough time) is a great thing to do - why?  Well it increases positivity, you become more positive when you focus on the good things in your life and by writing them down it's helping them stick in your mind rather than be a passing thought.  Keeping a journal can increase your self esteem, it's a very personal activity and helps you learn more about yourself and become more self-aware.  It can also be your safe place so you can write anything you feel without judgment.

I might start doing it more as apparently it helps you sleep better, just 15 minutes before bed noting down the things you've been grateful for that day can help you feel calm and have a better sleep.  Again because you're thinking about positive experiences from your day or focusing on what you have to be thankful for means you're less likely to give headspace to your worries setting you up for a good night’s sleep.

Anything that makes you happier is worth doing and being thankful and showing gratitude means you are noticing the good in your life and writing them down means you'll feel more positive and feel better about your life in general.  It all helps you gain a new perspective of what is important to you and what you truly appreciate in your life and helps you gain clarity on what you want to have more of in your life, and what you can cut from you life.

It's also known to reduce stress, helps you focus on what really matters and apparently grateful people take better care of themselves!  I'll have a bit of that for sure. 

And just like my Facebook memories, on days when you feel down you can read back through your gratitude journal to remind yourself of how blessed you are that you have such great people and things in your life.

If you're anything like me though, when you've tried to do it, you find yourself writing the same 3 things every day because you can't think of anything else!  Yep, it's not just you that does that, so I used to do what I called my Sunshine list which was basically a list of everything I liked or enjoyed, things that made me feel like there was sunshine in my day, that helped, I used to just add to it whenever I thought of something else, I think I'm going to start doing a journal, have it by the side of my bed.

Here's some of the suggestions I found on Pinterest for your gratitude journal; 

1: LIFE – If you woke up this morning, be grateful for that because, well a lot of people actually didn’t.
2: Your Health. 
3: Friends. You actually get to pick the people you call friends. Pick the best ones and be grateful for them.
4:Family. Whether you like them or not, you still have them, be grateful for them.
5: GOD’S LOVE. (if you're a believer I'll go with my DOG'S LOVE) Because it’s UNCONDITIONAL.
6: That roof over your head.
7: The CLEAN WATER you have access to.
8: Clothes, look in your closet and be grateful you have things to wear.
9: TECHNOLOGY. The sky is the limit because of good ol TECHNOLOGY.
10: Social Media. Whether you like it or not social media make our dreams possible.
1: Love and be loved, the one thing that doesn’t cost a thing.
12: The cell phone you are using to stay in contact with loved ones
13: The internet you are using to read this post right now.
14: The shoes on your feet so you are not BAREFEET.
15: TIME, time is soooo precious. Use it wisely.
16: Vision, yes, you are able to read this post, so you can SEE.
17: ELECTRICITY. You didn’t have to get dressed in the dark this morning.
18: Computers. Which is back to technology.
19: FOOD. Well, you are not starving.
20: TV. You get to come home and relax in front of the tv.
21: FREEDOM TO VOTE
22: FREEDOM TO LIVE.
23: The Ocean
24: You have all of your 10 fingers
25: And course all of your 10 toes
26: That beautiful Sunrise 
27: Then that beautiful Sunset
28: Hot water from that hot shower you took this morning.
29: Your hair. Girl whether you are rocking a wig or your own hair, be grateful.
30: Clarity
31:Wisdom
32: Pinterest
33: Facebook
34: Instagram
35: Twitter
36: Access. Pretty much to all the life necessity.
37: PAYDAY.
38 Your JOB. That pays you MONEY to build a life.
39: Your business. 
40: Your hobbies
41: Your favorite drink
42: Shops
43: The restaurants
44: Cars
45: Car insurance
46: Medical insurance
47: Your team
48: Your co-workers
49: blogs
50: and this list for reminding you to stop and take a moment out of your day to be GRATEFUL for what you DO have ;). And as you can see, it’s VERY important to be grateful for even the SMALLEST things that we ALL take for granted.

They may not all be relevant to you but you get the gist, my last sunshine list looked like this - damn I can't find it, that's a sign I need to start my journal and write a new one, especially as my life has changed now so a new list is definitely required.

Right I'm off, have a great Sunday,  

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me 

Up very early this morning!

Saturday 24th April 2021

Focus on the step in front of you and not the whole staircase.

Been awake since just gone 3, dreamt about mom, I think that's the first time since she died that I have and it wasn't a nice dream, she'd gone missing and were trying to find her, I saw her at one point on a phone video, but when we got there we couldn't get to her and then she'd gone again.  Weird dreams are aren't they!  I decided to get up once I'd woke, I've still had 6 1/2 hours which is plenty and I've just had a productive hour on my laptop so all is good in my world. 

My diet could've been better yesterday, but there's food in the freezer needs eating, I'm trying to save money ain't I, so I had a goat curry that I think I'd made, with cauliflower rice from a cauli that had been in the house too long, but it tasted good roasted.

No idea on the calories, but it wouldn't have been bad because according to my app, there's 144 calories in 100g goat plus according to the internet goat meat has more iron, comparable protein and lower levels of saturated fat, calories, and cholesterol compared to beef and chicken - who knew!  The rest of that curry was made with spices and some oil, but all good stuff.  Actually I'll find that recipe out at work the calories out because it's one of our favourites, I usually make it with chicken thighs or lamb

The last two cobs got eaten too!  one for breakfast with bacon and mushrooms, the other for tea with cheese and onion.  That is why I don't have white bread in the house, because I like it too damn much and I'd eat it to damn often! 

Whatever I eat for dinner today will be out of the freezer, maybe some fish to balance out the beef and bacon I've eaten this week.  Ooo I haven't had a scrambled egg sandwich is a long time, so that might be breakfast, don't know it till you've tried it.

I had a lovely restful day yesterday, took Alfie out 3 times, nipped to my sisters for half hour and watched a couple of feel good movies, perfect day. 

I did do a little work ready for the huddles to begin, it's all bloody money lol, we need to order banners next, so if you have any contacts, let me know. 

Anyway, I'm sat here listening to the bird song, so I'm gonna get on with my day, hope you have a great one, I plan too.

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me 

Sunny Friday - get in!

Friday 23rd April 2021
Stop overthinking things and just do.

Goooood morning! I have had the best nights sleep, I can't remember having ever seen 10 hours on my Fitbit app, it feels great to know I can go to bed early if I want, I had intended to watch something on my laptop but I fell asleep almost straight away and today I have nothing that has to be done so I'm going to have a day off, do whatever takes my fancy, whether that does be working on our future, pottering in the house / garden, walking the dog, or doing nowt at all.   I love my life again, I'm back to my old self, Elle even pointed that out to me when we met the other day, it's a great feeling.  Now to try and get the dog to chill his beans!

We had 3 walks yesterday, one of which lasted about 20 minutes, I'd thrown him in the car and we only drove a mile or so up the road, then he was happily sniffing and mooching along when he suddenly started limping then stopped dead with his front paw in the air.  I had to carry him back to my car (yay,thanks for that my shoulder screamed!) but thankfully when I got him home and had a good look at the paw, there was a tiny thorn in it which I was able to pull out, and it was really tiny so it's official Alfie is as dramatic as me, we are so alike it's scary lol. 

We enjoyed burgers yesterday, well alfie just had the mince, I had mine made into 100g beef burgers, if you haven't tried this yet it's lush, just press them together as a burger, you don't need anything to bind them with, if it's good enough for macdonalds it's good enough for me.   Toast the baps, I like these warburton ones for 146 cals, I just need to stop eating one for tea with cheese and onion on!  Back to the burger, dice a little onion, shredd a little lettuce, add a couple of slices of gherkin and a bit of burger sauces and it's as good as a maccys!  Oh and you don't need fries with it you know, but if you feel you do, those microwave boxes are good for 157 calories. 

 

I'd had egg on toast for breakfast, so too much bread allround yesterday really, but thankfully I did have a few bread free days over the last week. 

Exciting times ahead, so many getting in touch about our huddle plans, it's going to be so good to sit together in a room and catch up.  GMB has just said that one expert scientist has said we are now officially out of the pandemic in this country which is brilliant, but it was bittersweet news as it showed that dementia and alzheimers is this countries biggest killer!  

What isn't shown in that graph is the effect that damn disease has on those living with the sufferer, I feel lucky that I didn't have a mental breakdown living with mom, how people manage to juggle caring for their loved one and their children / partner whilst working too, blows my brains!  There are many, many people out there doing just that, I was talking to one this week on the phone.  If you know someone who's in this situation, if you can help them out in any way possible, even just listening to them and having a chat, it's a busy, lonely life, don't forget you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely.

Back to the happy though, I really am a Happy Owl again, I may be overweight and have achy bones, muscles and joints but I am really happy.  I had a realisation yesterday, which made me smile, I was watching the good doctor on tv and I started to cry at a sad scene and thought 'yeah you can still cry, it doesn't mean you're crying because your mom has died' I've been mistaking emotion for sadness when I've been on the verge of tears.  I am an emotional person, I cry a lot lol, I do, not wailing kind of crying, just to express how I'm feeling if I see something sad kind of crying.

Not this morning though, the sun is shining, the dog is snoring, I've not even thought about breakfast, I may have yogurt and honey, I've defrosted a curry from the fridge for my dinner. 

Right I'm off, catch ya tomo x

Mwah, luv ya

Love me xx

Exciting times ahead

Thursday 22nd April 2021

Don't use your energy to worry, use your energy to believe!

Exciting times ahead!  Elle and I went to view a venue yesterday in Bloxwich and it was perfect for what we're after, so here are our official venues as long as Boris goes ahead with the next stage of easing lockdown which is from May 17th, we can all sit in a room together and enjoy Be Happy Owls Huddles;

Saturdays 9-10.30am 
United Reform Church, Old Fallings Lane, Wton. WV10 8BH

Tuesdays 9-10.30am & 5-6.30pm
RCCG The Soughtout assembly (opp Tesco / Esso station & Lancaster pub)
Stubby Lane WV11 3NF

Thursday 8.30-10.30am & 4.30-6.30pm
Bloxwich Memorial Club, 5 Harrison Street, WS3 3HP 

What's a huddle?  I can't remember if I've blogged about it yet or not but here's our gumph ;)

Bev & Elle’s Happy Owl Huddles

(two experts for the price of one!) 

There are no miracles, no magic potions,
lotions or pills!

Are you ready to lose your lockdown pounds that are weighing you down both physically & emotionally! 

Between us we have over 30 years’ experience and we’ve helped thousands of people successfully lose weight and achieve their goals, we believe accountability and group support are the secret to success.  The Real Magic is believing in yourself - if you can do that, you can make anything happen. 

No hidden costs, no monthly subscriptions, no missed weeks to pay, start being your own weight loss expert (you choose your plan) whilst being motivated, supported, having a giggle and a whole lot more!  We want to make it accessible to all as we appreciate the effect the last year has had on everyone which is why we are only charging
£4 per week!

Contact us for more information 07739 968 678

https://www.facebook.com/BeHappyOwls

behappyowls@gmail.com

We can't wait to build a community of like-minded people, supporting each other whilst having a good giggle and a catch up each week with each other.  The scales weren't cheap, but we see it as an investment and we know how important they are to so many, we're also there for those that don't put the emphasis on them though.  I also love that Elle is a wife and mother whereas I was a carer so we understand different lifestyles too, oh and then there's the fact she likes cake and I like wine, proper complement each other we do lol.

Anyway back to yesterday, I enjoyed this for my breakfast, 

Remember oily fish is good for us and we should be aiming to eat it twice a week, the beauty of these in mustard sauce is you wouldn't even know it was fish, I reckon they'd be good on a jacket spud.  On offer in Sainsbury's at minute for £1 and 257 calories in the tin.

For my dinner I enjoyed chicken hot pot using some of those potatoes I had and using up the carrots and onions that I'd had over a week.  I even took the skin off the chicken thighs before cooking - now that takes strength for me because I like it so much!

A bit too much wine partaken last night but I was celebrating our future - that's my excuse anyway, will do better today!

I did do some housework though, mopped the floors, hate that job, my shoulder is still not right but I've booked for an at home massage next week so here's hoping that helps a bit.  I still think I did it lifting mom that last few weeks.  

Right what to do today, I've got a couple of people nipping round for a catch up but other than that I have a few day, ooo what shall I do with all those hours.  Actually I need to get working on our huddles so I'll do some of that, need flyers sorting, if anyone has access to a printer :) and wants to help a new business build without the additional costs of producing flyers, give us a shout :) 

I'm making beefburgers again today, I enjoyed them so much last week, I want em again, I've got burger sauce to try this week, I'm thinking eggs for breakfast, not had them for days.

then the rest of the day, we shall see, I love that I don't have to decide now.  Have a great day x

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me 

Bit nippy this morning

Wednesday 21st April 2021

We are all going through life for the first time!

Another great day yesterday, lovely to see people I haven't seen in a very long time and catch up standing on a car park, thankfully the sun was shining and the day was glorious.  I managed 11,531 steps yesterday, not done those numbers in a while, so I'm getting my healthy back, another pound gone on the scales this morning so that's going in the right direction.  Using calories as a guideline, not being obsessive about it, just focusing on eating healthier and drinking less is working for me.  This was yesterdays food, had the other two of those Paul Hollywood rolls they've gone now, wouldn't buy again, 411 total with mushrooms and a little light Cathedral City cheese. Then for lunch, I had a can of Sainsbury's Irish stew, not had that for so long, 430 calories of convenience food. 

This however was the highlight of the day, Sainsbury's taste the difference lasagne 547 calories with a bit of salad. For a ready meal it was really good and there was plenty of it too, 400g of food looked a lot once it was on the plate and I devoured it after a busy day. 

I had one glass of wine, which is a huge improvement on the bottle I was necking when mom was at he worst, so all good in my getting healthy world.  Even Alfie has lost a few kgs too, it's because moms not throwing biscuits at him and there's none of that kind of food in this house, we can't eat them if they're not here can we.  His treat these days is low fat pate, he loves it, it helps me get his tablet in him and it's only 80p a tub and lasts days, were as the dog treats he likes are 80p each and last minutes.  He's still a little Shih(t) Tzu though, he played up for my sister when I went out for a couple of hours at tea time last night, he'd been okay when I went on the morning maybe because he'd had a good walk and he was in his own house with her, but I tried taking him to her house, turns out he was having none of it.  

Exciting times, Elle and I are off to check out a venue this morning in Bloxwich, roll on the end of May when we can all go out and plan again :) then I have the rest of the day, oh no I don't lol, I have a UW appointment this afternoon.  I almost forgot I signed a new customer yesterday and she also decided to become a partner which is brilliant because it's a great way to either top up your wage if it's not enough, or earn a bit of extra cash for that new car or holiday you want.  

Ooo what to eat today?  I bought spuds last week that need using so I shall make something with them, I might make a cheese and potato pie, always a winner or maybe I'll experiment and have a play on Pinterest looking for recipes, that's always a winner.

I think I'll do a bit of housework later too, get that hoover out, I do look this new version of my life, mom would be pleased to know I'm okay and she built me strong enough to carry on.  Do I miss her?  Not the version I lost last month no, the mom that was my best friend for most of my life - hell yeah.  When my memories come up on Facebook, I scroll past the last couple of years and go straight to the good stuff which is still priceless and every post brings back a flood of happy memories. 

I better go and wash up, I ignored it all day yesterday, I'm such a tramp, thankfully there's not much.  It's a bit grizzly weather out there, here's to seeing a grey sky as silver today and maybe having the heating on later if it doesn't warm up, or just getting a jumper, because I can do that now.  It really is the little things that are making such a difference to me again, being able to leave the living room door open, being able to leave the room, go up the garden, sleep in my own bed, oh so many things.  Never underestimate the importance of freedom.

Right, I'm off, need some breakfast and to get some warmer clothes on brrrrr. 

Have a great day, 

Mwah, luv ya

Love me xx 

Another great day to be had

Tuesday 20th April 2020
Choose people who lift you up.

A great day starts with a dose of self belief, a positive attitude and a big mug of tea (or coffee or a large glass of water whatever floats your boat).  I plan to have a great day, it's gonna be a busy one too, places to be things to do.

Last Monday was meat free Monday for me this Monday I decided to do Wine free Monday, I also had an early night meaning I've had my 8 hours so I'm raring to go.  I found my fitbit and put it on to charge then forgot to wear it on our first dog walk and Alfie did the long walk, so although my fitbit doesn't say I did, I'm sure I managed 10k steps yesterday.

I was more productive yesterday, I managed to wax my new table, had a natter on zoom at lunchtime, drove to drop a journal off to a friend, Alfie wasn't impressed with her dogs at all, he was very quiet, it was all a little overwhelming for him i think, bless him.  I left him for half hour teatime and when  got back he was hysterically barking in my bedroom trying to get on the windowsill is what I think he was trying to do, deep sigh!  Hopefully he'll get better, my sisters gonna sit with him whilst I'm out and about today.  

Now as you know Elle and I are bringing Be Happy Owls Huddles to a venue near you so make sure you've liked my page if you haven't already https://www.facebook.com/BeHappyOwls oh and my UW one too if you don't mind https://www.facebook.com/BevUtilityWarehouse, thank you. 

This was what breakfast looked like yesterday, they're Paul Hollywood's cobs, I wouldn't buy them again, they were on offer but at almost 300 calories for the two, they weren't worth it, I'd have been happy with warburtons wholemeal at 55 calories a slice!  It was a tasty breakfast though, I do love a slice of streaky bacon and this from Sainsbury's is on 33 calories a slice. 

I had leftover rice from Marlies, so I decided to try and make egg friend rice like the takeaway and it only bloomin worked, there was about 350g cooked rice (455 calories), 2 eggs (156 calories) whisked, a couple of teaspoons of seseame oil (80 calories), white pepper and salt and dark soy sauce (10 cals per tablespoon). I heated the oil, added rice and cooked through, splashed a little soy sauce into the rice and mixed it up, then shoved the rice to one side of the wok, poured the eggs in the other side and stirred as it cooked, once it was set, I mixed it up with all the rice and then added salt, white pepper and soy sauce until I thought it tasted like my idea of egg fried rice - I was truly impressed and pray I can do it again as that's my favourite thing from a chinese, I like it hot or cold.  

There's 700 calories worth of rice there, which is about the same as a Chinese small foil tray of egg fried rice which is 658 calories according to the NHS/Nutracheck website.  Calorie checker - NHS (www.nhs.uk)  the nutracheck app is only £23.99 for the year at the moment! 

This together with my Chicken Chow Mein - Happy owls recipe which is only 186 calories a serving and I'm sorted for Takeaway Tuesday or any other day come to that, it's healthier than a takeaway and I always order way too much stuff when I have a takeaway.  

Let's make today 'Top Tip Tuesday', what are your top tips for a healthy and happy life, they can related to anything that makes your life better.  Mine would be find a few quick go to meals that you can turn too when you're just not in the mood to cook.  That egg fried rice I can now knock up in ten minutes, if i don't happen to have leftover cold rice, I do have precooked rice in packets in the cupboard.  My garlic noodle dish I did the other day only took 10 minutes too, I'd tweak that next time, take the butter out, add a handful of frozen peas.  If I start a list of these meals in my Be Happy Owls journal, I'll have them to refer to when I do my weekly shopping.   There are loads more on my Happyowls.co.uk website, most need the calories working out but it'll all get done over time, and as none of them have that many ingredients, you can do that yourself.

Well I need to shower and dress, hate getting naked on these nippy mornings, but I'll be brave, don't want a dirty bitch driving round!  I've put the heating on for an hour to be honest, moms made me a wimp, I've lived in a crazy hot house for so long, 6 degrees feels like it's minus 10! 

No meals planned for today as yet, but I have mushrooms to eat and 2 more of those cobs so that's probably gonna be one.  I do have a lasagne too, that'll probably be my main meal with a side salad.  Again it's the little things, I love that it doesn't matter if I run out of something because there's only me to worry about, I haven't had an sliced bread since Friday or Saturday, if I ain't got it, I can't eat it!

Let me know your top tips, I'll put them together in tomorrows blog if you do. Have a great day, I'm looking forward to me day

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me  

I do like Mondays...

Monday 19th April 2021

30% is better than 0%, you're doing great!

Well Alfie woke me up at four to go up the garden, he doesn't do it often so we'll let him off, he's spark out again now!  I was in bed before ten so it's all good, I had a lovely restful day, made even better by the fact a neighbour made me a delicious Sunday roast dinnner, it was really good, all in the roasters and gravy and she had them nailed!

I need to get out of holiday mode now and start getting stuff done!  I could easily be a lady of leisure but that won't pay the bills will it!  Everything is coming together with our business, just waiting on Boris to let us sit in a room together next month, can't wait! Over 30 years experience between us, people really are gonna get exceptional value for money, two for the price of one!

See I've just spent half hour messing about and you didn't even notice I'd, actually I wasn't messing about, I was looking for my fitbit, just realised it wasn't on my wrist, can't find it - deep sigh.  Then I made a cuppa coffee and had a read of the gov.uk lockdown easing guidelines, which I'll go back to when I've finished this.  I need to get organised, found my diary out, need to block out specific times to do certain tasks so that they get done and I don't spend my days 'busy doing nothing' which I have been guilty of lately. 

Today I'm going to use my cold rice from my Marlies and make egg fried rice, that's lunch sorted, I'm gonna enjoy a bacon bap for breakfast and freeze the rest of the bacon in slices so I don't feel I have to eat it all before it's use by date on Wednesday, I've also frozen some of my Marlies, I ordered too much - that's not like me is it! 

It's Monday let's make things happen today!  It's easy to say we'll do this, that and the other and never get round to doing it, so let's be action takers, did you know Monday is an anagram of Dynamo!  It's actually the only day of the week that can be changed into a single word, there you can go impress your friends withthat fun fact now.  How about we all behave like dynamos today (an extremely energetic person in case you weren't sure what I meant).

I'm going to write a to do list, maybe do a brain dump because there's so much going round in my head, two businesses and only one brain.  Yeah, I'm off to get stuff done.

Have a great day, 

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx