Movies, Meals & Muddling Through Life – June 2019

It’s been a while hey? A lot has been happening in my life since my last movies, meals and muddling post back in Autumn of last year. It has been a stressful and busy time. I haven’t taken as much time for myself as I should have even though I am well aware of the importance of self care and me time. I am working on that.

My health has taken a bit of a hit this year, I’ve had a few scary appointments, damaged my SI joint and lost a little too much weight but that at least seems to be improving. I am focusing massively on my health right now, eating as well as I can, getting outside as much as I can and exercising lightly so as not to irritate my back. Fingers crossed my efforts will mean that soon I will be back to full fitness. I’ve also begun to work harder to get all of my vitamins etc through food because for some reason my body doesn’t absorb iron or folate as it should and if i can avoid taking tablets I will.

Movies

I have managed to squeeze in a few films lately, not as many as I’d like but I have also blitzed through a few netflix series and a couple of books. At the cinema recently I’ve watched Aladdin, Dumbo, A Dog’s Purpose and Toy Story 4. My favourite being Aladdin. At home we have watched a few films too including old classics such as Big Foot & The Hendersons and Marley & Me. I also recently watched Booksmart ( the Netflix film) and I enjoyed that too.

TV

I don’t have an actual TV subscription such as Sky or BT right now but I use Netflix and Now TV ( thanks to a free subscription for Netflix from my phone provider and a 3 month freebie for Now TV thanks to Maccies monopoly). Most recently I have watched Game Of Thrones ( of course) – I actually enjoyed the final series, so much shorter than I’d have liked but I enjoyed. Chernobyl is a truly fascinating watch, highly recommend it. After Life – one of the best TV shows I have ever watched. So so good, heartbreaking in parts but truly excellent. Jailbirds was another interesting show to watch, a documentary set in a Sacramento county jail, it blew my mind a little how they managed to chat to fellow inmates via the toilets. I have just started the second series of Good Girls and I am powering through series 13 of Greys Anatomy.

Books

I haven’t had the best of concentration over the last 6 months, I have picked up so many books and had to just give up. These are the very few I have managed to stick with.

The Prisoner Of Auschwitz – probably one of the most powerful books I have read about a true historical event. It made me cry with both sadness and joy for the author. Well worth a read.

The Phone Addiction workbook. This has made me take a serious look at my phone usage. I have set screen time limits and I ( mostly ) keep to them. When the girls are around I try to limit my use a lot more. It is a really interesting book written by Hilda Burke an integrative psychotherapist.I recommend it if you find yourself mindlessly scrolling and notice an hour drifts by.

Meals

Hmm. I haven’t really eaten out much of late. A combination of insufficient funds and just not having the desire to. I did have a gorgeous afternoon tea for my sisters hen do at The Angel Abergavenny and a few lovely treats at my sisters wedding at The Emlyn hotel on the weekend but other than that my foodie life has been almost on hold. I am back in the kitchen more at home, cooking from scratch as much as possible. Creating new simple and more importantly budget friendly recipes that the girls and I have been enjoying.

Life in general

My sisters wedding and the planning part has taken up a lot of the last few months and I am so glad to say she had the most perfect day a few weeks ago. I did have some major concerns last week that my back wouldn’t quite hold up for me to walk down the aisle ahead of her ( I was maid of honour ) but yay it all went to plan. Last Friday my family stayed at the most amazing farm in West Wales prior to our weekend at The Emlyn where I experienced Reiki and sound healing for the first time. It wasn’t something I ever imagined trying but you know what I left the room feeling lighter and more relaxed, maybe there is something in it. I think it helped. I’m also hoping to be starting a new job soon, it was originally due to happen last month but it has been postponed – hopefully not for too long. The girls are continuing to grow and thrive, they are such kind and big hearted children and a pleasure to be around. They have reached an age where you can sit and talk about things and feel like its a real conversation. Izzy is an eco warrior already, obsessed with bugs and animals and saving the world. Chloe is funny and determined, never content to be just the little sister, wanting to do all that her sister can yet still managing to be small and soft and often offering a cuddle. I also did a little volunteering last month with our local food bank via a church that my mother attends and while it was quite literally the straw that broke the camels back ( I could barely move by the following day) it’s something that I want to do again, possibly not in exactly the same way but I want to do more.

And that’s it for now, I am hoping to be able to share a new recipe with you soon. Hopefully within the next month. I’d like to thank you for all for taking the time to come and read.