Tag: vegan meals

Day 1485 I “dot de told” but had a good day anyway!

I woke up at 5am and felt like I was swallowing glass…. My throat was all scratchy and sore.

I got up and had a big drink of water and it seemed to help as I fell asleep until 8.30am, unheard of for me!

I stayed up for the Aurora again last night so I was shattered. I ended up joining Claire, next door in her back garden and we lay on the seats at her fire pit, holding phones up to the sky. Nothing was happening. I can’t remember when we came in… I think just before midnight.

Still got some moody shots… love that I’ve caught out 14 year old neighbours purple lights in her bedroom!!

The sky was much brighter than it had been the day before.

I triggered our security light down the back coming back in from Claire’s…. Blinded me!!

Just nothing happening in the sky.

My friend Michelle did get some Aurora shots from about half a mile away… I was in bed by then and couldn’t muster up the strength to head back out.

So back to this morning, I lay in bed for a bit, reading some positive quotes to lift my spirits.

Once I got moving I decided to head to Home Bargains and Aldi for a cheap toiletries, house cleaning stuff and food shop. All done by 10.30am. We’ve had no tin foil, extra virgin olive oil, bin bags or Fairy Liquid for a good few days…. I never run out of things like that…. This time I ran out of everything!

I feel really lethargic. Everything is an effort but I hoovered the house as it needed doing.

The 4 x moulting dogs have taken their toll! I’ve been picking it up on the daily, but nothing beats hoovering it up. Incidentally we have the Shark Anti hair wrap hoover…

Which does not do what it says on the tin…. No wonder it struggles to pick up at times.

It felt good to get it done even if I needed a wee sit down after each room!

I’m not really sure where the afternoon disappeared to.

It got really sticky and hot so I sat in the sun. Craig pressure washed the back artificial grass and decking and it looks lovely.

We just need to deal with my meadow garden (far left) which turned into a horrific weed-fest when I planted my meadow flowers… I may never hear the end of that!

Incidentally we have artificial grass because of the dogs. We lived one summer with three dogs and this is what it looked like.

After one winter…

Every time the dogs came in they were filthy. The artificial grass has been a godsend.

So we have to pressure wash it from time to time to freshen it up. “We”….. 😂

The bit Craig has just washed is away down behind the big black shed. We have a huge, beautiful garden but it’s a lot of work to stay on top of all the weeds, washing grass and staining all the decking and fencing.

We had a thunderstorm around 4pm… it got quite loud and heavy rain so I went for a shower. The heavens opened and Craig said the main road was running like a river.

The skies cleared and it’s been sunny again ever since. We’re sitting outside enjoying the birdsong.

My second favourite bush has started to flower.

I just love these colours.

The forest flame have both been reduced to a white hot heat now… see what I did there?! 😂

So not much else to report…oh I did made another Planthood dinner.

Craig had some too. It was a really good one… and I have some left over for lunch tomorrow.

So I’m just sitting here having some quality cuddle time with Freya. Pup #3.

Bless her wee socks. It’s lovely in the early evening sun.

So… remember that we can take whatever this week throws at us. We can choose how we respond to situations outwith our control.

I will try to remind myself of this 🤦🏻‍♀️😂🫶🏼

There’s a good chance of Aurora again tonight but the experts are saying that it won’t be the same as Friday night. That was a once in a lifetime opportunity. They say we can expect to see it again maybe in the next 23 years.

I’m undecided as to whether I’ll stay up or not. It’s hard to decide to miss out just in case “they” are wrong! One final pic as a reminder of how special Friday night was.

Stay safe everyone 🩷💜🩵

Day 1474 the 1st May brings some warm air ☀️☀️☀️

Finally there was some heat to the sunshine.

Wow.

I can’t believe it’s the 1st May already. This year is flying by.

Ellison and I sat out at lunchtime, grinning like Cheshire cats and saying ….”wow”…. Every time the sun shone through the clouds. 😂☀️

Love this from Severe Weather Updates 😂😂

I felt instantly better the minute I woke up today. My head is clearer, the cotton wool is gone.

I feel calm and less irritable than yesterday.

It’s still been there but I’ve been way better at seeing the brighter side of it.

We have a choice in how we react.

I woke up with the alarm this morning so no chance for a run. Today that’s completely ok as I felt so grateful that I slept a bit longer.

Work was busy. I cleared two big jobs that have been at the back of my mind for a few weeks, another one to be tackled tomorrow. It felt really good.

The sun shone for most of the day. The forecast was for rain!

I came home and made another Planthood dinner.

This was how mine looked!

It was sooooo good. I know say that a lot but I really mean it. Mine never look the same but hey…. I’m sure they taste just how they should.

I have kinesiology tonight so I’m looking forward to that. I love exploring how my mind works and finding ways to understand it. I’m planning to do some work on my fears arising during my solo travel. I hope to remove some of the stress from that.

It’s so calming to feel better after a low day.

Stay safe everyone 🥰🥰🥰

Day 1473 a day of reflection ♥️

I did not get up for a run this morning. It’s dark and pouring with rain, I turned over and tried to ignore the fact I was awake in plenty time to go for a run, slightly beating myself up a bit…. Obviously!

I know fine well if I’d been meeting someone, I’d have gone out in a heartbeat, regardless of the rain, but it wasn’t happening this morning.

I’ve cleaned the bathroom instead.

I let the dogs out. The garden looks really fresh and green because everything is so wet. Things are starting to grown now. It looks really vibrant.

I’ve checked ahead in the forecast, as I do and it looks like we will finally start to see some warmth in the air this week sometime!

So if like me, you are heading out to work this morning in a bit of a funk… my friend Isy comes up trumps again with this…

I’m wrapped up now. Off to work.

Fast forward to tonight….

So, I’ve had an ok-ish day.

My head has been wrapped up in cotton wool and I’ve struggled to think straight. I’ve actually hit my temples a few times in an attempt to clear my head. Gently of course 😆

I’ve been irritable too.

Then I saw this and it does really help.

Just to breathe.

I didn’t get lunch until 2.15pm.

Holly next door had handed me in lentil soup and mac n’cheese last night, for my lunch today. How lovely is that?! So kind of her.

I heated it up then didn’t get to it for another 45 minutes… it was still amazing.

This…. ♥️

I’ve not been able to do it all day, but I have really tried. I feel like I’ve been arguing with my ego. It wants to be annoyed and angry at everything. There is absolutely no need to be angry.

I’m just tired and a bit flat. That is normal life. We can’t all be like Heidi the mountain goat, running about the world taking photos every day!!

Half the battle is knowing how you react in these situations and trying to correct it.

I felt much better by the time I got home and I made myself dinner.

Oh wow…..

These were just amazing. One of the nicest things I’ve eaten in ages. I’ve left a portion for Craig to heat up after work tonight.

I was then determined to get my exercise in, so took Calaidh for a walk up the hill.

She’s a happy girl. she’s a tiny black dot in this pic!

The bushes are starting to flower.

The trees are all budding now too.

There’s so much in life to be grateful for, even when you can’t see it sometimes.

Ooooh that little bit of wisdom brought a wee tear there.

I love it when the blog hits the nail on the head for me.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1451 I was up at 5.22am making Pad Thai for lunch 😆

First things first, here’s where my heads at…. Great English huh?!?

I’ve decided to go to Rome and it’s soooo last minute, I’ve created a pile of stress for myself where I could have just had a quiet weekend at home pottering.

Instead I’m flying half way across Europe to visit a city I know nothing about, in less than FOUR days.

My mind is a whirr of activity. In true Julie fashion, I want to do it right. I want to see everything in the right order at the right time, I’m not adding commas to that sentence as there are none in my inner voice.

I also want to relax and enjoy the sun. I want to avoid the crowds. So many people have warned me about pick pockets that it does worry me. I’m actually getting anxious writing all this so I need to stop giving it houseroom.

I will be fine.

I pretty much know exactly how I will feel.

I will be truly alive.

I’ll be buzzing to share it all with you. Even although I’ll be alone, I will always thinking about what photos to take and what to write to make the blog the best story of my trip.

I just love it.

I saw this first thing today…

I have been to rock bottom and as awful as it was, I am so grateful that it happened as it’s opened up a whole new world for me.

The closer I got to the heights of my career the worst I felt. My mountain top was terrifying. It wasn’t where I wanted to be. It was where society expected me to aspire to. I never realised at the time that constant promotion was only compounding my unease. It wasn’t imposter syndrome, although there was a bit of that, I was never going to be the person that the job needed me to be. I’m not political, I don’t stretch the truth, I want to be honest. I wasn’t allowed to be the best version of myself.

This really hit me today.

Today I get to be the best version of me.

I get to speak my truth and choose my own path.

Everything I do is planned last minute, based on how I might be feeling and also based on the weather. I have no plans. I’m winging it all…. But I feel proud of the way my 2024 is shaping up.

A lot of deep thinking there… so back to 5.22am.

I got out of bed to make Pad Thai for lunch… yup I am that person.

It was really lovely at the time but a bit dry by the time lunch came.

We had another busy Monday. The phone didn’t stop, I sat at my desk at 8am and felt like I blinked and it was 4pm!

I came home and made Black Bean Chilli Enchiladas Topped With Cashew Cheese Sauce & A Zingy Cherry Tomato Salsa…. Precisely!

Soooo tasty!!

I used the new mixing bowl that mum got for me, thanks Mum!

It made a huge difference not spilling everything all over the worktop. 😂

So that’s me for today. Will leave you with a Calaidh photo from this morning before work.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1446 a rainy Wednesday but a clear head!

Wow what a quick day…. I did a stock check at work today and had a great wee time to myself… until I got back to my desk and tried to catch back up with the day to day!!

I seemed to have switched the wi-fi off on the laptop and was oblivious to anything other than my stock take!

All done for another month.

I had a great sleep last night but lay awake thinking I couldn’t believe I was so awake… my head thinking rubbish nights’ sleep…. Then the alarm went off. It was just time to get up. Our inner voice can be so harsh at times!

I had my left over dinner for lunch today…. It doesn’t look quite as tasty in a plastic tub. I was so full I didn’t eat any snacks for the rest of the day, oh apart from some banana bread!

Really strangely about an hour after it my face went bright red and refused to cool down. I’ve never had hot flushes and I don’t know if that’s what it was… I had the portacabin doors open and then had to take my long sleeved top off from under my work T shirt.

It was burning and while it’s cooler now there’s is still an underlying heat.

I made another lovely Planthood meal tonight.

Rich & Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff With Chickpeas, Baby Spinach, Basmati Rice & Fresh Parsley (copied that straight from the website!). I rushed it in time for Kinesiology but it’s delayed for a bit so now I’m chilling writing this while I wait. It’s good actually as I felt a bit too harassed!

The photo on the recipe shows mushroom stroganoff… mine shows chickpea (with mushroom) stroganoff 😂😂 it’s a bit runnier than it should be but it tastes lovely.

I haven’t had time to focus much on synchronicity today…. I did drive to work thinking the gate would be open.. it wasn’t… I laughed, got out and opened and it and drove through saying, I did that…. Honestly, the chat I have to myself😆

This is very true for me. I need to go with the flow

It has rained ALL day!!!

And finally… I’ve downloaded a course by Mel Robbins that I’m going to start.

It’s called Make it happen… ready to unlock your potential?!? Let’s see how it goes. My head is good just now. Normally I would say that something usually comes and wallops that out of me but I’m going to own my positive mind and keep working on it.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1426 happy 7th birthday Freya pup! 🐶 💕

Just while I’m sitting thinking, what will I write about today…. I suddenly realise it’s Freya’s birthday! She is a big 7 today. I find that incredulous that 7 years have passed so quickly.

She was our wee runtie pup and was hand reared by Erica from Holmelyne Border Collies after her mum rejected her.

This was the first photo we ever saw of her.

We’d had some prosecco in the back garden that day… it was lovely and sunny…. Course we could give her a home. 😬😳 one of the reasons I stopped drinking?! 😂

When we went down to pick her up, I cannot tell you how small she actually was. The photos don’t really do it justice. She was tiny.

She was in with a litter of black and chocolate labs that were 6 weeks old. She actually looked like a white rat running about with them. It really did take my breath away. Of course we were smitten.

She had the tiniest of ears….

Which grew very quickly!

She had a big distended tummy which is still completely bald to this day… the hair never grew in.

This is her first poo in the back garden. 😳😂

She has loved Bhru from the moment she arrived in our family.

They are pretty much inseparable. That pleases Calaidh as she just wants to be with people.

Here she is pretending to be a garden gnome-puppy!

Look at the size of her, my heart still melts a little.

Very quickly she became Dinky, Baby Dinks, Baby Dittle, Baby Dinkledoodle, Baby Dinklydoo, Deetle-deetle-deetle…. The list goes on… 😬

She makes me smile almost every day. I put Calaidh’s bowl of food down in the living room, then Khaleesi’s and every time I turn round Freya has followed me in to check to make sure I’m coming back to the kitchen to get Bhru’s then hers… I giggle that she’s checking me out and I never fail to go back through and feed her.

She just jumped up beside me….

Big girl 7…. Maybe she’ll grow up now?!!

So yeah in other news, I didn’t sleep well last night which is strange as it was the first night on progesterone. Woke at 4.45am.

It’s been torrential rain today. It just never stopped, all the lovely daffodils look flattened by the rain. It pounded our wee porta cabin all day.

We were really busy again. I got a bit flapped a couple of times but I’d ended up fasting for over 20 hours so I think I just needed to eat. I’d been waiting for two parts for two different vans ALL week and neither of them arrived again. Poor Ellison had to traipse about Kilmarnock to try and pick them up from Royal Mail and Yodel. She got one of them but the Royal Mail in Killie is only open for 2 hours a day from 8-10 so we’ll have to try again tomorrow. I hate it when things don’t go according to plan but hey, that’s life.

I made this for dinner tonight!!

It was really lovely… Craig had it too.

So that’s my weekend again…. And relax… with a few more coories from Freya!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1424 another busy day in the life!

I had a great sleep but a very restless last few hours. It didn’t feel like a great sleep when I woke, but it really was….

Now this will make you laugh….. I’d heard a good way of getting curly hair was to dry your hair through a colander or a sieve.

It did not work. 😂😂😂 I got the very slightest curl but not what u expected at all. Did make me laugh trying it though and did wash the sieve afterwards. 🤦🏻‍♀️👩🏻‍🦱

We were really just at work again today… don’t know where the day went! It’s good to be busy… but I’m really tired today.

It’s a dreich day, very misty and damp. I took a pic of our first daffoildils in the garden… they are not great but I’m proud of them 😂😂

This one looks more like a yellow snow drop!

It’s a smirry rain… that kind that soaks you but I went out anyway as its lovely to connect with nature.

I cooked again tonight. Check me!

Rich & Creamy Cacio E Pepe Butterbeans With Tenderstem Broccoli & Smokey Chipotle Toasted Sunflower Seeds… you so know I copied that don’t you. 😂

It was really lovely and I have some for lunch tomorrow.

The good thing about Planthood meals is that they are much faster to cook than the Green Chef I had last week. I like the 15 minutes rather than 30-40.

Since I don’t have much to say today I also took a photo of all the supplements I am currently taking at the moment.

Most of these are on recommendation but I know the daily vitamins are not the best and could be stronger. I try to take these every day but I do struggle at the weekends outwith my daily routine.

Happy to take any further recommendations! (Just remembered Helen has suggested Tumeric…. Will look into that)

Happy Tuesday night! Oh did anyone know there was a teal heart emoji now?!? I’ve never seen it before?! 🩵🩵🩵

Stay safe everyone 🩵🩵🩵

Day 1411 a busy Wednesday!

Not the best sleep last night as I woke a few times but I’m feeling much better today. The headache has gone, thankfully!

It was a good day at work today. Super busy but not too much, got loads done and didn’t stop. Love days like that.

We got our oven cleaned today…… look at the before and after. Our oven has been desperately needing done for years now. Look at the difference!!!

I know I should be embarrassed by this… I am but there are two people that live in this house and one uses the oven way more than the other. 😂 that means he cooks more so I should be embarrassed by that…. But hey… I’m more impressed at how quickly they get it back to looking like new.

If you’re local, here is the number…. I am AMAZED at the results.

So I made the last of my Green Chef meals tonight and couldn’t even face eating it.

The power went off at work today so I couldn’t use the microwave for lunch so I ordered a lentil soup… AND chips and cheese. No wonder I couldn’t eat dinner.

I had kinesiology at 5.30pm tonight to try and settle this racing mind of mine.

And this…. Is what it’s all about. Listening to your inner voice.

💜💜💜

So my bags are packed. I feel like I have far too much but I’ve got layers in case it’s cold and it’s 4 days. My wee TRIPP case is full and I still have walking shoes to squeeze in!

I’m just gonna leave you the last one from Rachel two doors down.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️