Meatless Monday {2020 – week 43}

So here we are: week 43 of Meatless Monday 2020… Last week of October, with another lockdown looming, we’re just trying to make the most of everything…

Here’s what we wore:

Me: Long Sleeve Top= GAP {thrifted}, Pinafore Dress= New Look, Tights = Supermarket, Boots= Clarks

Boys: Trousers and Shirts, Long Sleeve Tops: Various sources/gifted/thrifted or supermarkets, Shoes = Clarks

What’s in my ears:

I have 3 different Podcasts this week for you – I do love a podcast, I just love that they are free to listen to and on every possible subject you can imagine and so inspiring, its like inventing your very own personalised talk radio of only the things you want to listen to, its brilliant <3

This week I went back to the Rachel Hollis Podcast, which I haven’t got round to listening to in a while, but I definitely am a fan of her work and all her positivity she puts out into the world… In this episode she interviews Matthew McConaughey, who I always find interesting in his philosophies. This episode has made me want to listen to both of their latest books; Matthew McConaughey’s Green Lights and Rachel Hollis’ Didn’t see that coming, what an inspiring pair they are 🙂

Here is the synopsis of the episode:

What. Is. My. Life. This week I had the unbelievable pleasure of sitting down with Matthew McConaughey and let me tell you: he is as charming in real life (or over a Zoom call) as he is on the big screen. We chatted all about how his family has adjusted during lockdown, what it’s like writing and creating in anonymity, and the secret he’s held onto all these years from none other than Jay Leno. Believe me when I tell y’all this one is can’t-miss! Matthew’s book, Greenlights, is available NOW! Be sure to let him know what you thought of the episode by saying howdy over at instagram

PodBean

The second Podcast I listened to this week and which resonated with me was from the wonderful Nikki Elledge Brown’s Naptime Empires… I love this podcast since I started listening, it is filled with so much tangible advice on challenges of motherhood and entrepreneurship….

Here is the synopsis of the episode:

In this ep I share the power of seeing the divine breadcrumbs in your life. I also share the scoop on the game-changing work that’s been helping me get my GROOVE back and reconnect with the me that I’ve unconsciously put on “mute” for, oh, most of my adult life. (#spoileralert: it’s the work I’ve done w Susan Ferraro) If you’re tired of being tired / annoyed / drained by your work / LIFE, do yourself a fave and listen in to this one. FREE WORKSHOP | SHOW NOTES | FB GROUP

PodBean

And finally – decided to start to listen to some eco related podcasts this week too… I stumbled across someone this week called Jen Gale who runs a brand called Sustainable(ish) which so resonates with me, as it is all about how to fit sustainability into everyday busy life and celebrating everything that you manage to do and the differences which you manage to make rather than beating yourself up for not managing to do it all! So when I searched for her on podbean (my podcast platform of choice), it actually came up with an interview which she had done on another Podcast, which I am now following too called The Everyday Adventure where she explains what she does and why and how… want to feel inspired that the little changes you make, really do make a difference, this episode is for you…

Jen Gale is the founder of Sustainable(ish), a business and community which she founded to provide practical inspiration for people wanting to live a more sustainable lifestyle and consume more consciously. Her ethos is centred on taking baby steps to making impactful changes and not worrying about being ‘perfectly sustainable’. She is also a huge believer in the power of individual choice and that the decisions that we make every day really do have the power to change the world.

In this conversation, Jen’s talks about what led her to get started on her journey in sustainability, why our routine daily activities and chores are ultimately political and how instead of focusing on the things we can’t change, we need to focus on and celebrate the things that we can.

Podbean

Here’s my week in 4:

1. Incredible Chrysanthemum: This plant was bought for me over the summer by my husband’s aunty and cousin to cheer us up with everything which was going on, it was a small pot plant from Tescos or ASDA labelled up as a house plant, but I decided to take a punt as the weather was nice and I had finally got round to filling up the antique bath planters which I had bought from Peterborough Antiques Fair years before and didn’t really have anything else to go in the second one. We’re now in the last week of October and it is absolutely thriving! and I can’t tell you the joy this brings me when I look at it. 🙂 I just get such a thrill from rescuing supermarket plants – and seeing them come back to life and start thriving when they are given a little love and a little space to grow, just like we all need really.
2. Throwback to my baby shower: My baby shower photos came up in my “on this day” on Facebook this week, and its just crazy to think everything which has happened in the past 4 years and how we would never of predicted the current reality in a million years! This party was such a special celebration, and I got henna on my pregnant belly, which was a dream of mine and all organised by my wonderful and very dear friend Marie, she just thought of everything, and I felt like a pregnant princess that day, there was so much love in the room, so its a lovely memory to look back on now.
3. Let’s go for a walk: And so we did this week, in the village, the boys and I, and we had just got out of the habit with one thing and another and bad weather, but once again I was reminded of how this simple thing just makes everything better and I need to go back to it and get back into it to get through this next lock down, for my sanity, for all our sanities, leaving these 4 walls and going for a walk really does just change how you feel, as it is something which you control, even if there is very little else you can currently, and we are so lucky to live in the beautiful countryside which we do. So this is my personal kick up the backside to make sure I do do this more regardless of the weather over the next month. And I wanted to share as I am hopeful that it will help you too.
4. Best of both worlds toilet tissue: This is an eco swap I am determined to not go back on, but I was keen to try and find even better value in my pursuit of the best eco (plastic free packaging) toilet roll for us to use as a family, and then I came across this one from Soft on Nature on Amazon: 36 rolls for £16.99. I will continue to look at the best value options for plastic free packaged paper every time we come to the end of our current supply but this month these are definitely the best all rounder and I love that the packaging is made out of potato starch and is fully compostable. And the tissues themselves are lovely and soft too 🙂

Committed to supporting your family today and every day. That is why we partner with TREE AID, giving your family, and every family, a better, greener future to come back to

4 Packs of 9 rolls (total 36 rolls) 

Each roll is 30 meters – 2 ply

Soft on Nature – Lower environmental impact

Responsibly sourced trees

Plastic free, 100% home compostable packaging made from potato starch

No harmful toxins or oil-based materials

Made in the UK

30% fewer delivery trucks on the roads‘Soft on Nature’, 9 pack Toilet Tissue is produced in the UK, made from responsibly sourced trees and wrapped in plastic free, 100% home compostable packaging made from potato starch with no harmful toxins or oil-based materials.

Each roll has 45% more paper compacted onto the roll, which means fewer rolls will be needed and as a result 30% fewer delivery trucks on the roads! (30 metres per roll compared to our Cushion Soft 18 pack product that is 21 metres per roll)

Often, when creating an eco-friendly version of a product, the quality can slip which is something we were mindful of when developing our Soft on Nature rolls. We don’t want customers to have to choose between the softness of a roll and the impact it may have on the environment, so we’ve found a balance for our customers to go “soft on nature” without compromising on the softness of the roll.

Amazon

Video(s) of the week:

This is such a young girl, still in school, but she has a lot of great wisdom on her channel and some fab yoga videos too, her positivity is quite infectious, see what you think of this video…

hello!✨ I’m Alivia, a passionate filmmaker and an optimistic dreamer painting the colours of my mind on here. My videos focus on holistic health, self improvement, lifestyle, coming of age mistakes and lessons, fitness, and yoga! I hope my videos ignite a spark in you to seek your greatest potential and live a life without limits ♡

YouTube Intro

The second thing which I watched this week was the premier of THIS IS US season 5 – I am so in love with this show. So glad that they have decided to release the new season on Amazon Prime UK at the time as America, it just adds another level that they are talking about the restrictions of the pandemic and Black Lives Matter in with the rest of the content of this wonderful show…

What we ate this week…

Breakfast:

We had the leftover panetone for breakfast along with some blueberries and raspberries, the boys had milk and I had tea.

Lunch:

It was October half term so the boys were with me for the day, and we had my parents over for lunch. The boys had these fruit snake kids snacks to keep them going whilst I was making lunch and I had a packet of cheese and onion squares. Then I had sucessfully made my 2nd sucessful loaf in my new breadmaker, which I am so loving right now, and has definitely been a brilliant eco swap :). I also had a can of tomato and basil soup, which I made into enough for 3 by adding a can of milk to the pan, after the can of soup, this was a little trick my Mum taught me to make soup go further and I often prefer soup this way as it isn’t so thick. I heated it up on the hob using my beautiful enamel pans which I had purchased from Oxfam on our trip to Bath.

Adult lunch was: Fresh bread, soup, salad, falafel and pesto mayo to dip.

Kids lunch was: cheese and crackers and fruit.

I had a cake bar for afters too 🙂

Dinner:

I had an apple to keep me going and so did the boys whilst I cooked. Then I had stuffed mushrooms and leftover salad from lunch and a slice of fresh bread too. The boys had beans and toast. Then the boys had mashed banana, greek yoghurt and a spoon of homemade jam all mixed up for their afters. I had this mango and passionfruit yoghurt, followed by 2 cleminitines, a cup of tea and some matchmakers later on.

Please check out my Pinterest meatless inspiration board: #MeatlessMonday to gather some pinspiration:

Along with the official Meatless Monday board which I am also now sharing on:

Find out how I got onto Meatless Mondays in the first place by watching this video:

And check out #meatlessmondays on this blog to see all my Meatless Monday posts and recipes. Hope you have a lovely week. 🙂

Go on Pin it!