Meatless Monday {2020 – week 45}

So here we are: week 45 of Meatless Monday 2020… The week in which we discovered self-isolating for the first time (from Tuesday onwards), as there was a positive case in the boys school. It has been challenging but we’re getting through and continue to count our blessings daily – there is a lot of TV but it’s a case of picking battles at this point…

Here’s what we wore:

Me: Long Sleeve Top= White Stuff {thrifted}, Jeans= GAP {thrifted on eBay}, Cardigan= ASDA, Scarf = Primark, Leather Jacket = Hide Park, Boots= Clarks

Boys: Trousers and Shirts, Long Sleeve Tops: Various sources/gifted/thrifted or supermarkets, Bags = SkipHop, Fisherman Coat = Vertbaudet Shoes = Clarks

What’s in my ears:

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been listening to Rachel Hollis’ new book – Didn’t see that coming, and with everything going on I’m really enjoying her ever lasting positivity and motivation to pick yourself up and keep going regardless of the season you’re in and whether it is really challenging. 🙂

Fear. Grief. Loss. Betrayal. Rachel Hollis has felt all those things, and she knows you have too. Now, she takes you to the other side.

With her signature humor, heartfelt honesty, and intimate true-life stories, #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hollis shows readers how to seize difficult moments for the learning experiences they are and the value and growth they provide.

Rachel Hollis sees you. As the millions who read her #1 New York Times bestsellers Girl, Wash Your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing, attend her RISE conferences and follow her on social media know, she also wants to see you transform.

When it comes to the “hard seasons” of life–the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job–transformation seems impossible when grief and uncertainty dominate your days. Especially when, as Didn’t See that Coming reveals, no one asks to have their future completely rearranged for them. But, as Rachel writes, it is up to you how you come through your pain–you can come through changed for the better, having learned and grown, or stuck in place where your identity becomes rooted in what hurt you.

To Rachel, a life well-lived is one of purpose, focused only on the essentials. This is a small book about big feelings: inspirational, aspirational, and an anchor that shows that darkness can co-exist with the beautiful.

Amazon

The second thing I listened to this week was the episode of the Rachel Hollis Podcast in which she interviews Joe Biden, this was back in February 2019, just after his book Promise me Dad came out, this interview gave me real insight into the hardship which he’d been through in his life, so much unfair loss, it was quite an emotional listen, but it gave me a real insight into who he is too, and I there is a lot of hope for America’s future with him taking up the helm.

Here’s my week in 4:

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1. Job Lot Shopping for the next size: Facebook selling is still one of the most fabulous of places for a bargain, and I started hunting out clothes for the next size for the boys over the past week, and came across this absolute gem of a job lot for £5 for the lot from a local selling – chuffed to bits with it, all great condition! Second hand is wonderful, good value and the way forward for your budget and for the planet, I hope this encourages you to have a look yourself.
2. Home Art Class: So from Tuesday afternoon, when we got the announcement from the school, we went into isolation, it is such a bore, but for the greater good, and we have had several art sessions with the boys art equipment to keep us entertained. I always give myself a piece of paper to get creative on too – which always makes me feel better about life – everyone creating together 🙂
3. New Picket Fence: Finally went up this week 🙂 and its looking fab. We have decided to keep the height on the fence posts and look into some nice vintage looking string lights to hang down the garden, it’s going to make such a pretty border – cannot wait!
4. 1st Happy Heavenly Birthday: This weekend was Grandad Ray Ray’s first heavenly birthday, it was a tough weekend all round, unable to see each other, we did a family zoom quiz on the Friday and a zoom dinner date on the Saturday. My Mum in law dropped off some gifts to cheers us all up, and Aunty in law got everyone flowers delivered too, we did feel connected and together in a lot of ways, but these virtual options just aren’t the same as an actual hug, but they all help. We’ve decided to name the day Ray Day in the family and always celebrate it with something happy and collective going forward, definitely think he would like that 🙂

Video(s) of the week:

Favourite thing I watched this week {outside of the hours of children’s TV} was Love it or List it, I’m now on to season 5 on 4OD, I have always love Kirstie & Phil, but the brilliance of this show is its like Location Location Location and Grand Designs in 1, with a bit of selling houses too 🙂 It is definitely one for the dreamers an those who always have half an eye on the property market at any given time, as I do. You can find all the episodes on 4od 🙂

What we ate this week…

Breakfast:

I made a loaf of multi-seed white bread in the bread maker overnight on the Sunday night, it was lovely to wake up to fresh bread in the morning. The boys had the last of the chocolate loaf I had made and I had this one toasted with honey. We all had fruit on the side, I had tea and the boys had their milk. After I got back from the school run I had a cup of fresh mint tea with mint from the garden.

Lunch:

I had Cody off school with me as he was streaming with cold, so he had one of these fruit strings he loves a cup of warm squash (special treat for sore throats) as his mid morning snack, I had a cuppa, a clementine and some pringles. I then served carrot and coriander soup, cheese on toast and a side of fruit for us both for lunch, Cody only really had the fruit, but this is a common story when either of the boys are feeling one degree under.

Dinner:

For dinner the boys had their usual beans and toast and fruit for afters and I finally got round to using my pumpkin, from Pop up Pumpkins, to make Squash and Goat’s Cheese Pasta – it was delicious and well worth the wait. 🙂

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!