A-Z Blogging Challenge - O is for Off-Screen Weekend

 

This is a bit of a stretch for O but it kind of works and I was struggling to come up with anything else!

JD and I decided to have a screen-free weekend last weekend to see how it'd be. We thought perhaps we'd catch up on things we keep meaning to do but are always on our phones/computers doing other things instead. We encouraged the kids to join in but they didn't want to. So on Friday night, after having a good think if there was anything I'd need for the next two days, I turned off my phone and computer and went to bed.

Turns out if you're putting off things by being on your phone you'll still put them off by sitting on the sofa talking! We had a really nice weekend even so. We read books, baked, went for a walk, did some spring cleaning, talked more and did crosswords.  JD made some biltong and I made a lime cake. 

The biltong drying in our oven.

It felt really relaxing not having to check emails, write or work on blog posts. I did miss not being able to take photos of things, especially as we went over to York to have a park meet up with my sister Sally.

We did actually sit down on those blankets!

We also couldn't use our phones for directions, for music in the car or to check the weather! Luckily it was sunny 😊

I spent some time sewing a new ribbon on my hat because the old one had fallen off. I'd usually listen to music or a podcast whilst sewing so it was different just focusing on one thing at once.

I also varnished the painted pebbles I'd done to put in our front yard. We had plenty of time to talk to the kids and we all had a walk to the park on Saturday evening since it was nice weather. Usually we'd be catching up on whatever show we're currently watching. 

We'd previously said we'd have a pizza takeaway on the Saturday but couldn't get in touch with Deliveroo to order it with no screens so JD and I walked to our local pizza place to order it in person then bring it home. 

The whole weekend felt like a mini holiday even though we were at home and we've said that we're quite keen to repeat the no-screens for maybe 1-2 days a month. The pace of the weekend was much slower with no rushing to get anything done. I felt relaxed and like I had plenty of time which I enjoyed.

Do you think you would enjoy screen free time or hate it?

Trying New Crafts 1/5 - Pebble Painting

This year I've set myself a goal of trying 5 new crafts. I really like making things but there's so many things I've never tried. So here I am in April thinking 'oh shit, I'd better get started on this!' I was given this book at Christmas as I'd planned ahead and put it on my Amazon wishlist.

I'd also planned ahead and collected these stones from our last beach trip. I keep them in this classy broken cardboard box. 😂

Armed with some paint markers I took some ideas from the book and started painting. These were my first two tries.

I kept going and quite enjoyed it. The kids were annoyed by me shaking the paint markers to activate the paint but despite that I carried on.

I did quite simple designs at first but after a while I tried more difficult patterns with different colours on top of others. The paint dries quite quickly so you can add other colours on top. I really love this tiny cactus I did.

I love beach pebbles and collecting nice looking ones is always something I do if we visit a beach. It was really nice to use them to paint on. Picking out shapes that would suit certain paintings.

I might finish off some with clear varnish and put them in the garden as decorations.

It was fun to try something new but it's time to move on to my next project which will be felting a Blue Tit. See you next time! 😊

Slow Cooker Favourites - Turkey & White Bean Chilli

 

This is definitely one of our favourites! Turkey mince instead of beef to be a bit healthier and you can add whatever veg you fancy or whatever you have to use up. We've had this chilli lots and it goes great with a sprinkling of cheese and a dollop of yoghurt. Other toppings could be some chopped coriander or some slices of avocado.

Ingredients:

500g turkey mince

1 onion

2-3 cloves garlic

1 tin tomatoes

1 tin cannellini beans

1-2 sweet potatoes

1 red pepper

2 tablespoons chilli powder

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1-2 cups chicken stock

For this recipe the mince needs to be cooked in a frying pan before it's added to the slow cooker. 

Chop all the veg into bite sized pieces and add the crushed garlic along with the spices to the slow cooker. Tip in the beans and tinned tomatoes. Stir in the mince when cooked and pour over the stock.

Leave to cook on HIGH for about 6 hours and then LOW until you're ready to eat it. It can be thickened with cornflour and cold water or you could add some tomato puree instead. We have it as it is.

It's such a tasty chilli and the slow cooker does all the hard work once you've added all the ingredients. Your house will smell lovely as it cooks and then you can tuck into bowls of spicy chilli at tea time. Add a crusty roll to dip in and I don't think you could have a more hearty meal. We love it!