Gentle Determination Of The New Year

You don’t need social media to tell you how to live , you don’t need social media to push those New Years resolutions to the forefront of your mind.You don’t need to aspire to more followers on any social media platform , you don’t have to worry if a social media follower runs away.Gentle determination going forward gathers much more momentum than any pouting duck faced celebrity will tell you whilst posing in a infinity pool some where hot.And anyway I can’t swim or pout which is probably a good thing let alone subject myself to a itsy bisty nothing there bikini.

Your social media your space but just without the fanfare of declarations.

I’ve created a list of the best drinks in the whole wide world , I can’t speak for the alien cocktails.

So in a nutshell the list comprises of tea to infinity ... there is no better drink than tea.

Hope is a cup of tea and a cup of tea is hope.

If you think ooh you must do something for New Year then I still think gentle determination going forward is the best thing.I started the gym 2 weeks ago through a council scheme and whilst I haven’t been over Christmas I fully intend with gentle determination to do so over the next year.

Alot of my 2019 has been peppered by family issues and literally me being brought to my mental health knees and having to give up my job ( I was a teaching assistant for many years ) though through job /money cuts that was taken away from me.

But I’ve taken steps with gentle determination to give myself a much needed boost to my inner soul and heart.I have joined a choir and I’m helping at a local school as a volunteer teaching assistant.

It is a bimble through life and I like it I’m not all guns blazing and going for it like Butch Cassidy and the Sun dance kid.

Post Christmas Rosti

Is a rösti nothing more than a humble hash brown with an Alpine airs and graces or is this humble potato dish not so humble after all.Will the Swiss have you rattling for your pans , dishes and potatoes?

Ingredients 

Potatoes 

Chopped onion 

Grated carrot 

Grated Paranip

Grated onion 

Method 

Grate the parsnips, potatoes and carrot into a bowl and chill in the fridge for a while.season as needed .

Fry the onion first if you want.

Preheat the oven to about 180 / 200 c

Press as much moisture as you can with tea towels out of the rosti combination

Then press into a rounded oven dish I used a pizza one and cook for about 30 minutes or more checking every 15 minutes or so .

Why You’ll Leave Your Heart In Vienna

Why I love Vienna so much is so many reasons but when you visit there you leave a piece of your heart there so visiting Vienna is the only way to make it whole again.If you want a flavour of Vienna Christmas markets then pop over to this blog post and then get booking your break to either squeeze in a visit this year or next.

My visit to Vienna was last month just at the start of the Christmas markets and just the other day I was watching Greg Wallace and the Christmas markets in Vienna. It was lovely to see all the lights and sparkle again and it makes my local authority lights very tame.

Giant snowman Oooh yes please.

And it’s not only the vibe of the Christmas markets that will lure you back , it is also the stunning architecture and museums.

Fitness At Christmas

I’ve joined the gym at the most bonkers time of year and it’s a council initiative and the only thing I have to pay for is my bus fare.And while some might think that sharing stuff is causing a vulnerability but it is really creating a strength and it brings people together I feel and creates a unity of strength.

The gym I get for a year and I will go once a week and it is out my comfort zone and all this is to get me fit.It is the Olympics next year and I haven’t found my event yet perhaps I could do tea making ?

Awwh yes exercise 

Where you think your muscles are fine 

Then your body goes ohh no

And your muscles go tighter than Superman wearing his pants in a very hot wash

I even used the rowing machine and didn’t knock my teeth out , I have a one to one fitness weigh loss coach and that’s brilliant for me.

Festive Feelings When You’re A Cat

Neighbours said the owner was known for taunting her cat, prior to the fatal attack. And now, the weather.

Harry Potter Lex -GO perfect game for Christmas

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Everyone loves games at Christmas and what better that to combine Harry Potter and a word game , you’ll have so much fun in this super - fast word game and I have seen the TV line up so I’ll be playing this instead with my family.

 

 

Harry Potter Lex-GO! 

Word Game from Waddingtons No1

 

Looking for a game to play with the family this Christmas?

Harry Potter Lex-GO! is the super fast word game that everyone 

can enjoy (whether you're a Harry Potter fan or not)!

 

 

Lex-GO! is one 'L' of a super-fast word game. Race against other players to get rid of all your playing card tiles by creating words, swapping letters and even attacking other players' words. 

 

 

 

In this special Harry Potter Edition of Lex-Go!, there are special spell tiles to increase your chances of winning:

 

 

• EXPELLIARMUS tile allows a player to mess up another player’s tiles

• DEPULSO tile allows a player to banish one of their tiles from the round if they need to

• REVELIO tile allows a player to look at any number of tiles in the draw pile before choosing which to swap

• STUPEFY tile allows a player to freeze another player out the game for 10 seconds

 

 

 

 

In this special Harry Potter Edition the 'POLYJUICE POTION' tile can be any letter 

and you can spell 'SNITCH' to instantly win the round.

 

 

 

 

• RRP £14.99
• Age 8+
• Available at Waterstones, Amazon.co.uk and TheWorks.co.uk

Slow Cooker Christmas Dinner

There is nothing to say that you couldn't slow cook most of your Christmas dinner what ever you're having , you could create a water bath so therefore turning it into a sort of Dutch oven or you  could just through everything in with the except of your Yorkshire puddings.

I put in the slow cooker this morning some cubed butter nut squash, a chicken stock cube , some water and turkey or chicken .Adding in any other vegetables you want even those bullets of doom that are Brussel Sprouts.

I left mine on low for 6 hours and here’s the result.

How I Work

I work like this ... my brain wiring is different but I’m sharp as a drawing pin or as alert as hidden lego.

I am neurotypical . I am autistic .

But I carry merrily about my day , I will more than likely remember more about you than you do , I will remember everything that happened to me and school.

I am a fact sponge.

I like sponge cake.

I don’t expect allowances I just expect to be allowed to explain myself and that is hard at times.

I live without a label.

No I can’t do mathematics nor do I have a hidden art skill.

And I still do everything as I did before with the exception of working as a teaching assistant.I now volunteer at a school hearing children read and now I’m helping them with their Children nativity. I’ve joined a choir and sing soprano well I try ! but I’m getting my voice back to where it was.

How to Stop Winter from Destroying your Finances

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How to Stop Winter from Destroying your Finances

The temperature outside has been dropping consistently for the last couple of months, and there’s a good chance it won’t heat up again for a little while now. On the plus side, the winter brings with it some amazing opportunities, including moments with beloved family members, meaningful days with friends, and the season of giving. On the other hand, winter is incredibly expensive, particularly when it comes to things like food and energy bills. 

Fortunately, if you’re worried about the extra expenses of this time of year, and the impact that they might have on your bank account, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. 

1.  Stop Leaking Heat from your Home

Keeping on top of your strategies for home maintenance can seriously reduce the amount you need to spend in the long-term. Many modern energy companies are offering free cavity and loft insulation today, which could save your home some serious money. You can check out whether your energy company is offering this service online. 

If you don’t have free help from your energy company, consider investing in some thicker curtains to keep draughts out, and use caulk and sealant to fill up any gaps around your home. Don’t forget to take advantage of draught excluders in the rooms of your home too. 

2.  Upgrade your Boiler

We know, this can sound like a super expensive way to save money. While you might need a loan to pay for your new boiler and thermostat this year, you can rest assured that the money you pay will be worth it in the long-term, when you’ve got a more energy-efficient home. Your old and run-down boiler could be using a lot more energy than necessary to keep your radiators warm through the winter. 

Additionally, if your boiler is past its best now, then there’s nothing to stop it from breaking down fully in the next couple of months. The last thing you want is the expense of an emergency repair to pay for, on top of the cost of a new boiler. 

3.  Check for Local Help

In the UK, there are sources of assistance out there for seniors who need help managing their heating bills. If you, or someone that you’re living with was born before the 5^thof January 1953, then they’ll be eligible for help with their fuel payments in a lot of cases. There are government winter fuel payments that allow you to keep your costs low each year. 

Different regions of the UK have different benefit and payment schemes available. It’s worth speaking to a professional like someone from the citizen’s advice bureau to see what you could be eligible for. Or, consider talking to your energy supplier and asking for their tips. 

4.  Compare Suppliers

If you’re still with the same gas and electricity supplier that you’ve been with for the last seven years, now could be the time to make a change. A lot of the best deals on energy today are reserved to attract new customers. There’s a chance that you could have been shifted onto a less attractive tariff – and you’re not even aware of it. 

Take the details of how much electricity and gas you usually use onto a comparison website and see whether you could reduce your bills by switching to a different company. Changing energy suppliers is often a lot easier today than you used to be. In some cases, you can sign up for a new package online and your new provider will handle the switch for you. 

5.  Go Energy Efficient

Finally, the lights and appliances in your home are likely to be put to use more often during the winter months when you’re hibernating with your family. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to make sure that you’re using energy efficient lightbulbs. As well as having a longer life-span than your traditional bulk, LED bulbs are also good for the environment. 

There are other things that you can use to make your home more energy efficienttoo. Once you’ve finished replacing your lightbulbs, take a look at things like your washing machine, tumble dryer, and even your kettle. While you might not be able to afford to replace all of them at once, you can get rid of the one that has the biggest issue with energy consumption and keep working on replacing items one at a time. Eventually, you’ll have a super-efficient home.