In her spare time, she enjoys…”

After the nightmare of my last discernment “The day I realised I was boring“, I was rudely reminded again this week when I finally had to write an ‘about me’ for my company’s website.

I’ve worked for this company before but stupidly I didn’t save my little bio. I did save the picture! – I don’t photograph well and photos always fall on the day that my acne flares up, I was very pleased with myself that I remembered to save it last time. It’s not particularly good but it’ll do.

Just the bio to update.

I got through the usual business stuff, my background, university, the things I’m good at and what I specialise in etc but then I got to the last line.

“She’s from a small town in the north of England and in her spare time she enjoys…”

Stuck

I have no idea

What hobbies do I have? None.

Well, none that make me sound interesting.

I sent the question out to my friends, the replies I received amused me but didn’t seem professional enough for the website.

“In her spare time she drinks.”

“She enjoys being asked to leave from supermarkets for laughing too loud in the greeting cards aisle”

“She enjoys pressing all the noisy toys in shops and then walking away”

“In her spare time she gets into embarrassing and weird situations that no normal person would have to deal with”

“She likes to sleep.”

All of these are true and all of them are things I enjoy in some way but none of them seem appropriate.

Since I’ve had to put something, I’ve gone with the generic “she enjoys cooking and painting”. I do enjoy painting and I’m not sure about cooking but since it fills most of my free time I’ll leave it in. The only issue is this makes me seem like a boring 80-year-old or a house wife in the 1950s. I’ve promised our website designer something a little more exciting but I’m failing to find inspiration. I’m back to the hobby search.

The day I realised I was boring

It’s not a great thing to admit but I really am boring.

I’ve been living in a new town, 100 miles from my closest friends, since May and I still haven’t found a hobby or anyone to befriend.

I hate the jokey phone calls from my mother when she offers to buy me a children’s book on how to make friends.

I tried Patook and Borrowmydoggy to try to find company but neither have worked, I still haven’t met anyone, human or fluffy.

 

Why is it so difficult to make friends outside of University and school? I know all my other chums have managed to do it but some have moved back home so are around old friends and the others all work in professions where there are lots of people our age. Although I love my job, 3 colleagues and their families, I really would like it if they hired someone 20 years younger.

 

I’m in desperate need of some ideas.

Yes, I have tried googling it.

 

The Options

This list is not helpful but it keeps popping up.

• I cook and clean every weekend but that’s not particularly fulfilling at the moment.

 

• I already draw, paint, craft as much as I can but all too often I empty the craft draw out and sit staring at all the lovely bits and pieces without a single clue what to make.

 

• I don’t want a hobby that involves technology, I’m fed up of using my laptop and phone for work and entertainment. It needs a break.

 

• I don’t have time to volunteer right now.

 

• Exercise is not my friend and having a life that is revolving around health and dieting is really bringing me down.

 

• I can already sew and I don’t want to spend a lot of money on a sewing machine that won’t be used.

 

• I’m not particularly open to going to a new crafty workshop because those things COST.

I’m stubborn and lost.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Sale Shopping isn’t easy when you’re fat and broke but…

“January Sales”… Okay they start from boxing day but I still enjoy a good browse through the rails or website (preferably the website – I hate trying things on, and the snotty look you get from sales assistants when you’re not a size 2)

I’m in control of my meals and my anxiety but I’ve forgotten to monitor the shopping habit. I was hoping to stop this problem and then use the excuse of needing new clothes when (if) I lost some weight.

Plus – I’m not sure this happens to everyone – some of my pretty white work shirts have become stained where the aluminium in my deodorant has reacted. This has upset me a lot so obviously I need to replace them (the baking soda and vinegar method only works so much).

I’m trying to save money but there have been a couple of little purchases that I’m very happy with.

1. The boots!

I love these so much! My dad bought them for me to cheer me up during a little shopping trip after Christmas, I think they we about £15 – so comfortable and totally worth it! Thank you Peacocks

 

2. The trousers

During the same shopping trip with my dad, I bought these, they were £4 in a sale rail at New Look.. Obviously I will need to shorten them before spring when I wear them, I have this problem with all wide leg trousers.

 

3. The top

Ok, not strictly a sale buy, it was a christmas gift from my mum but I still love it! It’s from Sainsburys

 

4. The bag

I found this in Joules at the weekend, £25 and it is beautiful (and reversible, all pink on the inside). Amazing!!!

 

I found a cute bomber jacket in Select but after I bought it and was waiting for delivery, I had the email saying it was out of stock. I did however pick this cute little lace top up.

I’m still looking for a simple non-padded bomber jacket if anyone comes across one.

Meal Prep Madness

I feel like I’m turning into my mother when I say this but… I love planning my meals!

To save some money I decided to do a rough weekly plan of my meals (usually based on what’s going to be on offer in my local supermarket). It has been about a month and it’s working out very well. I especially enjoy the shopping trips that cost less than £20 for my weekly food.

I go online or pick up the little offer magazine from the supermarket and basically plan my weekly meals around it, and since the offers don’t come around that often my weekly meals are rarely boring.

It’s been working so well for my evening meals. I get home from work knowing exactly what I need to cook and it cuts out that annoying hour where I stand in front of my freezer staring at the contents looking for inspiration.

I’m guessing this is healthier too as I’m eating earlier and my body has more time to process the food before I go to bed.

I admit I occasionally swap things around, like this week I knew I had a jumbo box of fish fingers in my freezer, I keep them mainly for a quick-lunch, but I was seriously craving those breadcrumb covered rectangles – so out went the planned smoked haddock dish and in came the quick and easy finger. Plus I’ve got an extra meal to roll on to next week.

 

Now I am starting the lunch meal prep. How hard can it be? (My breakfast is always a berry&banana smoothie – it’s my version of coffee, I can’t cope without it)

I’m sort of already doing it.

I have tried it once before with mason jar salads (how expensive are good mason jars!!?!) but I got really bored of the salad by the 3rd day and by the end of the week I was ready to be sick from the dressing.

On Sunday, looking out at the dull rainy sky I decided it was time for another Soup Sunday.

This time I made a spinach soup and a red pepper and tomato soup.

They were so easy and they’ve been amazing so far this week.

My spinach soup;

One chopped onion

One chopped potato

A pint of veg stock

As much spinach as would fit in the pan

I thew the onion in the pan to soften, added the potato and stock later.

After the potato was soft I threw in a load of spinach and some salt and pepper

It boiled away while I did other things and I finally got around to processing it.

Into 2 microwavable pots and into my fridge… followed by a lot of cleaning because my white kitchen had been decorated with green polka dots.

 

At the same time I made the tomato and pepper soup

One chopped onion (and some salad spring onions I had lying in the fridge)

One chopped potato (to thicken)

One red bell pepper

One can of tomatoes

3/4 pint of veg stock

The same as every soup, I throw the onion in to soften first, then added the pepper to do the same.

Once soft I added the potato and stock, shortly followed by the can of tomatoes.

Salt and pepper to taste – and then by a stroke of genius I added some basil and a sprinkle of chilli flakes – that heat really kicked it up a flavour notch!

Boil then process and decant into tubs for the fridge.

I’m loving the meal prep – I made enough for 5 days, but since I’ve got Friday off I had a bowl for a Sunday snack.

Now to plan next weeks lunches… I’m thinking a chicken and vegetable one tray bake with couscous.