Slimming World Meal Plan Monday

I am joining back to my Slimming World group this week after been giving the go ahead from my doctors. Really looking forward to getting ideas and support in group

This week breakfast is will be Weetabix, Poached Eggs, Yogurt & Fruit & Overnight Oats

Lunch will be Chicken Salad, Hummus & Veggies, Scrambled Eggs & Tuna Wraps

Here is our meal for dinners for the week

Monday: Chicken Stir Fry, Stir Fry Veg & Dry Wok Noddles

Tuesday: Gammon Steaks, SW Chips, Fried Eggs & Salad

Wednesday: SW Lasagna, SW Chips & Salad

Thursday: SW Fish & Chips

Friday: SW Pizza Covered Chicken

Saturday: We are having family over 

Mexican Night Tacos, Nachos & Dip

Sunday: Roast Beef Family Sunday Lunch

Over The Weekend #32

Sometime you have an lovely weekend planned packed full of fun things to do

but life has another idea!

Saturday morning Paul was working all weekend so Oisìn and I went for coffee for me and milk and pancakes for him!

We went to one of his favourite places the library! 

After he picked out his three books I had plans for the park, feed the ducks and playground

but he looked really tired and pale so we came home and I put him down for a nap.

When he woke he seemed okay so we went to my parents for lunch

We had a nice lunch, Oisìn and Nanny done some colouring

but I noticed as the afternoon went on Oisìn wouldn't eat and became very tired

He wouldn't eat any dinner when we got home and his tummy looked bloated

So I decided a bath was the best thing to cheer him up

Look at the face how much I love it!

Bath time did cheer him up but also seeing Daddy home from work

before he went to bed also made him happy

Thinking all was okay I lit I candle for my brother

Who I have been really missing lately doesn't seem like ten years at all since he passed away

I poured a glass of wine and we settled down and watched Outlander

Just as the end credits rolled we heard Oisìn vomitting

Poor mite he didn't cry even when we had to change his pyjamas and bed clothes

We where all in bed by 10.30pm

It was a beautiful day here in Dublin today

but we spent it mostly in doors
Paul was in work again today so besides hanging out washing
Oisìn and I spent today cuddling and watching Disney
Little guy hasn't been himself much wanting to sleep for long naps
and watch Disney cartoons so that what we did!

Now I'm not feeling to good and Oisìn has asked to go to bed which is so not like him!
So I am now getting ready to snuggle up in bed and read
I will be lucky if I get through one day of my book because I feel shattered!

This Month I Have Mostly Been Reading-May

This month I got to read so much as I had another month of hospital appointments!

It was a mixed bag regarding books some I loved, some I disliked and one I hated!

I even manged to enjoy reading in the garden when it wasn't raining!

Me Before You-Jojo Moyes
What to say about this book that hasn't already been said? I am a bit slow when it comes to poplar books. I tend not to read something just because everyone else is, if it is a good book and not just hype then it will be still be a good book when the hype has gone.
When a number of my friends recommend this book to me after a few months I decided to give it a go! I actually read this the last few days of April when I was sick with a sinus infection but my review for April had been done and I enjoyed this book so much I had to add it to my May review.
I got into this book more or less straight away. I really like the lead character Lou she is down to earth, normal and likable. I really enjoyed Moyes style of writing straight forward and to the point. I think alot of people know the plot so I will kept my summary short and simple.
Lou loses her job as a waitress at a greasy spoon, she still lives at home with her parents in there over crowded semi, she has a boyfriend of six years and she has idea of what her live will be like, whenever her boyfriend Patrick finally decides to propose she will marry him, go on cheap sun holidays, work at what ever job she can get and live in his flat or with his Mother. That is until she starts to work for Will Traynor who was a well to do workaholic and thrill seeker, until a road accident took away his desire for life it also took away his body. Will is paralysed from mid torso and hates this way of life. Lou works as his career and try to help improve his way of life and his state of mind.
The two form an unlike friendship and go a journey of sorts, they learn so much from each other and open each others minds to different things.
This book was beautiful and I normally don't do soppy books but this was so much more than that. I laughed, I gigged, I shipped, I felt sad, I felt happy,  I read into the early morning hours and I sobbed crazy fat tears with snot and everything (blame the sinus infection on that one!)
I haven't cried like that when reading a book in a long long time, l really can't remember when I cried sad tears but been really happy with the ending of a book at the same time!
The movie version is out next month my Mam and I will go to see it. She read the book after I did and loved it just as much as I did, but I doubt the movie will compare to how the book made us feel.
Time to check out some more of Jojo Moyes at my library!

The Observations-Jane Harris
From a book I loved to one I really disliked! If a book doesn't grab me by the 200 page mark then I am sorry you have lost me! This book is the story of Bessie who starts to work in the Scottish Highlands as a maid for a mistress with a secret in the Victoria times.
Gosh I tried so hard with this book put it down so many times but the writing was good so I picked it back up again. I kept with it hoping that the story would pick up and just as it did, it had the most let down ending!

The Secret Keeper-Kate Morton

I am going to be honest this book was a let down for me and dare I say it I this disliked this book

a first for a Kate Morton book for me. I know Morton's books are normally a slower burn but at page 331 and I still didn't care about any of the characters or plot I knew this book wasn't going to be a favourite.

The plot sounds great in the early 1960's Laurel is dreaming of becoming an actress. She wants to escape her younger sibling's garden party, so goes to day dream about the boy she is seeing and moving to London in the family tree house. There she is witness to her Mother murdering a stranger instead. That Summer stays with Laurel for the rest of her life. In 2011 when her Mother is slowly dying Laurel starts to unravel the mystery of what happened that Summer.

Sounds like everything I like about Morton but it was so hard to get into usually by 100 pages of a book I am somewhat invested in the plot and characters but I wasn't with this book. All of the female characters aren't very likable. There was nothing to make me want to care about them and I found them very one dimensional. Laurel was any okay character but she all of sudden had an interest in her family and family home when it seemed for a good 30 years and more hadn't really cared about them in the slightest! Her sisters again quite unlikeable and in a book that is over 600 pages long didn't feature in the book much. Dolly seemed a bit of a fruit and nut! Making up stories and lies that never happened! By the time Vivien is given a voice in the book I had given up caring about the plot which was a shame as Vivien was the best character in the book and the most likable.

After spending what felt like forever for the story to pick up I was let down when it did. The twist and turns where good but it did feel like too little too late. I was disappointed as I know Kate Morton can be brilliant at times but for me this book was 200 pages too long with a plot that took too long to get started.   

The Bucket List To Mend A Broken Heart-Anna Bell

This is just the type of book I like to read while in and out of hospital appointments

a light chick lit to get me through the endless waiting rooms!

Like so many chick lit it's the story of a broken relationship! Abi is heart broken when love of her life Joseph dumps her stating there just too different. Abi finds Joseph's list of things to do before 40 in her box of belongings and decides to do the list herself to try win him back.

Problem is there all things Abi hates, cycling, rock climbing, mountaineering, camping, and wind surfing, but Abi surprises herself and meets lots of new friends.

The book is a good chick lit well written and funny. Abi is a bit desperate but she is a likable character just a bit too in getting her ex back. Her ex seems a bit of an arse to be honest and the longer then are broken up, the more she throws herself into the bucket list. There is funny moments and of course there is her bike instructor Ben with his help her confidence grows.

It's fairly straight forward who Abi is going to end up with and the book has a lovely feel good ending. Just the the thing to read with a coffee in hand passing the time in a hospital waiting room!

The Second Duchess-Eizabeth Loupas

After reading Loupas last month and really enjoying her book I follow this month with

The Second Duchess another book I devoured in two days!

Set in Renaissance Italy at the court of Ferrara, Barbara Duchess of Austria comes to Italy to become wife to the Duke and Duchess of Ferrara. Barbara is the older second wife of The Duke the first wife who was beautiful and young died under mysterious circumstances. Despite The Duke's command not to ask questions about his first wife or her death, Barbara cannot let the matter drop especially after a few close calls on her own life. Soon herself and The Duke are investigating into the last few days of the first Duchess life. Someone isn't happy about the questions Barbara has been asking and wishes to see the Second Duchess dead.

I really enjoyed Barbara's point of view she is a strong, witty character. The book is mostly her point of view, but Loupas also gives the first Duchess a voice too she is very different to Barbra so it was a nice contrast when reading the two women's thoughts. 

The Second Duchess was great page turner that kept me guessing until the end. Loupas is a great story teller and I look forward to reading more from her.

Appleby Farm-Cathy Bramley

This beautiful cover drew me to this book. It was just what I needed to read while

sitting in the hospital and doctor waiting rooms! This is a well written chick lit about Freya who has been flitting from one job to another and can't seem to settle in one place. She was raised by her Aunt and Uncle as her parents where very career based and moved alot with her Father's job. When her elderly Uncle is took ill Freya goes back to help at her childhood home Appleby Farm. While she is there she discovers how ill her Uncle is and how much her Aunt wants to retire but there the farm is in a huge amount of debt and the cattle have TB so need to be put down. How can Freya help keep the farm in the family and save it from being put up for sale? Plus there is the boy next door who has grown alot since Freya last saw him does Freya have time for love as well as everything else?

This is a charming read set in the beautiful British Lake District, perfect light Summer read.

What Oisìn has been reading this month:

When You Where Born-Benji Bennett

I have mentioned Adam's Cloud here before but this was the first book of the collection we bought Oisìn it was actually one of the first book we bought him when he was around eight months old.

This book really gets me every time I read it to him. After trying to conceive for so long been told it was going to be a long journey due to my PCOS and Endonetriosis to then finally having our baby boy this book just spoke to me. It is about how the baby on a journey picks it's parents from heaven. How if they picked baby fluff number five it would be a bee in a beehive, if it picked seven it would be a dolphin delivered from heaven etc 

It's the last couple of pages that are so special and sweet it's a book that we treasure and one we will be reading for many years to come.

What have you been reading this month?

Song of the Week

This week has been sponsored by the song...

Gypsy-Fleetwood Mac

I don't play my many CDs much anymore it's all about spotifiy and my ipod now
but that doesn't mean I don't love my back catalogue of Fleetwood Mac CDs!
I will buy the new reissue of Mirage Fleetwood Mac's 1982 album where the song Gypsy takes pride of place. I will be buying it not on itunes but on amazon for the actual CD. I am still old school like that I love taking out the booklet looking at the new pictures, reading the lyrics and searching for new facts!
While Mirage isn't my favourite Fleetwood Mac album it will be joining my CD collection of Fleetwood Mac bumper reissue albums Fleetwood Mac, Rumours and Tusk
Do you still listen or buy CDs?

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

I wasn't sure what to expect from Love Nina, haven't read the book but it looked good
and I love anything with Helena Bonham Carter so I gave it a go.
I'm so glad I did it's a witty, funny half our show about 20 year old Nina from Leicester who
becomes a Nanny in London for, two football crazy, very clever boys. She writes to her sister in Leicester telling her all what it's like living and working for a clever, brainy and eccentric family.
The highlights for me where Faye Marsay as Nina and Helena Bonham Carter as the boys eccentric Mother George. I am looking forward to more next week.

This was the first episode of the second season of Outlander when I actually thought
the storyline was rushed and I didn't understand what was happening.
Last week Claire and Jamie had the big bust up about saving Frank through Jamie not duelling with Black Jack. This week we saw Jamie still struggling with that decision. Himself and Claire are barely talking, when Murtagh intervenes and tells Jamie to eat and get ready for the duel. Jamie knows he has to tell Murtagh the truth the whole truth about Claire, the stones and her being from the future.
The storyline I had a problem with was the fake small pox in the wine. Claire was trying to make small pox appear on Jamie with various, herbs and potions. Then the whole poison wine and robbery, it felt rushed and I had to actually stop and think why they where doing it again. Of course it is to make sure that Bonnie Prince Charles doesn't get the money in his war chest to set sail for Scotland to try reclaim his Stuart crown and in doing so kill hundreds of Scots and the highland way of life. But in a episode that already fit so much into an hour it felt rushed and not explained well.
The scenes that I truly loved was Jamie talking to Claire's bump such a sweet scene and when he made her promise that if anything bad ever happens to them, if she has no choice she must go back through the stones. Just has he had promised her that he wouldn't fight Black Jack, a promise that at the end of the episode is broken, and it breaks Claire as it looks like she is losing there baby as she finds out and watches them duel. My heart broke as she tried to call for Jamie as she held her stomach and passed out.

After last weeks reveal that Dr Sweet is in fact Dracula

I was excited to see where this weeks episode could go.

Mr Clare (Frankenstein's Monster) is back in London after having a number of flashbacks of his life before he heads to the place he last remembers living with his wife and son. His story is always so tragic and brilliantly acted he is one of my favourite characters in Penny Dreadful. He finally find his wife and son living in a old run down room. His son looks like he his dying from tuberculosis to help them he robs a rich man and leaves the money in there room. He doesn't reveal himself to his family instead he looks through the broken attic floor quite like a ghostly angel.

From a character I love to one I dislike Dorian Grey while I really like Billie Pipper's portrayal of Lily the creature of Frankenstein's Brona. I feel Dorian adds nothing to the story, he just seems to appear in the sickly gruesome sex scenes! Justine became there willing disciple slaughtering her old pimp, of course nothing turns you on more than a good killing so they have a blood soaked threesome! While I'm all for sex scenes if there needed I think this scene was just for shock value which sometimes does annoy me with this show.

Ethan Talbot has reluctantly teamed up with the evil Hecate to try out run the police who are fast on there heels.

He doesn't understand what Hecate wants with him until she spells it out for him. She wants him to give into the beast inside him, the one he tries so hard to hide until the full moon outs him. Her goal is to tempt him into the darkness, she is the darkness to Vanessa's light and if he embraces the beast and darkness she want to rule at his side.

This season for me the storyline I am loving is the Vanessa/Dracula storyline. This Dr Sweet is a different kind of Dracula then we are use to. He doesn't hide away in the darkness, he can walk in the light, he has a job, he can see his refection in mirrors, he is slightly awkward, and he speaks of his dead wife with what seems like genuine heart break. Vanessa seems to be falling a little for him that is until one of his vampire minions speaks out of turn, and appeared to her to tell her that she had met his master before in a padded cell of white. Vanessa quickly retreats back into herself and breaks off contact with Dr Sweet. Which of course he is very annoyed about seeing the charmingly awkward Dr Sweet change with temper and kill the outspoken minion was rather chilling and I am looking forward to seeing him change from the soft spoken Dr Sweet to the powerful scary Dracula.

The big reveal this week was when Vanessa convinces Dr Seward to hypnotise her to go back into her thoughts to that padded cell to see the master once more. When an orderly comes to the room with her lunch we see it is no other than Mr Clare in his life before Frankenstein!

  

This season of Game of Thrones just seems to be getting better and better!
The Door was one of the most heart breaking episodes as another of our favourite characters is killed. This was an episode of huge reveals and some of the huge pieces of the Game of Thrones jigsaw where put together.
Bran gets some stick for being a "boring" character my hubby who is a huge Thrones fan was never a big fan of Bran, but I knew he was a major piece in the chess game that is Thrones. After a break from the character he is back this season and showing all the non Bran fans why he is needed. He is the link that is needed between the past and the future and with his flashbacks the history of the Thrones world is shown to the viewer. In this episode he found that The Children of The Forest needed a weapon against mankind and created The White Walkers. Which obviously didn't go to plan as now The Children of The Forest are all but gone and The White Walkers are building an army to kill mankind!
In Castle Black Sansa meets Little Finger and vents her fury at him for leaving her at the hands of Ramsay. She doesn't want his help and tells him to leave before so he reveals that her Uncle has gathered men and took back Riverrun. The side storyline of Brienne and Tormund is giving us the comic relief but poor Pod has barely had one line this season! There was a good few reminders of Jon Snow been illegitimate this episode wonder where they are going with this storyline? Will Sansa be Warton of the North due to Jon not being a Stark? Will Jon fight for more than just the North? Sansa brought him back into a sisterly hug when she made him a new coat with furs and the Stark sigil like the one there Father Ned wore.
Arya must make a decision if she is to become faceless is she ready to finally give up her Stark name? I don't think Arya will ever completely lose the pride and love she carries with her name. We could see that she was still visibly hurt and annoyed when the little play she was watching mocked her Father and Sister. Great little cameo Richard E Grant as one of the camp theatre actors.
This season for me is beginning to feel like the end of the over all series, certain storylines will be drawing to a close soon, there has been major deaths in every episode and there is only two Stark Direwolves left and one of them was last seen in season one!
The last few minutes of this episode showed us once again how George RR Martin is a master story teller, how he was sitting on this big secret since the first pages of the first book is amazing. Earlier this season we saw a flashback and found out Bran's gentle giant Hodor once had a different name and was a stable boy and friend to the Starks. In this episode we found out how he was renamed Hodor. Hodor is the shorting of the plea to Hold The Door which was what Meeran shouted to him as she tried to escaped with Bran while the army of the dead surrounded the cave where Bran and The One Eye Raven where warping back in time. The phrase ingrained on young Hodor's brain by a present day Bran as he warped into Hodor's body to try escape death from the White Walkers. The gentle giant was ripped to pieces by the walkers as Bran made his escape while in the past Bran watched on as the young Hodor became a shell of what he once was.
It doesn't look good for Bran next week with only Meeran with him now, as Hodor, The One Eyed Raven, The Children of The Forest and Direwolf Summer where all wiped out in this episode
But before all that I have to get through this week without crying if someone hold the door for me!

Slimming World Meal Plan Monday

This weeks meal will be a bit all over the place

as I am in and out of the hospital a few times this week

Oisìn is having a sleep over in his Grandparents cause of this and

I have a feeling I will be comfort eating after long days spent at the hospital

I do have something to look forward to I am rejoin my Slimming World group

after a few months away because of strong meds.

Breakfasts this week will be weetabix, scrambled eggs, bran flakes, and fruit

Lunches I will be eating out for lunch alot this week but I will try make the best options

Monday: Slimming World Spaghetti Bolognese

Tuesday: Slimming World Taco Fries

Wednesday: Gammon Steaks, Fried Eggs, Beans & SW Chips

Thursday: Slimming World Diet Coke Chicken & SW Chips

Friday: Eating Out

Saturday: Beef Stir Fry, Stir Fry Veg & Dry Wok Noddles

Sunday: Roast Chicken Sunday Lunch

Over The Weekend #31

Not alot of pictures this weekend because to be honest we didn't do much!

Saturday I was very lucky to be giving a lie and woken to breakfast in bed!

We pottered around the house, done some housework and some work in the garden

Paul then had the idea of turning Oisìn's cot into his toddler bed

I knew it was time but wow was I a wreck about it!

It's milestones like this that I don't know if we will get again 

Of course Oisìn's takes to everything so well and seemed very happy with his

big boy bed!

After baths and being put to bed in for the first time in his toddler bed

Oisìn was asleep with in minutes so candles was lit, wine poured and we settled down for Outlander

First night in his big boy bed was a success he only had one fall out of the bed

but we had a soft mat bedside the bed so he didn't cry just smiled at us and hopped back into bed!

Now just need to get rid of the soother at night and start toilet training!!

Think I'll start with the soother baby steps!!

Today was a slow day here this morning I was up early with Oisìn

It called for coffee and pastries

We watched Minions for the 100th time this week

I read for a while, I haven't been feeling 100% this week, with starting new meds on Wed

I think it's just my body getting use to them but I felt so tired this weekend

and had to take naps.

 While I went for a lie down Paul took Oisìn swimming I hate missing out on family time

but fatigue was so bad this weekend

I'm back in the hospital again on Tues and Thurs this week so I'm hoping it will be good news

The rest of today was spent, reading, watching TV, drinking tea and I'll be having an early night

Hope you all had a nice weekend

Song Of The Week

This week has been sponsored by the song.....

Nothing Like This-Blonde & Craig David

With the weather being so nice lately music has been playing alot at our house and garden
While Oisìn has been playing in our back garden the music has always been on
Our little guy love music and loves to dance and sing
Of course some of the lyrics are in his own two year old language but that's funny to hear!
I really like this song as Craig David always reminds me of my late teen years
Just before I met Paul, going to college and going clubbing when I should of been studying!
I like this short little tune, it's catchy slightly old school
and reminds me of my youth
Great reason to tune it up!!

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

Another good episode of Outlander this week
Claire and Jamie seem to have finally come back to each other they seem at
ease and Claire confesses that she is worried that she will not be a good Mother. The scene where Jamie reassures her was a lovely one and what we have been waiting for.
Of course it wasn't to last Claire meddled in Alex and Mary's love life. In order to save Frank's existence she tries to break up the young lovers as she knows in order for Frank to live Mary must marry Black Jack. Poor Mary is a prisoner in her Uncle's house taking away her true love will surely break the girl but Claire believes what she is doing is right no matter the pain it will cost Mary.
Claire and Jamie's happiness doesn't last for long as while at Versailles's Claire bumps into Black Jack, Tobias Menzies was once again on form with these scenes. I literally wanted to punch the screen ask he spoke to Claire how faith wants there paths to cross. I loved how Black Jack looked as he saw Jamie cross the gardens to them, it really made my skin crawl. The French King sensing something wasn't right and a bit sick of Black Jack's arrogance made him kneel at Jamie's feet. I cheered but them remembered the book and have a feeling I will not be on the French King's side for long!
The final scene was very well done when Jamie tells Claire he has challenged Black Jack to a duel to kill him once and for all. Claire is horrified as this will mean the end to Frank's existence, so even though it breaks her heart she asks Jamie not to go through with duel. He is so upset and asks how her of all people can ask this of him. I know alot of fans side with Jamie on this one but I can understand Claire's desire to keep the man she once loved, her husband in another time alive. He has done nothing but love Claire he is not Black Jack and no matter what she loves him still.
But as Jamie swears an oath on one year's delay on the duel till Mary bares Black Jack's child and Frank's relative we can tell he is hurt. As Claire reaches to comfort him he till her not to touch him
How can our favourite couple find there way back from this?

What an amazing episode The Book of the Stranger was it had everything!

We had a reunion that fans have wanted since the first season a Stark one. Sansa arrived in Castle Black just as Jon was getting ready to leave. I gave out a whoop as they hugged and just for a second everything was right in the Game of Thrones world. 

That was until the horrible sadist Ramsay killed another of my favourites Osha who recently was kidnapped along with Rickon. When Jon reads the letter from Ramsay stating he has his little brother and wants his Stark bride back or he will spoon out Jon's eyes and feed him to his dogs (better feed dogs than crufts) we knew Jon will go to war for Winterfell.

I love how they have made a point of showing us the Jon who was resurrect is slightly different that the Jon before physically his long curly locks are now slicked back. Mentally he is tired of fighting, he has seen enough death, killed enough people and seen enough white walkers and he just wants to go some where warm. It took that horrible letter from Ramsay to agree with Sansa to fight for Winterfell but there was also a look in his eyes that said he didn't really want to go through with it.

TBH the Meereen storyline is a little boring. I know it is meant to be showing us that Tyrion is a good ruler and a very clever man but we already know this. It just feels like more of the same from last season but I am hoping it will pick up soon. Finally Littlefinger is back we haven't seen him since he left Sansa as a bride to be for Ramsay. He seems to have little Robin wrapped around his little finger as he told him it's time to enter the Fray by helping Sansa and sent an army to help take Winterfell back from Ramsay. There is always more to Littlefinger then we see so I am looking forward to his next great plan! 

Just as I felt Daenerys was getting a little stale with her name listing, she once again became the strong powerful Queen we love. She had enough of waiting on men decide her faith, while the Dothraki Khals went on and on about killing and raping her. She had a blazing way of telling them she had enough! She burned down the wooden temple she had once been told by Khal Drogo that there son would the King. As the men screamed being burned alive Daenerys walks through the fire naked to thousands of adoring Dothraki.

So two of the power leads have now had a rebirth Jon in snow and ice of Castle Black

and Daenerys in the fire of the Dothraki but both seem different and a little less forgiving or merciful as before.

Slimming World Meal Plan Monday

Breakfasts this week will be fruit & yogurt, cereal, scrambled eggs, and smoothies

Lunches will be chicken salad, poached eggs, tuna salad, frittas, and egg salad wraps

Monday: Chicken Casar Salad

Tuesday: Steak, Mushrooms, Onions, Salad & SW Chips

Wednesday: Tuna Pasta Bake

Thursday: Chicken Breast, Corn on Bob and Salad

Friday: Chili Con Carne & Boiled Rice

Saturday: If the weather is nice BBQ

Sunday: Roast Beef Sunday Lunch

Over The Weekend #30

The weather here in Dublin this weekend was fab

we didn't do much but we had a lovely weekend

Friday evening was spent in our garden cutting the grass and planting flowers. 

When Oisìn went to bed hubby enjoyed a couple of beers and I tried Aldi's gin and tonic

while we caught up on TV from the week. Hubby loved the new Sky show Billions but

I wasn't really in to it

Saturday morning we went to our local park

and then to Paul's parents house. Oisìn really enjoyed playing with

his cousins, Uncles and Aunt and of course the family dog JJ!

When we got home we had more things to do in our garden

painting our picnic bench was one of the things to do

Oisìn loves to help with everything so here he is helping Daddy

Thankfully he soon got bored and went back to playing with his sandpit!

After a small BBQ it was hot dogs & cheese burgers!

It was bath time for Oisìn he really needed at this stage he was a mixture of

paint, sand, red sauce, sun cream and mustard!

While Paul was bathing Oisìn I showered, Paul and I then enjoyed a drink

while watching Outlander

Paul had to work today he was working till 4pm

Before he left this morning we had a family breakfast

Oisìn and I didn't do much today but enjoy the sun in our back garden

We popped in to my parents for a little while but we mostly spent the day in the garden

Eating ice cream, playing various car games, listening to music and reading

It was a lovely relaxing day and days like this I love Summer

I am shattered now and heading to bed with a book

Hope you all had a lovely weekend

Song of the Week

This week has been sponsored by the song...

The Skye Boat Song -Outlander Soundtrack

I love Outlander and all week this song has been humming through my head
This is the longer version than the intro for the show
It a Scotland folk song the lyrics have been changed over the years
and now there is two different versions of the song

Orignal Lyrics

 Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that's born to be King
Over the sea to Skye.
Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
Thunderclouds rend the air;
Baffled, our foes stand by the shore,
Follow they will not dare

Later another version the one used in Outlander became popular
the lyrics are from a
Robert Louis Stevenson Poem
 Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.
Mull was astern, Rùm on the port,
Eigg on the starboard bow;
Glory of youth glowed in his soul;
Where is that glory now

While I like both version the Stevenson's will always be my favourite
although I do like this version of my Father In Law singing the original lyrics

The Skye Boat Song-The Fureys

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

La Dame Blanche was a good fourth episode of the second season of Outlander

I read a few reviews stating that you needed to have read the book to understand this episode

I don't agree and my husband who I watch this with and who hasn't read the books also didn't agree

The only two points he made was 1. what or who is La Dame Blanche which is okay as we aren't meant to know yet and it is funny when we do! 2. Mary Hawkins should of had more screen time if we are meant to care about her. I agree with this point as Mary is a bigger character in the book. Claire and Mary have quite a friendship in the books which hasn't come across as much on screen.

There was lot to take in this episode but my favourite was how Claire and Jamie seems to have come back to each other. It took Claire telling Jamie about Black Jack to do so. His reaction wasn't one she expected he tells her that he is happy Black Jack is alive as now Jamie came be the one to kill him. He knows he will have to buy his time but he will be the one to end Jack's life. 

Finally he has the state of mind to make love to his wife as the news has given him peace of mind

But I'm not sure the same can be said for Claire as some one poisoned her wine and she all most lost her baby. We found out Prince Charles and Claire's friend Louise have been having an affair and that Mary is in love with Alex Randall.

Then of course the dinner party. After Claire and Mary's carriage is broken (by someone) they have to walk home from the poor hospital where they are helping out. It soon gets dark and even with Murtagh they get attacked and poor Mary is raped. Instead of bursting in and telling the horror of what happend, Claire has Mary sent to bed with Alex keeping watch over her. Just as we think the dinner party can't get much worse Mary wakes thinking Alex is her attacker and bursts into the dinner party which her Uncle and much older Fiance are attending. How will our favourite couple explain this one?

The show I love but creeps me out was back on our screens this week

Episode one follows the dramatic season finale of last year

Sir Malcolm has left London to bring the body of his manservant home to Africa

so Vanessa is alone living in the big house in an animal like state. It's only when old friend Lyle turns up and gives her a card for Dr Seward who he thinks might help her does she appear human like.

Ethan is back in America with the British police to pay for his crimes that he did as a werewolf, that his until a gang of gun slingers have other ideas and whisk him off to see his father. Back in Africa Sir Malcolm meets a man who knows Ethan and tells Malcolm he needs his help, so it looks like Malcolm is off to America.

We met Dr Jekyll who it turns out is Dr Frankenstein old school friend. Frankenstein tells his friend all about his monsters he has created. Jekyll agrees to help Frankenstein turn Lily back to the innocent she was. Towards the end of the episode is where it really picked up for me Dr Seward's receptionist takes some money and goes down a back alley with a cheap prostitute when suddenly he sees something in the dark and is whisked away by group of vampires.

They gather around him ready to strike until they hear the voice of there master

he asks the man his name he tells him he is Renfield! The vampire asks him to spy on Vanessa and as Renfield shakes and sweats the screen fades to black and we hear the vampire say

My name is Dracula......

This third episode of the season was a slow burner but again alot happened

Jon is alive but doesn't understand why and the revenge he seeks to those who killed him are

know from the first minutes of the episode when he tells Davos "I done what I thought was right and got killed for it" he is not going back there he is different now.

Bran was given another flash back in time, seeing his now teenager Father fight outside The Tower of Joy. Bran knows this story his Father told him it a hundred times but reality was a little different than the tale Ned Stark told! It wasn't the brave tale he told his children, Ned got lucky when his friend Howland Reed stabbed the much better swords man Arthur Dayne in the back. The look on Bran's face when he realizes his Father lied and we wonder what else did Ned Stark lie about?!

Back in Winterwell a house once loyal to the Starks hands Ramsay a gift. Rickon who we haven't see since season three. The look of delighted on Ramsay's face when he was given Rickon's dead direwolf. I am really hoping this is the not another torture a Stark story line for Ramsay and this will be the story line that finally sees Ramsay get his comeuppances. 

Daenerys is handed over to the Vaes Dothrak once again she lists all her different titles

(getting a little fed up with the name listing) She is told she is not the only woman with a great Khal but they all end up here. They don't seem happy that she didn't come straight to to them after Drogo died and if she is lucky she will get to live out her days here with the other widows

Over in Kings Landing Tommen seems to have found someone to pull his puppet strings The High Sparrow! Cersei and Jamie made a play to take back some power this week but it didn't go to plain. They do have old dead eyes The Mountain and Vary's little birds now on there side will it be enough?

After hanging the men responsible for killing him the newly resurrected Jon tells his friend Edd his time as Lord Commander is done and his watch is over. I think it was when Jon saw the look of pure hate for him in Olly's eyes that he knew he was done doing the right thing!

What's next for Jon Snow?

 Does he remember there is a legion of white walkers heading his way?

Slimming World Meal Plan Monday

This week breakfast will be cereal & fruit, poached eggs, sw cooked breakfasts, greek yougart & fruit

Lunches will be chicken salad, beans on toast, tuna salad and veg dips

Monday: Chicken Salad with SW Chips

Tuesday: Hotdogs with SW Chips

Wednesday: Spicy Pork Chops, Salad & Cous Cous

Thursday: Meatballs & Pasta

Friday: Steak, SW Chips & Salad

Saturday: If the weather is nice BBQ

Sunday: Bacon Ribs, Cabbage & Mash

Over The Weekend #29

This weekend was a slow one

today we had lovely weather

so we spent it in the garden

I started off the weekend on Friday
when my friend and I went to
The Honeycomb cafe for brunch once again the food and service was amazing
My friend had the French toast while I had the Eggs Benedict it was Delicious

Saturday we had plans for the beach but the weather in Dublin was grey and cold
So we headed to soft play and then the library with Oisìn

Then it was home to a tea of Slimming World Taco fries

I had a bit of chronic pain all day Saturday which I put to the back of my mind

but my Saturday evening I was in alot of pain again!

It is so frustrating the pain medication works for a while but then

after a couple of weeks I am back to square one

So Paul and I cuddled up with a glass of wine and Outlander

We spent Sunday getting our back garden Summer ready

When I say we I mean mostly Paul with Oisìn playing in his garden house

and me helping when the chronic pain wasn't too bad

Hopefully the good weather will stay awhile! 

Song of the Week

This week has been sponsored by the song....

Cheerleader-OMI

I love this song, it's fun, short and easy to dance to!

It reminds me of Summer and gets me excited for warm days

heading out for the day with my little family with this song on in the car

I also love the fact that Paul sings it to me too!

It's a song that always puts me in a good mood

and it has been playing alot in our house this week!

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

This season seems to be getting alot of flack from critics
and while some of the story lines don't have the seem punch as earlier seasons
I am still very much enjoying this show
This week the families where all facing problems
Jay felt like he wasn't needed like he use to be now that he is retired
Claire was shattered after weeks of working crazy hours and just wanted to sleep for the weekend
but Phil books a last minute trip to Paris for the weekend. So they try to stay awake the night
before there flight so they can sleep on the plane and beat jet lag
Cam's needy sister Pam comes to stay after she has been dumped by her boyfriend
Haley and Andy try to impress each other and go on a crazy night to Vegas

The two quickest hours of the week for me are when I am watching

Game of Thrones and Outlander

Episode three went by in what felt like a heart beat!

I know alot of the fans of the books aren't as happy with this series compared to the last one

as the producers and writers have changed more in this season

Claire and Jamie aren't shown in the same light as the book and there non love life is different from the book. One major change is the way Jamie is suffering post trauma stress after the events of last season. 

As a reader of the books I can say I am enjoying this season just as much as the last 

most of the changes are for the good of the show. What works in the books might not come across on screen so well. As a book lover and a reader of both Outlander and Game of Thrones and also I viewer of both shows. I see how readers can get very over protective of the characters they love, but I have so far liked the changes that have been made for both shows. I like how the show is trying to show us that everything is not okay with our favourite Scot and Outlander. They are both struggling and finding it hard to come back to each other. 

While Jamie is struggling to deal with what happened to him at the hands of Black Jack. Claire is doing a juggling act, she wants to support Jamie, she loves him but she is pregnant, and feeling a little lost in her new lady of the house role, and maybe she needs his support too! She reaches out to him but never really touches him.

So when she decides she needs more to do with her time than have tea with her friends, and goes to to work at the local poor hospital. Jamie isn't happy but then again Jamie isn't himself the Jamie of last season would of been proud of his wife. 

Claire remembers just who Mary Hawkins is, she remembers Frank telling her about his family tree

and Mary is Black Jack's future wife! She knows she needs to tell Jamie but she just can't bring herself to and we just know this is going to back fire on her!

What an episode, lots of reviews say it was more of a quiet episode but I think LOTS happened!

Frankenstein/The Mountain is now Cersei's private bodyguard and is killing random people who speak ill of her! Tommen poor little puppet Tommen with no one pulling his strings he is not sure what to do. Does his loyalty lie with his Mother or Wife. He didn't do much to help stop his Mother's walk of shame last season and he doesn't seem to be doing much to get his wife out of the cell the High Sparrow has her in!

Tyrion is worried about Daenery's dragons as they have stopped feeding since she left. He has an idea to unchain them. This scene was very well done and made me think he might has some dragon blood in him either way I am looking forward to see where this storyline goes.

It looks like Arya has finally given up her name and the man will finally start some of her training

Sansa all the way in the North is asking Brienne about Arya this was another lovely scene. Then Theon tells Sansa he is leaving her in the capable hands of Brienne he will not be welcome in Castle Black because of his past crimes so he tells her he is going home.

So we see the Iron Islands after two seasons we are back in a place the looks grimier than hell!

Where on a dark wet stormy night we met Euron Greyjoy who has returned to Pyke and quickly kills his older brother who was Theon's Father. It looks like Theon is returning home at a time of unrest in the Iron Islands.

Bran has also returned to the show! The one eye raven is showing Bran a flash back to happier days at Winterfell when his Father, Uncles and Aunt were younger and playing. It screamed of  the pilot episode when it was Bran and his brothers and sisters training and playing! I am also really looking forward to see where this story line goes.

Back to Winterfell of present and some of the most shocking scenes of Game of Thrones

once again at the hands of Ramsey. This episode his Father Roose was told his new wife had given birth to a baby boy. A legitimate son unlike Ramsey who will always be the bastard in his eyes although he has been legitimatised. In as twist of faith Ramsey kills his Father in the same way his Father killed Rob Stark....karma eh!!?

But what followed was more shocking Ramsey has his step mother and newborn brother brought out and fed to his dogs. Ramsey has no soul and I think I can speak of all the Thrones fandom when I say we will be celebrating when he finally mets his sticky end!

Finally we see Castle Black, Davos and his men are cornered by Thorne and the traitors of the Night's Watch. Until the Wildings arrive with a giant, they respect Jon Snow and know he deserved more than a traitors death. Thorne, his men and of course that weasel Ollie are thrown in the cells. Davos comes to Melisandre to ask her for her help for Jon Snow. It was nice to see the man who once hated and didn't trust this woman now tell her that she was the reason he believed in miracles. She tries her magic not really believing it will work ,she even pleads. When it looks like it didn't work they walk away in the last few seconds of the show Ghost looks up as Jon's eyes open and he gasps for air!

He's alive!!

Slimming World Meal Plan Monday/Tuesday

We didn't do a meal plan last week due to us all being sick

Oisín had a chest & throat infection, myself and hubby has sinus infections

So to be honest we just lived on toast and fruit!

This week breakfasts will be smoothies, weetabix, scrambled eggs and overnight oats

Lunches will be tuna salad, hummus & veg dips, poached eggs and salad wraps

Tuesday: Slimming World Breakfast for Dinner

Bacon Rashers, Beans, Eggs, Tomatoes, Mushrooms and SW Chips

Wednesday: Slimming World Tuna Pasta Bake

Thursday: Hubby & I are eating out

Oisín is having dinner at his Nanny's

Friday: Slimming World Diet Coke Chicken & SW Chips

Saturday: Slimming World Taco Fries

Sunday: Roast Chicken Sunday Lunch

Over The Weekend #28

This weekend Paul was working

so it was just me and Oisín for most of it

We has some nice Mother and Son time

On Saturday morning we were up and out early

we done a bit of shopping 

and then headed to one of our favourite places the library

Oisín loves it here the children and young adult section is huge

he loves looking at all the books

It does be a chore to try to get him to leave

So after he picked out three books I had to promise a trip to

the park to get him to leave!

After a very quick trip to the park we went

to my parents for lunch

Oisín showed Nana his books while Granddad made lunch!

Later after movie time at home

we had yummy hot dogs for tea!

After Oisín was bathed and in bed

Paul and I enjoyed a glass of bubbles while watching Outlander

Sunday was a slow day we just stayed cosy, watched movies and I done some housework

Paul and Oisín went to a friends christening when Paul got home from work

I got ready and went out with my parents for a well deserved night out!

Paul was off work yesterday for the Bank Holiday

so we spent a hour or so in the park with Oisín

we then came home and watched Minions while a lovely roast cooked in the oven

We had a lovely roast for dinner it was just what the doctor ordered!

We finished the weekend off with a glass of something nice

While watching Game of Thrones

What an episode that one was!