Dr Foster, The Power, Sauerkraut and Getting Arty #LittleLoves

I’ve been enjoying other bloggers’ weekly #LittleLoves for a while now – the linky from Morgana at Coffee Work Sleep Repeat with a round up of the things you’ve liked and loved in the categories of read, watched, heard, wore and made within the week. My own natural nosiness curiosity about people means I love finding out all about what other bloggers are enjoying, and I get a lot of inspiration and ideas from my regular Little Loves peeks. I’d like to think that other people might also find my likes and loves helpful, and so for the first time ever I thought I’d give it a go! If you enjoy this, please let me know and encourage me to keep participating more regularly. As a needy writer type, I can’t tell you how much it means when someone gives a little ‘like’ on my blog posts or drops me a quick comment to say hello.

READ

This week I’ve been reading The Power by Naomi Alderman, a cleverly written novel based around the idea of girls developing powers that allow them to start taking over the world. I’d seen so many people talking about it on Instagram that I couldn’t resist trying it (yes, I admit it, I’m a total Insta-sheep!) I’m not too far into it yet but so far it’s looking fantastic. I’ll do a full review of the book in my Reading, Watching, Listening to post later in the month.

The kids and I also read a fantastic book called The Journey by Francesca Sanna, a lovely story about a refugee family escaping a war torn country in search of a better life. One of the things I love about reading is it’s ability to foster empathy and kindness. My children were really touched by this book and it prompted a lot of discussion about what life for refugee families must be like.

WATCHED

We had a very quiet time last weekend, allowing me the chance to pop onto the BBC iPlayer and catch up on episode 1 of the new series of Dr Foster. With all sorts of tension between the protagonist and her newly returned ex husband, it made for a fantastic – and sometimes cringe inducing – watch (that bit where she was poking around her ex’s supposedly empty house, oh dear!). And as for that final scene – what drama! I can’t wait to see what my favourite wronged doctor has in store tonight.

HEARD

I’ve got back into listening to The Worried Writer podcast this week, but some of the best things I’ve heard lately have been out of the mouths of babes. After being a bit grumpy recently, I apologised profusely to my littlest, who took my face in his hands and said ‘it doesn’t matter if you’re grumpy, because you’re still my beautiful Mum.’ If we all ended disagreements this gracefully, wouldn’t relationships be wonderful? With charm like his I think my son is going to make someone a very lovely partner one day (one day very far into the future. I’ve decided I’m never going to let go of my little boys).

WORE

One of the reasons I’ve held back from joining in with Little Loves for so long is the ‘wore’ thing – my blog name Wellies on the School Run probably says it all. I spend a lot of my time in outdoor gear and the rest in standard skinny jeans/stripy top Mummy uniform. I really need to up my game in the fashionista stakes.

MADE

At the weekend the boys and I did some art stuff, I love pottering about with pencils, paper and paint. The kids did some stencilling while I did some faffing around and drawing. I’m not great at drawing from imagination but if I have a photo or something to copy it’s a pastime I really enjoy.

A surge of wintry weather has also prompted me to get some soup going, one of the things I love doing when the weather gets colder is using our Sunday chicken to make bone broth and then using that to make a lovely warming soup. When life gives you lemons make lemonade I say. And when life gives you torrential rain and wind rapping at the windows make bone broth, soup, and lots of cups of tea.

I’m also trying my hand at making Sauerkraut this week, a fermented cabbage concoction recommended by a nutrionist I’ve been seeing since a bout of pneumonia left me with a list of autoimmune complaints. I’ve yet to see how it turns out as you have to leave it fermenting for a few days. If it’s a success, I’ll tell you about it next week. If not, let’s never speak of it again.

AND LASTLY…

We’re having a quiet week here this week as my littles have both had the latest tummy bug doing the rounds at school. I’m keeping my fingers crossed neither myself or my husband get it and we can continue to mop the brows of our littlest loves of all.

G x

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