Life is quietly ticking along and after some very difficult months, I am very grateful for the rhythm of daily life.

This gentle approach means this week’s 5 things are very homely. I’m really appreciating the little things in life bringing simple joy.

I have now been doing Wordle since the pandemic and it is the first thing I do when I wake up. It’s the perfect little mental challenge to start the day, I have also incorporated it into my daily tutorial with my class. After many hundreds of games, and I reckon I may even top 1000 games played, I have a strategy to my game and use the same two starter words daily, teach and pious. They have all the vowels and contain some good digraphs. Pious was the wordle a few months ago but last Sunday, teach always my first choice was the word and I got it in one! I was ecstatic, and many members of my class teams over the past few years also messaged me on the Sunday with their excitement at their success in Wordle. I had to screenshot my result and genuinely think it will make it to our photo book of the year, I was so amused and chuffed. Old habits die hard though and I am still using my two favourite starters although both have now been done. I need a new strategy!

I’ve been making the house cosy for autumn, there is a chill in the air in evenings so my blanket is out as I can’t put the heating on til October and will hopefully last out until half term. The knitted pumpkins are from our local craft shop and the wooden mushrooms from another local shop. I haven’t finished my display yet but it’s coming together, I just need to source a few other bits and pieces to bring it all together.

This year with Mr S still needing lots of rest and early nights post accident, I have been switching off the tv in the evenings and listening to music and reading (and a bit of scrolling) . My latest read, Faking Friends by Jane Fallon was a brilliant story, funny with a perfect twist of revenge. I’ve never been disappointed by a Jane Fallon novel, she is a very good writer and it’s always a treat to read her latest book.

I remain a huge fan of Vinted and after getting the sparkly Converse pumps I wanted for a very reasonable price these pink velvet Converses also popped up, a snip at £6 for pumps in mint condition. Vinted is becoming my go to now for clothes, and it’s benefitting me on so many levels, but especially for financial and environmental reasons.

It’s time to say goodbye to September, my new year and welcome October, the month of spookiness and birthdays.