Month: December 2025

The taker may eat better but the giver sleeps sound

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Quote Anon

December is certainly a period of both giving and receiving and my intention is to enjoy the magic the season has to offer but not at the expense of being a jerk.

Yesterday I went to Marks and Spencer’s for some last minute food bits, mainly double cream and items that need to be in date. In the stores defence it was the Saturday before Christmas…

Pulling into the car park was not a seasonal delight full of ‘good will to all men’ it was more like a scene from ‘Saving private Ryan’ and I realised it was every shopper for themselves. As I entered the store the front of the shop was packed with discounted vegetables and beyond it was wall to wall trolley trauma with couples bickering and over priced and over consuming items being purchased – sadly, most to landfill than tummy delight.

I made myself a little smaller, smiled sweetly and with extra love and politeness made my way to the checkout, perhaps if I role modelled good manners it might become contagious? Sadly, it didn’t catch on, head down I made my way to my car and called my partner to say whatever we didn’t have – we would go without. It wasn’t worth the Christmas chaos.

Driving home with my double cream secure, I reflected on the bizarre season and how it doesn’t always bring out the best in humans. My super skill is reframing situations, I decided to see gratitude for all the shop workers, farmers and factory employees it took to fill the store, the cards and well wishes I’d received in the last few weeks from loved ones, the time I’d spend with family and the opportunity to rest and reflect at the end of another blessed and productive year.

Take this season to give what you can to those that you want to share your time, attention and vegetables with. You’ll sleep soundly bathed in good karma and I’m not sure the birth of Jesus needs to over complicate a traditional Sunday roast? Love, kindness and discounted veg to all.

The magic is always simple

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Quote by Fridgesays

This morning the Mr and I took the dog for a walk at the beach. It was a beautiful morning and Mother Nature was giving sunshine and sand…which on a pebble beach is always welcome.

(I even caught an Angel of light in my photograph)

We were well wrapped up and enjoyed everything the empty beach had to offer from writing messages in the sand to collecting some loot.

The loot included some good karma, by taking some plastics we’d found to the bin, some drift wood, a shell and a tennis ball.

Pearl had a lovely morning but she isn’t a huge fan of tennis balls, not wanting to risk the ball returning to the sea I decided to look for a new owner as we walked back home. We passed many pooches and the Mr reminded me that I had the ball, but I remarked ‘it’s not for them’…until I saw a group made of two couples and two dogs up ahead. They were laughing and interacting with the dogs, but they only had one ball, the Golden Retriever was clearly feeling left out. I ran ahead to catch them up and said ‘sorry to interrupt you but I’ve found an extra ball, would you like it?’ The group all instantly responded with huge smiles and gratitude, the male owner of the retriever lit up like a Christmas tree, he explained he hadn’t brought a ball and was immensely grateful, I wished them a merry Christmas and ran back to join Pearl and the Mr, we then chatted about how happy an old tennis ball had made not only the dogs but the people. Sometimes happiness comes from a shell in your pocket, a brisk walk in Mother Nature and sometimes it comes from a timely delivered tennis ball, but the magic of giving and happiness is often a simple action, don’t get caught in the December chaos of consumerism – take a walk instead, thank me later.

Failure is success in progress

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Albert Einstein

What a quote! Five words that can reframe a negative into a success is an incredible achievement, especially when two of the five words are ‘is’ and ‘in’ – so it won’t surprise you that at fridge head quarters I am taking this powerful quote and sharing a story about a cup of tea.

I went to a friend’s house to see her gorgeous family this week. Before I arrived she had text me her address and suggested I parked on her driveway. Having never been to her home before I checked when I arrived whether where I had parked (blocking their cars in) was convenient, it transpired that I would need to move as her husband needed to pop out for some milk, as this discussion took place I was aware I was letting the November cold into their home, so I closed the door and the decision was made that he would go a little later. Like all ‘need milk’ plans this didn’t occur whilst I visited.

After hugs and a good natter, my friend offered me a beverage and we relocated to the kitchen to make it. I drink a huge variety of herbal teas so I’m not fussy how my breakfast tea is served, as she went to get the milk we were reminded that her husband hadn’t yet been to the shop. Comfortable without milk, I said it didn’t matter.

As she went to the fridge she remembered she had some oat milk and kindly offered me some. what I experienced next was a taste sensation…the oat milk took my traditional British cuppa to the next level and I enjoyed it immensely.

The immense taste meant I found myself purchasing oat milk so that my homemade cuppa’s could be equal in joy – my friend is now an influencer.

As I drove home I reflected on the cuppa experience, no doubt she felt annoyed that she didn’t have the ingredients she needed to hand, yet the outcome far exceeded my expectations. I thought of all the recipes I’ve cooked where I have had substituted items and things have gotten better, I thought about the Einsteins of the world who have proven theories by error, or whilst on a mission to solve a issue have found solutions for other issues…

Every time I sip my oat milk tea I am reminded that by reframing moments we can enrich our lives, that we are all working progress and we are all a dash of oat milk away from being better. We can’t always control the outcomes of life but we can enjoy the glimmers of joy when they show up. This week stay open to new opportunities, try oat milk in your tea and look for ways to improve moments that present themselves as negative.