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Lovely things #10

~ Fridgesays ~ 2 Comments

May days were quick and gone before I could really get a feel for them. The weather was glorious or horrendous (with nothing In between) and with half term waving May days behind us adventures and snoozy mornings in bed were plenty.

I have a new promise that I’m trying to keep – I can’t stop ‘instagraming’ food pictures, seriously check out @fridgesays and follow me. It’s like a midlife photo crisis and so lovely things this month will not include a single food photo.

1. Walks with my boys.

With a Labrador and a little man in tow, walks can be messy and usually have some sort of water fun / mud through the kitchen element. However, one dry morning early this week we enjoyed a walk through our local woods and beyond. Thanks to Daddy ‘Elephant rides’ (shoulders) we were able to ‘mooch’ about four or so miles and it was simple family time that I’d like to bottle. I was on ‘oh pretty flower’ task force and these little beauties seemed to have ended up on our mantel piece.

2. After having a baby (as in he is three and I still haven’t fully recovered) finding a sense of identity can be hard. One thing that has been neglected on my happiness radar is baking. As I promised no food pics you’ll have to make do with below; needless to say half term had been ‘back to baking for me’ and I’ve relished every moment. 

3. We don’t watch tv very often in our home, for the first few years together we didn’t even own one. Mr Fridges Nan thought that we were odd and kindly bought us one. I guess she was right to an extent, but we mainly use it for films…the image below however is out of the shed and in full use and it brings me so much joy. We usually sit outside with a bottle of wine, a Spotify playlist and just chat until the wine runs out. It’s fab to connect as a couple and secretly brings out the arsonist in me – who is usually told to step away from the flames.

So I guess as usual I’m enjoying the simple things in life, which is ironic as my head is usually full of complicated desires. Either way I’m loving being outside and enjoying any sunshine Mother Nature can provide.

I used to hope you’d bring me flowers…

~ Fridgesays ~ 2 Comments

Quote by the outrageous ‘Anon’
*sorry for the terrible photo quality…reflection / tone, it’s all just wrong.

But the quote speaks volumes to me.

On a personal level my Dad is my first hero. I guess I’ve waited my entire life to find the ‘one’, then when I found my prince he was a miserable git and not exactly the ‘charming’ that my Disney childhood had foreseen…but then Prince C didn’t have a good bicep, an impressive tricep and the banter only a doorman could have. Let’s be honest prince C was a bit of a Ken Barbie doll (and I prefer Action man). Early in our relationship I told him something that was so true in my twenties. Don’t ever buy me cut flowers…they look fabulous and then you sit them in a vase and watch them die – seriously depressing. Then I grew older, used my femine powers and changed my mind. He still stands by my original request and now I’m literally forced to buy myself flowers.

*note to him or anyone: I love being bought flowers.

I guess however this quote goes a little deeper, it’s not about flowers but making your own happiness. Under fridge philosophy (yeah that’s a thing now) I have to agree. Happiness is like a contagious snotty cold, but with less snot and a more powerful energy source than Dyson could invent. When I’m happy the world moves with me and even in darkness only knocks me slightly from my path. Along this path I attract positive energy and this only increased my super power. The choice to be happy.

If I could tell my teenage self one thing, it would be ‘that you choose to be happy’, my friends, family or the lastest NAF NAF tshirt can’t help you either, however in a positive moment family and friends can enhance your flight, and its a precious journey that is sacred.

Growing your own flowers to me is also about sowing the seeds of dreams and goals and seeing them to fruition. I don’t need a charming prince to ‘get me’ a castle, nor do i need him to make me happy. I do need my own goals (the soil), some action and motivation from within (the seeds) and then the positive motion to fuel my growth (water and sun), sure every now and then a slug will come and take a bite out of my dreams, redirect me or even reduce me to a sluggish mess…but it is also me that will get back up and rock my new snail trail sparkle.

So this week no matter what life throws at you. Choose happiness and for god sake buy yourself some flowers and don’t ever feel guilty.

To have great poets…

~ Fridgesays ~ 4 Comments

Quote by Walt Whitman

Now not that you aren’t a fab audience but I love to write poetry and keep it to myself. It’s a stress reliever – I’ve also not matured in the poet sense of appreciation and so all my poems HAVE to rhymn, a bit like a seven year old…goat, bloat and float, you get the level of my pen and paper ability?

Maybe in time I will post some, I write it in the most sparkly note book known to pen kind..with sparkly water melon pieces all over it. Amazing 🙂


Poetry allows me to regress in to a magical world (enhanced by sparkly watermelon pieces) and together they also bring me closer to my Grandad who passed away too long ago. He was amazing at so many things, creative, fixing things, making me smile, and he also was a kind soul…he sucked at cooking, and his driving was ‘unique’, he was also horrified when my little cousins named there Guinea Pig after him (hehe)  but after he passed away the family found a book of pencilled poetry / lymrics that he had created. Sadly the pencil had faded but through the pages I found a love and a passion that I wasn’t aware of, a new aspect of my Grandads’ personality. This blog is obviously a public creative outlet for me, unlike my poems which are a little closer to my heart.

Wellbeing and balance are so essential, I hope I never stop writing about them. I completely see why colouring for adults has taken the world by storm and also why so many are drawn to it (drawn hehe), I plan to give it ago later this year (for some reason I think I need to be snuggled by a fire with a hot drink for me to colour in?)

Do you have a creative outlet or have you tried colouring in for a sense of calm / wellbeing? If so I’d love to hear from you.

Before I finish this piece however, I feel it necessary to also agree with the quote above. Walt makes a very important point and since the current UK education system seems to be slashing the arts in our schools I feel its essential that our children are able to experience and share art (in whatever form it resonates with them) and also to say that Drama in particularly was key to my growth, my wellbeing and my education. Seeing audiences relate to my characters has given me a sense of worth that allowed me to flourish, to take on more diverse roles and those skills are ingrained in my soul and make me who I am. So to all the audiences (paid, bribed or in rehearsal) who ever watched and reflected; thank you.

No one is you and that is your power 

~ Fridgesays ~ 7 Comments

Quote by Dave Grohl
You can’t say my choice of quotes isn’t diverse; we’ve gone from Greek mythology, 19th century writers, a splash of Dolly Parton (everyone needs a splash every now and then) the epic ‘Anon’ and now Nivanas Drummer / lead singer of the Foo Fighters – a bloke called Dave.

Dave is talented; not only within the making music movement, but he makes an awesome speech and inspiration is his fuel. It makes sense that ‘What my fridge says’ would want to absorb it.

Today we wandered  through Brighton and soaked up the sun – it’s a diverse pallete of people wearing conventional Marks and Sparks cardigans to free loving folk ozzing in fabric and clashing patterns, Punks, 1950’s inspired fashion and so much more. And I love it.

I love to see people not looking like clones, throwing out a little ‘I’m me’, I find it humbling in a world that’s media usually preaches what’s acceptable. That and the candy floss are some of my favourite aspects of Brighton. 

Perhaps you’re going to an interview soon and are worried about the competition – don’t just be you, that’s your secret power.

May be you’re not happy in your relationship; tell them why, work at it or leave – your voice can be your power.

In a world where they’re many leaders, it’s ok to be a follower, it’s ok to have hobbies and everyone has interests – these qualities make you magical.

You are magical

You are talented

You are the most important person in your world, not your children, not your partner or even the dog…because without you where would they be?

Be the best you and the world feels amazing. Happiness will flow from you and others will light up in your company…

Your super power is you. Empowered but confused how you unleash your true power? it all begins with the spoken word. Complement others, stand up for your rights and especially those whose voice is muted for whatever reason, keep talking and ‘you’ will see your power unleashed.

Thanks Dave for reminding us our most important lesson 🙂 and reminding us of our ultimate power. 

It’s easy to be brave from a distance

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Proverb by Aesop 

This reminds me of the playground as a fight breaks out. Not the actual fight, but the pathetic individuals that are choosing to stand by and watch. Lapping up the atmosphere of negativity, encouraging the fight with chants that will haunt the victim scrabbling on the floor well into their forties.

Am I against fighting? Not at all – Marshall arts has done more for resilience building that any leadership training course I’ve ever been part of, Boxing and MMA needs spectators and is an awesome all round fitness sport…but when questioning the children standing around the edge they aren’t the confident individuals they were during the chant, nor are they brave.

Brave is the kid that stands between them, stupid is the teacher at 4ft11 (over 5ft in my heels) who’s adrenaline places them in between and who’s voice booms a clear instruction to stop, that desperses the crowd…

How often have I left a conversation with a parent or manager and wishes i’d said something else, how many hours have I reinacted conversations in my head about ‘what I should of said’…these to are not brave. 

Brave is standing by what you know is right. I’d be hypocritical to say I always do this – it’s something you have to be aware of, to engage in the moment. Sometimes no matter how transparent we are, curbing our thoughts and preventing them forming into words is just as brave. In 2006 I found a motto to life that has stuck with me (I nearly got the Latin translation tattooed on me; don’t panic Mum it never happened) and that is…

‘If you do something with good intentions, only good can come from it’

Even if you’ve seriously made an error in judgement, with good intentions comes good vibes and ultimately a less severe consequence for everyone involved. 

So while I get back to the playground, be brave and always say what you think is best in the moment, act in the moment and never judge from a distance – because that’s easy and you’re better than that.

Weird is a side effect of awesome

~ Fridgesays ~ 12 Comments

Quote by Bill Murray 

It all began just before lunch on a Saturday, my son who is three asked me if we could look in the fridge and see what was in there. I asked him if he wanted lunch and casually asked him what he wanted. 

As the fridge door swang open he asked for a cheese sandwhich (a classic fav for my little monster) and then his eyes spied the squirty cream hanging in the door compartment, confidentially he said ‘ a cheese sandwhich with squirty cream on top please mummy’ my reaction was simple. No

  • As he began to whine and I walked a way I thought, why can’t he? Why did I ask him if I wasn’t going to listen to him? How unempowering as a mother is that? I felt sad and instantly grabbed the fridge door, took out the wholemeal bread, cheese and squirty cream; his face lit up and so did my soul. 


(I couldn’t actually bring myself to squirt the cream ‘on top’ but he was happy and ate every bite) 

My little miracle son, who has been on this planet for just over three years empowered me. I spend my life telling him and my students at school that they can do what they like, that limitation is a state of mind and to dream big. In articles like Tigers I hopefully inspire you all to do the same. 

Now before ‘nutritional experts / haters’ or may be even angry lacto intolerant people comment on what I gave my son today, negativity is not welcome here. My  monster can eat for England, has a fabulous varied diet and had all of his 5 a day by 10am this morning. He isn’t under or over weight and to be honest every now and then I may let him assemble his own creations from now on. It didn’t do Heston Blumenthal any harm in his career and this was more about choices and creativity than nutrition – although I’m thinking his calcium intake for today is taken care of, right?

To my little rascal, a huge thank you for giving me a sense of empowerment and here’s to occasionally letting you take the culinary reigns, even if the menu may resemble Letitia Cropley’s (old lady in the Vicar of Dibley) taste palette. 

Stay empowered and listen to your inner tuition, it’s very rarely wrong. 


Integrity…

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Quote by the talented C S Lewis

When I was a little princess I wasn’t very good at playing hide and seek. This is a big deal as an infant – I hated the tension of waiting to be found and I was even worse and knowing across the playground were people hiding from me.I avoided tension at all costs and as a result am an adult that still can’t do films with ‘jaws’ affiliated music, any sort of ghost house or theme park ride where people may jump out. The other thing that I have is a huge conscience – I’m just under 5ft but my conscience is easily 7ft. The great thing is that it is with me even when people aren’t watching. At work I can’t walk past litter without popping it in a bin, if the corridors are empty and I’m in a hurry and walk past a piece of litter I can literally hear it calling me, I usually walk back to pick it up and I guess the two allow integrity to blossom in my world. Integrity is far deeper than litter, but I think it’s the small moments of acting ‘morally’ whether people are watching or not. I use morally lightly as this is subjective to personal interpretation. 

It’s amazing how much our primary socialisation impacts us as adults. I’m not sure you can build on integrity if it’s not there? (Although you can build on any aspect of your life that you aren’t happy with) Integrity is the foundations of your soul, the cement of your thoughts and the dial to your moral compass.

If you constantly worry about what people think and only act in a positive manner because they are watching – you’ve forgotten your foundations and perhaps your dial may need ammending. Worst still is acting in a poor manner because others are watching and you think they’d approve.

Spend time this week thinking about your core morals and never shift from these beliefs. It may be helpful to jot them down. Integrity is the essence of you, and if you can’t do you then you’ve lost the best asset that you will ever have. I told you C S Lewis was a clever chap.

Collect moments #3yrs

~ Fridgesays ~ 1 Comment

Quote by Aarti Khurana.

Before you think I’m going to waffle on about cleaning out the cupboard that no one dare open for fear of death (or in my case suffocation of thousand of carrier bags cascading out), I’m not. 

Instead I’m going to focus on an idea I’ve seen across the net for your little ones. In essence you ask them 20 questions and record the answers every year. I’m using my blog but you can use your Facebook page, a note book or even the notes section in your phone. I may actually do the note book too, as I like the idea of having a scrap book with the questions all together to look back on; you could include pictures and maybe even handwritten responses as they get older.

Simple but so blooming gorgoeus. J loved being asked and it’s definetly something you’ll see here annually. Enjoy and why not give it a go yourself. As I was doing it I wondered (with an adjustment to the questions) how an adult version may be just as inciteful

1. What’s your favourite colour? Green 

2. What’s your favourite toy?    Ohhh my cars 

3. What’s your favourite fruit?   Blueberries (really? Stop eating all the bananas in the house then)

4. What do you like to watch on TV? CBeebies, Rah Rah.

5. What do you like to eat at lunch? Cheese sandwich 

7. What item of clothing do you most like to wear? My crocodile t-shirt 

8. What game do you like to play? The owl game (a phonic game he recently got from ELC)

9. What’s your favourite animal? A crocodile.

10.  What song do you most like? Miss Polly had a dolly and Up town funk (haha eclectic taste)

11. What’s your favourite snack? Coss-ants (croissant are eaten in huge quantities every weekend) 

12. Favourite story book? Billy Goats Gruff

13. Who’s your best friend? Thomas (from Nursery)

14. What’s your favourite sport? Rugby (Daddy may of encouraged this answer)

15. Which holiday do you like the best? Christmas 

16. What do you sleep with? Muzzy (Muslin) and my pillow (he has forgotten the toy box he usually sleeps with) 

17. What do you like best for breakfast? Jam and porridge with jam…just jam.

18. What do you like to do outside? Play 

19. What’s your favourite drink? Pineapple Juice

20. What’s your favourite dinner? Pizza,ooohh pizza can we have pizza? (No) *sulks complete with bottom lip

Until next year, thanks for reading. Please share any that you do, as I genuinely would love to read them.

Go the extra mile

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Quote by the wonderful and talents (all be it slightly bashful) Anon.

Don’t panic this post doesn’t mention the swear word ‘exercise’.

The quote doesn’t require me to delve into a huge ramble of meaning and metaphor, instead it says it all. I adore a quote that hits you with motivation and love and then walks away, I imagine it’s must like David Beckham walking over to you for a peck on the cheek (okay, that would be way better right?) you think at the time you’ll be cool, sassy and looking totes hot – instead you are blushing like a strawberry and wearing stretchy pants (Victoria wouldn’t approve of either the peck or the stretchy trousers)… I digress 

I guess simply many people settle. They plan small and within the reality of now, they settle and make adjustments where necessary, they live day to day and then one day…they die

Not sounding like the usual ‘fridge vibes’ because I spend my life (in my head) screaming at people to want more, to go bigger to enjoy the enjoyment, to actually feel ‘life’ before its gone and sure we all get caught up in the supermarket shop and the kids homework…but we can all dream and live a bit bigger right? Otherwise what’s the point and how come ‘other’ people achieve the things we desire? Because they dare to.

I have a good friend who is currently talking about marriage to a man who, when she got with originally thought was ‘too nice’. 

My Mum has ‘best China’

Other friends are happy settled in finances stretching to a holiday every other year and all the bills paid.

Now I’m hoping that if you’re reading and following the fridge and all its lovely positive contents – maybe your are ready or have  already gone the extra mile.

Settle only with the best of partners, eat off the fancy plates and dream big…because that’s life and what’s the point in life if your goals are around painting fences and a week in Majorca…and if your are the Majorca / fence person then go with the top brand stainer and upgrade to all inclusive. 

*im sure Majorca is lovely, sorry for picking on you. 

No one knows how to love anybodies troubles 

~ Fridgesays ~ 4 Comments

Quote by Frank Stanford

For better or worse? Hmm it seems a little out dated. Of course once in love, you can see imperfections and negative qualities – which at times can even be adorable. Love truly defined is ‘He / She still loves me with flu, greasy hair and when I have sloth like qualities’…

However, I spent most of my early twenties like most of my friends ‘saving people’ and if there is one thing I’ve learnt – you can’t save another; you can help and guide but ultimately we are all in control of our own car crashed and bad hair days, and a little sad but somewhat true is that some people live for the drama and chaos, they spring from disaster zone to complex doomed relationship and from the outside it seems they are celebrating in the misery. Of course, they are really just reliving negative patterns of behaviour and  ingrained habits. We’ve all been there, got the tshirt and the destruction of the ex partners in our history. So why is a positive place like whatmyfridgesays depressing us all…

Because I want to remind you (and myself) that negative people let out negative energy and it’ highly contagious. If you want to love and live happily ever after, listen to others but don’t become absorbed in the energy they are feeding you, because this doesn’t make you selfish, afterall a happy you is better for everyone around you.

So, when the ladies in the office are moaning about their other halves – make a cup tea, rather than swap stories that really are irrelevant and don’t push you in a positive direction.

Seems easy…it’s not, the world is sadly full of misery (one of the reasons I rarely watch TV and never watch the news), I’m guilty too of being absorbed and it’s something I watch, monitor and try to remove myself from.

So this week, think like a butterfly and take the best nectar from the best flowers…and leave the bees to spend all their energy buzzing when they too are just a petal away from the best nectar in town.