IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to have a coffee and a chat - I'll tell you all about what's been happening in my world this month

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to celebrate the end of January, Christmas is over for another year and life is getting back to normal after the holidays - so, why not share a lovely Summery virtual cup of coffee with me while I update you on what's been going on in my life lately. I love a good 'Taking Stock' blog post, so I hope you'll humour me and sit a while as I share my news.

BLOGGING

I've been busy getting back into the swing of things with the new year well underway. To kick the year off I chose a new Word for the Year - MORE and it'll be featuring in my posts throughout the year - it's not the greedy type of "more" - it's about expanding and opening up to what life is going to bring in the year ahead.

I'm still enjoying just committing to posting on Mondays but I've cheated a bit on Saturdays and I'm going to be alternating some new "AtoZ of More" posts with my Saturday Snippets. I'm not participating in the April AtoZ Challenge this year, but I loved the idea of expanding on "More" with an AtoZ - so I've covered "A" and "B" this month and we'll see where we go from there.

MORE-ING

I thought I'd add in a monthly update of anything I'd been doing MORE of this year - to keep me moving forward with my WOTY. So, here's a couple of things from January - I've started a new eating regime that I'm trialling for a few months to see if I can drop the pesky kilos that didn't respond to the 16/8 eating plan. I'm also checking out possible job options as an alternative to facing another year of work drama - it feels like I'm being proactive instead of reactive with this. And finally, we had our first consult with a Financial Planner to start getting a handle on whether we can afford to retire before we die! Hopefully he'll give us some good news.

FAMILY-ING

We had a wonderful post-Christmas visit our grandgirls and their parents - going out for coffee and cake, visiting the giant playground in a nearby town, popping down to the beach, and generally spending some wonderful quality time together. It's always sad to see them go, so we squeezed in a Sunday visit last weekend so we could see the grandgirls and catch up with both lots of our kids. Our daughter and son-in-law had been in Japan for two weeks, so lots of news from their world. There's no photos from last week, but this was taken during the December visit with us - Georgia is 4 months old and Sophia is 2½ - time's just flying by.


HOLIDAY-ING

January has been a quiet month for travelling anywhere, but we decided to have a lovely little week's break starting on the 31st. We're heading over to Queensland to enjoy a different part of Australia and the best bonus is that I get to meet my BBB (Best Blogging Buddy) Sue Loncaric from Sizzling Towards 60 and Beyond! We've been promising each other that we'd meet IRL one day - and that day is almost here. As well as that, we've managed to gather a few more lovely Aussie Midlife bloggers together for a lunch date - it's going to be a blast! More on that in my February wrap up.

JIGSAWING

My Christmas present from our kids was a 1,000 piece jigsaw that was a family montage put together by our daughter and then sent off to be turned into a jigsaw. It was beautifully made and great quality - I love it when puzzle pieces lock together properly and each has a specific place it fits! This one was trickier than it looked - lots of black suits and shirts, lots of white wedding dresses and baby wraps, plus a fair amount of pink tops thrown in for good luck. It took me several days and was worth every minute. We're going to hang it on the wall now that it's finished.

personalised 1000 piece family jigsaw

READING

I've been having a bit of a retro month - and re-read Nora Roberts Chesapeake Bay series. It felt like I was hanging out with some old friends for the holidays!

WATCHING

This month we took ourselves off to watch the Aquaman movie. Fortunately we went with fairly low expectations (the reviews weren't fabulous) and we came away thinking that the reviewers were pretty spot on. The special effects were really clever (the hair moving "under water" was well done etc) but the plot was very thin and it all got a bit lost in translation. It was still an enjoyable outing but I don't think I'll be adding it to my top 10 for the year!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Well, that's my month in a nutshell. At this very moment I'm about to head off to meet my blogging friends and see a little bit more of this lovely country I live in. I hope your January has gone well and I'm already looking forward to another chat at the end of February.



It's time to have a coffee and a chat - I'll tell you all about what's been happening in my world this month

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70 comments

  1. A great start to the year you've had. Looking forward to meeting you in a week or so & having a real life cuppa...

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    1. I'm quite excited about the lunch date Jo - I feel like a little kid who's been invited to a birthday party :)

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  2. I love Nora Roberts, too. I love to reread, we are a rare batch.

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    1. I'm busy re-reading another of her books atm Terri "The Liar" and I am always sucked into the storylines every time (even knowing the basics of the plot!)

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  3. Hi Leanne, I am counting the days until you arrive! Can't wait. I haven't done my January Coffee Catchup yet but always enjoy reading yours. I've been looking for some different books to read so Nora Roberts is a favourite I will check out the series. Hope you are ready for a LOOOOONNGGG Lunch because I am. See you soon xx

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    1. Hi Sue - I am crossing off my entire afternoon for that lunch - we'll have laryngitis by the end of it! Then a few days to recover before doing it all again the following Wednesday :) And yes, any Nora Roberts book is worth a re-read IMHO!

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    2. Hi Leanne, we have almost another full house for #MLSTL this week. Looks like we have filled a niche very well and love co-hosting with you. I'll be sharing your post on SM and also can't wait to see you tomorrow. Safe travels. xx

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  4. Hi, Leanne - Thank you for the lovely catch-up. Enjoy your trip to Queensland and your IRL meeting with Sue. I am totally jealous. FOMO!!

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    1. Now you know what it was like for us when you were catching up with Kathy and your other blogging buddies - it makes me wish there was a way to teleport and cut the distance factor out of the equation!

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  5. Such a cute picture of you and your granddaughters! I hope you get to retire. Spending more time with grandchildren is one of the biggest perks of retirement!

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    1. I've just had a few week's holiday and I could easily have kept on and never returned to work! My husband tells me that going to work makes the days off sweeter - I'm not sure it I completely agree, but they do break up the week I guess. More grandbaby time would definitely be on my retirement wish list!

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  6. I like the idea of a bloggy chat over virtual coffee. Love the photo of you with your grandgirls - glad you had such a lovely time with them and hope you have a wonderful time in Queensland. #AnythingGoes

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    1. I am a huge fan of catch-up posts because they feel like a little window into the world of other bloggers. I'm glad you enjoyed mine Louise and thanks so much for your visit and kind words x

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  7. Wow, busy, accomplished month! I love the jigsaw puzzle, what a clever idea. BTW, this is one one of my all time favorite themes for a post, the cuppa! Have fun on your IRL meet!!

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    1. I can't wait to meet them all Haralee - it's like a big penpal convention! It's strange how we all "know" each other but have never actually met - one of the biggest joys of blogging for me :)

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  8. Leanne, I always enjoy your taking stock posts. They remind me how much I've also done this past month and other things I should look into doing. I am a Nora Roberts fan as well... and yes, I have re-read a number of her books. I love her 3-4 part ones! I actually think I have read every one of her books (been a fan for awhile), so I look forward to her new books now. Hubby just started a jig saw puzzle.... and it's got huge portions of just blue. Ack. Wonder how long this will take to accomplish.
    So looking forward to you post about the IRL meet-up. How fun!!

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    1. Hi Pat - I think I've read every Nora Roberts book too - and I am a HUGE fan of her JD Robb series - Eve and Roarke are wonderful! I also love how prolific she is as a writer and that there are often new books just as I'm feeling the beginnings of a drought. And good luck with the puzzle - lots of blue sounds a bit scary to me :)

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  9. Thank you, Leanne, for the lovely catch up. Have a fabulous trip to Queensland and at your IRL meeting with Sue, Jo, and other bloggers! #seniorsalon

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    1. Thanks Natalie - it's going to be such a fun trip and the meet-up is the icing on the cake. I've never been to Queensland so it's all quite exciting for me and a great break in my routine of life.

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    2. I look forward to reading your update on the meet-up and your fun trip to Queensland, Leanne. Have a wonderful week! #MLSTL

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  10. I watch Aquaman too! It's not the greatest superhero film, but it's not the worst, and everything it has to offer has been done better.

    Would you like to follow each other? If the answer is yes, please follow me on my blog & I'll follow you back.

    http://www.okcheori.com

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    1. Hi Okcheori - thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. And yes, you summed up Aquaman very well - trying hard but not quite getting there I think is the best description of the movie.

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  11. It's always so nice to look back on the month this way. I love your word More. I'm trying for Spontaneous this year. It's so opposite of me, but that's the reason I chose it. I can't really say I've done anything so far, but it's always in the back of my mind.
    And you have such wonderful inspiration sitting in your lap. Inspiration for your inner child fashion!!!
    XOOX
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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    1. Spontaneous is a great word Jodie - if I took that one on my husband would roll around on the floor laughing - he thinks I'm the most ordered person around (aside from himself!) I think a little bit of spontaneity is wonderful - and maybe that tulle skirt could be the beginning for your year?

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  12. Hi Leanne! January is always nice here (in Russia) because we have the first 8-10 days as holidays, so no work for us! Then we start to get back into the routine of working (teaching) as our students slowly come back from holidays. Some of my first lessons back this year were on 14th January! So, it's a lazy month for me. February is my birthday month (and my husband's), which always involves a holiday somewhere for our birthday present to ourselves. This year it's Berlin for 7 days. Yes, it's a good life! Wishing you a February full of joy and new adventures. :-) xx

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    1. Hi Cheryl - I had three weeks off over Christmas and New Year and absolutely loved it. It was VERY hard to go back to work on the 14th January. I'm so pleased I've been given this bonus week off to head over and check out Qld and the other blogging girls. I do hope you'll think about a trip to Bunbury if you're over here visiting sometime - a cuppa together IRL would be lovely - enjoy Berlin though - it sounds like fun.

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    2. Glad to hear you've been getting enough holiday time! Would love to pop down to Bunbury next time we're over the other side of the world :-) It's not planned for anytime soon, but I'll definitely let you know when we decide to go again. Enjoy your holiday in the east!

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  13. Thank you for sharing the gift idea of family pictures turned
    into a puzzle - what a great idea!
    I know you are enjoying warm weather while we here in the South USA are
    facing snow and below -0 temps!
    All the best to you. Mimi
    https://inmyprimetime.blogspot.com

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    1. Yes, the weather differences always blow my mind a little - seeing pics on FB of all that snow while we're basking in blue skies and sunshine. The jigsaw was a great gift and fun to do too.

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  14. I look forward to the blog post about your long lunch with Sue and other bloggers. Catching up in real life is fun and I hope to catch up with more bloggers as time goes on. Have fun.

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    1. I can't wait to meet them all in the "flesh" Suzanne - it's going to be a blast and I'm sure we'll talk ourselves to death!

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  15. I am so happy that you get to meet Sue in person. I hope that you write about it and share pictures! I have never met any of my blogging friends in real life, but it would be fun. I also love the puzzle- what a great gift idea!

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    1. I've met Jo from Lifestyle Fifty because she (miraculously) lives quite close by. This is a big adventure for me going across the country - but an absolute delight to meet and spend time with Sue - and with some of the others too. Will definitely be doing an update on my adventure.

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  16. I keep forgetting about your summertime, Leanne! You've embraced quite a lot in this post and I wish you well on searching for the perfect job and the retirement planning! How wonderful to visit Sue! Give her (and yourself) a hug from me! Hope to see pics of you together soon! #MLSTL

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    1. I can't believe it's almost here and we'll actually meet Terri - it feels like we know each other really well but having an entire continent between us has been a bit of a bummer. I will definitely be passing out hugs left, right and centre!

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  17. Leanne, it sounds like you had a lovely visit with the grandchildren and their parents and now you're off to meet your blogging buddies IRL. Lucky you! Thanks for sharing a little peek into your life. Enjoy your travels! #MLSTL

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    1. It's always such a joy catching up with the kids and grandgirls Christie - I really miss living nearby, so every catch up is a blessing. And hard to believe that I'm on the other side of Australia as I type this and meeting all the blogging buddies soon - just fantastic!

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  18. What a wonderful visit. Thanks for sharing it with us. Beautiful photo with your grandkids. #MLSTL

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    1. I loved that photo Patrick - it was just such a fun day and it shows on our faces doesn't it?

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  19. How wonderful that you're going over to Queensland and will meet up with some of the east-side bloggers in real life. I have total FOMO! I'm sure you'll have a great time. Enjoy every minute and have a great holiday too. I haven't read any Nora Roberts, but I'm looking for a good read as I've been starting books and discarding them lately. Hope to see you again soon too x Shared on SM

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    1. Definitely try a Nora Roberts book or two Jo - she is sooo prolific and writes in several different genres so you should find one you like. And YES! I'm very excited about meeting the East Coast girls - not so scary after meeting you and finding you were as lovely IRL as you were on the blog - it should be an absolute blast!

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  20. What a lovely memento your jigsaw puzzle will be as it hangs on your wall. It sounds like you have had a great family time over January. Enjoy your time here in the Sunshine State, I am sure your lunch with other bloggers will be fun, it was great for me to meet Sue and Min last week. Pinned

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    1. Hi Jan - I'm so excited about meeting them all - especially Sue because I feel like we know each other so well already - it will be quite weird sitting across the table from her instead of across the country!

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  21. As usual I enjoyed reading your virtual coffee catch-up Leanne. Feeling very envious of your upcoming midlife bloggers lunch. Looking forward to hearing about it. And to the photos of course #MLSTL Shared on SM

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    1. I'm sure there will be a photo (or two or ten) Jennifer and maybe even a post to cover my Brisbane adventure - we have so much planned and the bloggers are my icing on the cake!

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  22. I am really looking forward to hearing about your meet up with Sue!! So much fun!!

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    1. I know Cherie! I've just arrived in Brisbane and the big catch up lunch is tomorrow - we are going to talk each other's ears off - then I get to do it all again next week with a group of us - it'll be fabulous!

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  23. Hi Leanne, I love the picture of your granddaughters and the puzzle is so neat! Wish I was in Australia to meet up with all of the lovely blogging ladies!

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    1. Thanks so much - that photo of us with the grandgirls is now my desktop background - it makes me smile when I look at it. And yes, the Aussie girls are going to be out in force next Wed when we meet for lunch - it'll be a blast :)

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  24. We saw Aquaman and liked it, but I thought it was a bit long. Your comment about retiring before you die is so funny. My husband has no plans for retirement because he says the second you retire you lose your health insurance and then you get sick and your bankrupt. Medicare doesn't cover much.

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    1. I'm hoping to keep working long enough to afford decent health cover in retirement Amy (it's probably different here in Australia than in the US). But I really need to do something proactive about my work situation - so we'll see what 2019 holds.

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  25. What FUN - you get to meet Sue IRL, along with others. I'm so excited for you. ENJOY your get-away time!
    Sharing for MLSTL.

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    1. I'm excited too Trisha - and so is Sue - we've been doing the countdown and I arrived in Brisbane this evening - big meet up with Sue tomorrow and then lunch with the other bloggy girls next week!

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  26. What a great read as you prepare to head up north Leanne! I love your updates and am so glad I got to meet Sue in real life earlier in the week. Your lunch catch up with everyone sounds so much fun and I'd love to be a fly on the wall! Enjoy your time away and I must say that jigsaw is amazing - can you let me know the company that your children sent it away to be made up? Shared and visiting from Esme's #seniorsalon

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    1. Hi Deb - I can't believe you were a week out with your visit up here - we could have extended the party date to include you (and your mum!) It's going to be so much fun meeting Sue first and then all the girls next week. Hopefully we'll get as fabulous a photo as you and Sue managed! Will PM you the jigsaw company x

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  27. How fabulous that you and Sue can finally meet! I hope you both take lots of pictures so we can live vicariously through you :)

    Your holidays sound lovely - and I look forward to hearing how you incorporate "more" throughout the year.

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    1. Hi Molly - I hope you got to see Sue and me on my FB page - it was a wonderful meet-up (could have talked for another few hours!) and then I get to meet some more of the blogging girls in a few days - can't wait!

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  28. Leanne, how wonderful that you and Sue are going to meet IRL! I can't wait to read all about it! Wish I could be there. #BloggersPitStop

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    1. I always feel jealous when other bloggers get to meet up Jean (so I know why you'd like to be here!) Meeting Sue was fantastic and I'm catching up with the rest of the girls in a couple of days - definitely a post coming in a week or so about it all x

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  29. Sounds like you have had a good month. Nothing like visiting with the grands.I would like to meet some of the midlife bloggers here in the USA. Not sure where though. lol

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    1. It's tricky meeting up Victoria - we all feel so close but the actual mileage is such an issue! I probably won't get to do this again, so I'm making the most of the opportunity and it's been amazing so far!

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  30. What a great month! Love, love, love the jigsaw puzzle.

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    1. Yes it's a beauty Janet - and now on the wall in my office :)

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  31. I love that jigsaw puzzle! What a great idea.

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    1. It's was a great gift Janet - the photos were favourites of mine too, so a nice mixture of the family at different stages.

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  32. I used to read Nora Roberts. That was so long ago though. I didn't realize she was still writing books. I will have to check them out. #AnythingGoes

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    1. I LOVE Nora Roberts Michelle and she's still hammering away - her novels have gotten better and better over the years - and her JD Robb authored series is my absolute favourite.

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  33. So fun reading these types of posts and reading what others are up to. I'm trying to be a little bit more intentional about reading myself. Glad you got to meet some of the others!

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    1. Not sure what happened to my name..Marya from Chronic Mom LIfe saying hey!

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  34. I love reading too, Leanne, and Nora Roberts has always been one of my favorite authors. My husband got me Kindle unlimited for Christmas, and now I can order as many books as I like and just return them, virtually, when I'm finished. Glad you got to meet up with Sue. It looks like you had a really nice time. I look forward to reading more of your posts. Have a great day.

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Thanks so much for your comment - it's where the connection begins.