Midweek Catch-Up 5th November 2025
Hello again, November already! Where did October go? I tell you where for me and Ben, back and forth to the hospital and doctors for endless appointments and problems since his operation! How about you? Did you do anything more exciting? Read on for my weekly updates of what we have been up to and what I have been reading, as well as my latest blog posts.
Health Catch-Up
Menopause
This last week has been quite turbulent. As I shared last week, I have been put on the hormone-blocking injections, which put me into a medical menopause, which is strange. I wrote a little more about that last week, so feel free to have a read there or in my previous blog post about my medical menopause if you are intrigued.
Weight Loss and Exercise
These have fallen to the bottom of my to-do list lately, as there has been so much on, but I am determined to find my way again and lose more weight, as I am so unhappy as I am when I look in the mirror.
Bens health
Ben is still in a lot of pain from his operation and will be off college probably for another month, which is frustrating for us all, especially him. It is his birthday soon too, which is also quite sad as he can’t do much to celebrate.
Mental Health
My mental health is still a bit rubbish. My hormones will definitely be impacting this too, as well as the funeral this week for my best friend as a teenager, which brought a lot of emotions. Although I didn’t attend the funeral, I spent an afternoon reminiscing about her and writing down some of my memories of times we spent together, which I found helpful.
Book Reviews
This week, I finished Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, and wow, I absolutely loved it. I can wholeheartedly recommend it. It isn’t the sort of book I usually read, but it was absolutely amazing. A story of a lady, Eleanor Oliphant, who is a little bit different and lives quite a lonely, sheltered life. She goes to work and home through the week and drinks vodka at home alone at the weekends. All her meals are the same as she likes her routine, and she has no friends. This all changes throughout the book, and we start to understand why she is the way she is. There were many times I laughed and times I wanted to give Eleanor a hug. It was such a lovely read, I didn’t want it to end. I would give it a solid 10/10.
Another book for this week is The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins. It was ok, but definitely nowhere near as good as the last book I read by her, The Girl on the Train. My advice on that one is not to bother! The choice of course is yours, but I was not keen!
I have started The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides this week, too. I am enjoying it so far and will definitely have finished it by next week’s catch-up!
Family and Life
There isn’t much more to add this week, other than that we have ordered (and received) our Save the Date cards for our wedding, which is exciting!
Have you started Christmas shopping? I have already bought some gifts for Stuart and Ben, but I haven’t bought anything else yet! My Christmas gift guides will all be live within the next week, so I am sure you will find some new ideas if you’re struggling to find something for anyone!
On The Blog
My latest posts on the blog that you might like and may have missed are:
- The best bulbs to plant in November
- A review of a Monster Bean Bag
- A guide to eating in Covent Garden
- What are high-impact exercises, and do we need them?
- 10 Reasons I love reading in coffee shops
- Alternatives to Oyster sauce for vegetarians and vegans
- Bonfire night food ideas
- Why phoning a friend could improve your mood
- Healthy sugar alternatives
- Cold water swimming and Ice bath benefits
- Are ready meals actually bad for you?
