Life with Nat - EP75: Nat & Em catch up

Episode Date: December 30, 2024

We're in that weird inbetweeny time, so a little debrief of Christmas and a regroup ahead of NYE. Boardgames, Lego, juicy turkey and *slightly* curdled drinks. Merry Natmas and a Happy Nat Year to you all x Please subscribe, follow, and leave a review. xxx You can find us in all places here; https://podfollow.com/lifewithnat/view INSTA: @natcass1 We're also on Facebook now too: https://www.facebook.com/lifewithnatpod A 'Keep It Light Media' Production Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: [e-mail] SHOW INFO: Life with Nat - it’s me! Natalie Cassidy and I’ll be chatting away to family, friends and most importantly YOU. I want to pick people's brains on the subjects that I care about- whether that’s where all the odd socks go, weight and food or kids on phones. Each week I will be letting you into my life as i chat about my week, share my thoughts on the mundane happenings as well as the serious. I have grown up in the public eye and have never changed because of it. Life with Nat is the podcast for proper people. Come join the community. ♥️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Visit BetterHelp.com today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P.com. How the devil are you? I'm all right, thanks. How are you? I'm alright thanks, how are you? Yeah, really good actually It's been all go, all go Yeah In a lovely way

Yeah, this is the time off you've been all expecting This is all the chilled time out What's going on? No chilled time, no chilled time No chilled time I have, well we've got a new baby in the family Joni has little Ted her reborn doll

we have just been out to Matalan to buy with her Christmas money some outfits for the baby Ted I didn't think I'd be looking at Moses Baskets on Amazon but I have been she's taking it quite seriously Emma

are there no hand-me-downs from baby James yet? Moses Baskets on Amazon, but I have been. Wow. She's taking it quite seriously, Emma. Are there no hand-me-downs from Baby James yet? We've already had a couple of those. They're coming. They're coming. We're seeing the family New Year's Eve. So for everybody, Happy New Year to you. Obviously, we're not recording this New Year's Day because we'll all be a little bit worse for wear.

So it's a couple of days before New Year that me and Emma are catching up. But Happy New Year to all of you. And I'm going to do a real dig into New Year in the next step. So look forward to that. But yes, Christmas has been, as it always is really, the build-up is immense and the days go far too quickly yeah um for somebody who adores it i do find the in-betweeny days quite a struggle yeah like constant jet lag life strange really odd eating trifle in the morning not really sure what day it is but i enjoy it but Mark's at work so Mark's actually he stayed out

last night and he went to work which is something he doesn't really usually do between Christmas and New Year um so that was a bit weird being on my own but Eliza had a friend around we played some games it was really nice actually and I got a bit of an early night although I had the worst sleep and I know I talk about moons and I promise you I haven't checked it. Can you tell me what moon it was yesterday? Can you check it for me? Oh, yeah, let's have a look. I had the worst sleep.

I had a bit of sleep paralysis going on. And then Joanie was coughing her guts up. She's had the most terrible cough for the last few days, so I took her to the doctor. It's a viral thing. She's had the most terrible cough for the last few days. So I took her to the doctor. It's a viral thing. She's okay. But it's one of those as soon as you lay down, you're coughing all night. And she slept with me last night.

So I feel like I've had a real newborn baby in the room because we've been up every couple of hours. It's a waning crescent, Scorpio moon. But not a full moon. No, w moon. No. No, no. Pretty much as close as we get to the opposite. Oh, for the 31st, empty.

No moon. No moon. Then we get it back. Then we get a new moon. No moon. For New Year's Eve. We get a no moon. Maybe it was just the coughing then that kept me awake all night. But yeah, I feel a bit tired.

I've put on my new present though. Do you love my new hat? Oh, lovely. Life with Nat colours, green and pink. Oh, difficult to tell in the current light, but beautiful. It's green and pink. I got some beautiful Adidas Spezial trainers, which are green and pink. So I am kitted out for

life with nat for the new year nice did you get any nice things and how was your christmas uh we didn't really do christmasy presents this year me and ed are going to a comedy sort of christmasy show that he bought the tickets for fab got him some candles and um a jumper that's not arrived yet i've had to be in touch with the customer support i was supposed to arrive at the beginning of december um the order just didn't process properly at all so i had to get in touch going did this even go through i've paid for it anyway so it's all a bit like that this year but yeah no i've i've the issue is i buy what i want when i want it so i

i know what you mean i know what you mean bad to buy presents for so yeah but have you had a nice time with the family have you had a nice time spending time with people yeah we did um christmas day at my parents and then we were supposed to do boxing day and the day after at ed's parents but then his mum wasn't feeling very well so i'm going over there tonight so that's why i asked if we could do a bit earlier so i can try and get out there everything together yeah drive down to the coast so that would be nice as well but yeah it's been really chilled it's been weird because you know well, well, we're the same. The work doesn't really stop. No. I managed to.

I managed to, like, on Christmas Eve, two in the afternoon, I managed to get everything done. And this is the first thing I'm doing on the 28th. Fantastic. You know, it's pretty chilled. And then even then I've got like a couple of little bits to do. But then it's, yeah, it's all good chilled then we'll be back to normal cracking right on won't we i um for all listening they may have seen me on the last leg

new year's eve special hope everyone enjoyed that that was great fun to do with lovely chris mccausland and guz khan aj adudu and Sandy Toksvik. I mean not being rude, very very starstruck to spend an evening with Sandy. Amazing. What an amazing lady. Oh, just incredible.

Incredible and I've never met somebody who loves her wife. That's all she talks about. Her wife was with her. She said, I'll meet my wife. This is my wife. That's all she talks about. Her wife was with her. She said, I'll meet my wife. This is my wife. And then afterwards she said, you know, work, I want to slow down a bit

because I want to spend time with my wife. We've got so much we want to do. And I just thought, oh, I love that when you hear someone really champion their other half because it is quite rare. You get a lot of people who sort of do the old backhanded comments and the sort of jokes about their other half. And I just think it's nice to hear all positive stuff. So it was really lovely.

I did try and ask her. I said, well, get me on QI, please. Any chances? And she's not in charge of booking? She's not in charge of booking, but she did in charge of booking but she did say you'd be great and i'm gonna see what i can do that'd be fun love to do qi emma that would be a box can you get me a guest list oh please if you saw it you come to the audience yeah oh so that was great great show just an in well it's quite interesting very interesting yeah no great

great i've had some brilliant messages from people i wanted firstly to thank a couple of people who have taken the time to post me things it is so lovely lovely debs who always comes on with me and linny she's she's knitted stuff for baby james and and she knitted myself and Linny a beautiful crocheted Christmas decoration, which I did chuck onto Instagram. But thank you, Deb, so, so much. It doesn't go unnoticed. And I said to a lot of my regular listeners that I was going to do something for them. I'll do a card. And honestly, the only card I wrote out was for my auntie and uncle who live in Newcastle,

my dad's brother, Uncle George. It's just been absolutely manic and I will do better next year. But Deb, thank you. And then I got this wonderful, the night before Christmas, a really gorgeous card from Louise, who is a cross stitching fan. And she's been obsessed with going to charity shops, saw this Robin pattern and I thought you'd love it. And it is the most beautiful, I'll chuck it online, beautiful Robin hanging decoration.

And I just think any crafting takes so much time. So I'm really appreciative. And they were two of my favourite presents. So thank you so, so much, so much. But yeah, absolutely love gifts. And I love things from you. At the moment, we're going to sort it out, aren't we? And we're going to get a PO box number. So it's going to be really easy for you all to send stuff to me. Hold fire until that's sorted because obviously there's not really anywhere else to send it. But yeah, we'll sort out the PO box and I love a bit of old fashioned posts, be it a letter or something. So, yeah, brilliant.

So that'll be really good. We'll sort that out super soon. I'll do that. I'll do that in the next couple of days, Em. I'm not doing much else but stuffing my face with old pork pies. Let's do that. That'll be so fascinating to see. What comes through.

Oh, I've got these for New Year's Eve that I wanted to show you, which I think are quite good. Oh, very good. Happy New Year. Eve that I wanted to show you, which I think are quite good. Oh, very good. Happy New Year. Like them? Double O. Yeah, we've run out of years that you can encompass the year around the glasses. So, yeah.

And those are, I mean, eco-friendly. You can wear those year in, year out. Now, that's it. I've saved these. These are a couple of years old. They come out. So that's those. And then Roro. These are a couple of years old. They come out. So that's those. And then Roro bought me this, which I absolutely love.

Life with Nat the future. I've got an amazing pink pen, fantastic green diary, and it is just a lovely notebook for this year and the future for planning. You get to do plans. What a lovely bit of stationery. Look. Oh, love stationery. It's gorgeous, isn't it? I love stationery. So need to do plans. What a lovely bit of stationery, look. Oh, love stationery. It's gorgeous, isn't it?

I love stationery. So, yeah. Beautiful. Fantastic. Fantastic. We also did the, I haven't watched it yet, your Christmas bake-off. It was brilliant. It was really good fun.

I loved being in the tent. My yule log went down very, very well. The other two went down a bit like a sack of shit but actually my showstopper um was something made out of biscuits and all biscuits were tasted and all biscuits were approved they said they were delicious i came away feeling all right i didn't fail emma incredible i didn't win but i didn't fail. It's the taking part that counts, especially with Bake Off. You get to go out to the tent. If you're in the tent, you've won.

That's what I think. No Hollywood handshake then? No, I've got a couple of nice looks. My friend Maria texted me, actually, and she screenshotted Paul's face. And she said, I know you didn't get a handshake, but you did get a super cheeky look. So she spotted that for me. One thing I will say about the bake-off it didn't i've get hot in that tent when you're filming that christmas special in the summer yeah because you you were having to grab some christmasy looking outfit stuff like

rifle through the christmas scrunchies and stuff i got a christmas red scrunchie and i went to a lovely charity beyond retro actually just outside of oxford circus and i got a Christmas red scrunchie and I went to a lovely charity, Beyond Retro actually, just outside of Oxford Circus and I got a really nice sort of red vintagey shirt. It was all right. Went down all right. Pair of jeans and trainers. A lot of people. Sherry Murphy wore a Christmas onesie.

Wow. Which was a great idea, but. That's hotter, surely. I think so, especially with the pinny on. Layer by layer. it was very woolly mind you there's nothing over so you know these tiny people they don't really get very warm but yeah I was absolutely baking but it was it was brilliant we had such a laugh and obviously Dean I've got to get Dean Gaffney on the pod he was brilliant very very funny and has never baked before but did did the best he could bless him and will never

bake again probably not we'll have to we'll ask him no i don't think this is an impression i don't think so oh dear let's see what karen has to say hi nat just want to say i love listening to your podcast i've listened to every episode and this week's one with the children was extra special you should be very proud of them glad you got through half term can't wait to start christmas shopping take care speak to you soon bye oh that's lovely that was yesterday and she said she can't wait to start christmas shopping yeah that's really old because you haven't you didn't have both the kids on for a while, have you? Together. Well, she sent that to me yesterday, no lies.

So I'm not sure if Karen's a little bit mixed up. I know we're pre-recording, but not that much. This is the 28th. I mean, I don't know what day it is, but maybe she's just forgotten what month it is completely. We've fallen into time warp. Let's see what Michelle has to say. And does she know that it's after Christmas? This would be interesting. Hi, Nat. I've just been listening to your latest podcast.

Loving the pod, by the way. Listen to it as soon as it comes out. And you and Mark were talking about people who look like other people. All of my life since being a teenager, I'm 43 now, people have told me I look just like you. So, yeah, interesting fact. I thought I'd let you know. Take care. Carry on with the pod. We love it.

Bye. Well, thank you, Michelle, for that. I sort of understand what they mean. I mean, she's got a better fringe than me. I'll show you a photo. Ah, lovely. If you need any cover, if you've got too much going on. For Michelle.

Send her in. I think people are being a bit rude. I think you're a bit prettier than me, mate. But thanks very much for that. I think people are being a bit rude I think you're a bit prettier than me mate but thanks very much for that let's see what lovely Isla from Scotland you know the one who works super hard and likes a good bit of customer service she sent me a message on Thursday lovely Isla hey Nat and gang wishing you all a belated Merry Christmas as I'm actually recording this on Boxing Day. It's taken me ages to catch up on the pod because I've been so crazy this Christmas season.

I'm up to date, nearly, but I'm just listening to the episode of you and Mark trying the different Baileys. Now I personally don't like Baileys, not for me, But in Scotland, we do have a drink that I do like. It's discontinued. You can't actually buy it. So I'm going to give you the recipe now and you guys can maybe try it and see how it goes. The drink is called Athol Bros and you need a cup of oat milk. You can soak your oats and get the oat milk that way but that's too much hard work go to marx's and get your oat milk and then you need a cup of cream you need some whiskey as much as you want in it and some honey to taste mix them all together give it a really good shake and chill it and drink it it is so nice and if you're into your baileys this is a different type of baileys a different version of it it's very similar it's

got that creaminess that baileys has like I said before I don't like baileys at all however afro bros every christmas i will raise a glass to it it's very traditionally scottish yeah love to know if you try it anyway hope you've all had a very merry christmas and i'm loving the podcast still i'm sorry this has gone on nearly two minutes but i had to give you that message and i really can't wait to keep listening in the new year love you all bye Isla you're in luck I am not annoyed at all that it was two minutes because we're all exhausted and it's uh nice to hear other people speak rather than us so thank you for that I think that sounds like a nice idea what do you reckon Em? Yeah I was thinking sort of white Russian vibe white Scottish we call it white Scottish.

Athol, bro, so I wouldn't know where to start. I felt then a bit like, you know, little Britain when he's like, sorry, what? Can I have subtitles? That Athol, I'm really sorry, Isla. It's my fault for being stupid. But I couldn't understand what it was called. Perhaps you could wipe me a text with the name and the ingredients and I can pop it online. One try does sound good though i am oh i'm getting waffle bros is the

closest i'm getting waffle bros is that's a suggestion at the moment when i'm trying to freewheel it drink scottish i'm gonna google it so i'm gonna find cream oat milk whiskey oh oh apple broth okay i feel like i'm managing it a t h o l l space b r o s e apple broth lovely yeah lush i cracked into the baileys because of you and mark i had some and I just haven't had it. And then I thought, I had a bit last night and I thought, oh, I've got some coffee liqueur as well. I bought decaf because I'm a caffeine wimp.

Yeah. But I thought, oh, they talked about the sort of tiramisu one. They talked about an espresso one. Mix it up. Get it in your glass. Mark said espresso,

espresso one. He's been saying that all holidays. Has he? Yeah. He said to his brother the other night, because I had all Mark's family over, do you want an espresso martini? Espresso Espresso one He's been saying that all holidays I say Espresso Yeah He said to his brother the other night Because I had all Mark's family over Do you want an Espresso Martini? I said it's an Espresso

He just says Espresso Maybe it's the love of trains You know Express and all of that I don't know Yeah yeah Pizza Espresso So go on

You put them together So I thought Oh yeah Why not mix it in Bailey's just You've got to be so careful about what you're mixing in with it because it doesn't mix. Does it not?

It went a bit lumpy. I still drank it. I felt like I should have whizzed it. It was a bit thicker than it should have been by adding more liquid. It sounds like it curdled. Slightly. So I, and then I dipped some biscuits in it. Oh, fine.

And then that felt like it was fine then oh that's alright otherwise lovely but no I need to talk to you about the Christmas dinner

I do need to talk to you about it oh yeah it was a triumph lovely my brother cooked a goose on Christmas Eve

a goose a goose and he sliced it A goose? A goose. And he sliced it up and put it in a tray and brought it around to warm. I've never tasted goose like it because goose can be not really nothing about it and quite fatty. Whereas this, honestly, the meat was incredible. And I put a turkey in. Now, I know it's a cliche, but I do panic about the turkey every single year worry about what to do with it watch Jamie Oliver and this year I didn't watch Jamie Oliver on Christmas Eve and

it really it totally threw me it really panicked me because I hadn't were you just too busy what yeah I was it was a choice yeah and the kids No the kids didn't want to watch it What did we have on? Can't remember I did drink quite a lot Christmas Eve Whilst preparing food I did And I've got a big one to tell you

Oh yeah I did truffle mash with my roast dinner Oh you did Mark was sort of Trying to veto that a little bit In the brief mention of it on the app It was only a small part, but it was a triumph.

Absolute triumph. It was all crispy on the top. I did a cauliflower cheese. I made my own red cabbage with prunes and balsamic vinegar. So I did all my sides, really, a lot of the sides on Christmas Eve. Did have a bottle of white one

and a bottle of red, not going to lie. Throughout the day, you know, from 11 to 6 I was cooking. We had carols on, people in and out. It's Christmas. It's Christmas. So that was really nice. But the turkey, I've got a meter. I don't know if I've spoken here about the meter before.

Meatstick. It is a thermometer. A thermometer. A thermometer. A thermometer. Thank you. if I've spoken here about the meter before meat stick it's a meter a thumb on my thumb on my thank you and it is incredible you've got to trust it I had an 11 kilo bird which just about fit in my oven I've stuck the metal thing in and I thought this is going to be roughly four hours two and a half hours oh so it would have yeah you'd have absolutely screwed it two and a half hours maybe 240 and then wrap it all up and I rested it for an hour and a half two hours and it was still piping hot and you've never, the turkey was like butter. It's in the fridge now and it is still completely moist after three days. Wowie. Have you got one of those ones that you poke it in and leave it?

Yeah. Yeah, because I've got one that you sort of stick in and check. No, it's got an app. Oh, it's an app. You don't weigh it. You don't do anything. You tell it what you want the internal temperature to be to suit you. The legs looked a bit undercooked.

We didn't eat them in the end. No? But the breast and the wings were all fine. But if the breast and wings are fine, then the legs have got a bit. They're on the outside. Yeah, I think it's the the legs are always pink meat anyway aren't they they're darker yeah so if i'm not cooking it to what my mum used to do which was kind of you know really cook it annihilate it and it's not really brown that meat yeah it kind

of puts me off if it's a little bit on the pink side but it was a triumphant delicious and i'm gonna have turkey sandwiches for dinner again tonight because i don't want to if it's a little bit on the pink side, but it was a triumphant delicious, and I'm going to have turkey sandwiches for dinner again tonight because I don't want to waste it. Did a turkey curry. Super. Boxing day. Yeah. So my dad's a really good cook, so we went.

There's, and yeah, lovely. Yeah, really good. Great turkey, great. What did he do? Sprouts with bacon. Yeah. Carrots, parsnips, bread sauce cranberry sauce, all of those

stuffing, sausage meat pigs in blankets all those things, lovely oh I did a carrot and sweet crush, that came out well that went down like a lead balloon no, a couple of people had it no they did, they did, but I had a lot of sides left because there were only seven of us

so I had lots and lots of sides left and the next day when Mark's family came I reheated all the sides and we had all the cold meats and I even had some potatoes you know that I left and I reheated which I was really pleased with and I know that sounds silly and I know a lot of people do that all the time but I don't usually tend to do that and I was really proud of myself because there hasn't been a lot of waste. And it's been really, really good. And today, we went out earlier. I went to Marksies because I had to go and get New Year's Eve drinks and stuff because I've got everyone here New Year's Eve. And I did buy for the first time something fresh for the fridge.

And that was a stir fry because the girls don't want picky bits anymore, which I kind of get. Let's feed them some vegetables later. You can still put some turkey in that if you've got any left. I could do. A bit of turkey. No, I'm good. Like yesterday, I didn't eat much at all.

Boxing day, I was so busy running around after everybody. I haven't eaten much, and tonight I'm really excited for because Mark's home and we're on our own with the kids so we can play a game with the kids get the kids to bed and it's our christmas evening on our own which we really enjoy so that'll be really good oh lovely that'll be nice yeah so what have you got any kind of thoughts for 25 any any thoughts any sort of goals anything that you'd like to sort of box tick this year or well you sort of had a super one last year we're buying yeah it's sort of

allowing that to settle in and stuff like that i've got a sort of term for it where you kind of regather regroup and figure it out and that's that's sort of it for me is like just taking stock of everything letting myself recalibrate and figure it all out and you know I'm working really hard to still get the flat as I want there's a lot there's going to be so much the to-do list of here's all these ideas it's huge it's great it's exciting but it's yeah there's just a lot of that of just like letting it let myself enjoy it and that's it don't rush it yeah luxuriating it and let that just kind of happen and catch my breath that's a bit of it it's a lot of that catch the breath figure it out

yeah I'm gonna do the same as you um this year is gonna be about well there's some massive stuff happening this year um boringly can't talk about it but the listeners of the pod and yourself will be the first to know when I can talk about things so there's some really exciting things but a lot of things that have been planned last year so I feel this year of course I want to take on other things but I'm going to be a lot more choosy and picky about what I take on because I'm usually like an excited puppy and I go I'll do that yeah yeah I can do it yeah we'll fit it in oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah and then I don't get an hour at home and I'm my aim for the next few years is to spend quite frankly more time in front of this computer doing these and to concentrate more on this but there are some really nice things going to happen i'd quite like to maybe decorate a bathroom depending but a bit like you i think january

february and march especially january and february i was reading something online yesterday and i know they're all a little bit oh you know a bit cliched and what have you but it is true it is a time to this new moon in January I was reading about it but it is a time to let yourself hibernate yeah I mean if you go back a few hundred years not even a few hundred I think there are places within Iceland Sweden there are there are places in the world that used to go to sleep. They used to not come out of their houses for a hundred days. You know, they just slept, put the fire on, ate well, that sort of thing. So I think that we should all kind of, you know, hunker down, hunker down for January and Feb. I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm so busy in January and February. I don't know what

I'm talking about. I won't be hunkering anywhere. But let ourselves appreciate the foundations that we're building. Yeah. Yeah. I really don't want to set aims that aren't achievable and too high. You know, someone asked me to do a marathon last year. I've done two and I absolutely knew this year I don't want to do that. I haven't got the time or the headspace to put in the time and effort. And as you know, if I do something, I want to do it really well. But, you know, I do want to get outside a bit more, get more fresh air, because for the last six months I feel like I haven't had any

where I've just been so busy. So getting out for a walk with friends is something I want to get back into. In fact, Linny and I's next pod we're going to do on a walk I think we're going to record it outside and do a walking one and it might be that mine and Linny's pods we do a bit of walking so I can get out which would be quite nice lovely yeah yeah so in terms of looking after myself as I always say really I think everything in moderation uh don't overwork yourself don't overdo anything really is sort of my aim for 2025 I'm not doing all the oh January and February it's a new me dry January very very January I'm going to lose four stone

oh I'm not going to I'm going to give going to give this up I can't do it and you set yourself up for a fall I think some people can I think some people really like the kind of new year as a real fresh start and they kick off the year and it gives them that kind of drive a lot of people join a gym in January

and by March most of them have tailed off it's the worst time to do that isn't it? yeah I think so spring spring at the earliest spring's good spring's the worst time to do that isn't it i think spring spring at the spring is good spring's a great time that's renewal that's restart that's the joy like i don't drink very much anyway i luckily i've not needed to sort of test myself on dry january or anything like i've not thought that that's it's not a challenge but it's also not our

well i'm gonna yeah to miss out on social events because I'm doing a challenge, you know, for this. If that's a thing you enjoy, a little bit of alcohol and you're okay with it and it's all good, January is not the time to, when it's so dark and cold and horrible, a nice warm, whatever, mulled wine in a pub with your friends. I just think it's a lot of pressure. Social media and the things that we're watching all the time

and what we get fed, it puts you under pressure to do stuff. Now, on my feed, it's just all about the new year. I had to do a video. I don't want it. I'm not interested. It's not the new year. We're in December. The weight loss advert started at the

beginning of december i'm enjoying it but i'm enjoying my time don't worry yeah yeah all right sign up for a gym whatever but who's actually making it out when it's the darkest coldest grimmest thing i mean i think you can get through that amazing i think they do listen i think people do i think i think it's the people that are regularly doing that I'm already going yeah that's it that's what I know

like for years I've said my new year's resolution is not to make a resolution because I as you said setting yourself up for a fall

and it's just it's not good for you I don't think it's good for you to set yourself up for a fall it's not good and I've I have done the gym thing

I have done going to the gym all the time and doing all that. But actually, I don't enjoy it. So I don't want to waste my time because time is precious. And I want to find, do my walking, a bit of jogging or whatever outside with a friend perhaps. That will mean more to me because I'm ticking two boxes there I'm seeing someone special catching up and doing the little bit of whatever that's what it's about for me another thing that someone gave me Mark's sister Jen

practically my sister and her husband he's given me a sourdough starter oh okay have you done any of this before never done it before no okay cool so I've got a little sourdough starter in the fridge which he said I'll have to feed in a few days if I don't use it yet but I need to have a good look into it because I don't want to waste it bless Bless him, he's given me some of his starter. So I need to get onto that. And that feels quite exciting to make a nice loaf of bread, sourdough, that'll be my first one. I know everybody got into it, didn't they, years ago, but I didn't.

So I was being teacher. So I'm looking forward to it. Incredibly busy. Well, you know, you're not any less busy right now, but start achievable aims, at least keeping the starter alive yeah do that that should be fairly easy you've just got to you know give it i think it's just flour and water flour and water but you have to tip 50 out i think and then add the more or whatever i've got a little book and then you can use the the stuff you tip out you can use for like pancakes and all sorts of flatbreads and stuff right you can just cook it up there is there's stuff you tip out you can use for like pancakes and all sorts of flatbreads and stuff

right you can just cook it up there is there's stuff you can do with it so again it sort of then is like it doesn't feel like you're sort of throwing it away wasting it you know and yeah you feel like you're achieving something that's at least that's sort of level one yeah yeah starter growing that yeah yeah i'm looking forward to that the bread's an exciting challenge i'm looking forward to it i've made a loaf before but not sourdough and sourdough is the best right and it's just got what it's got in it and it's amazing so i don't want to buy bread anymore with 400 ingredients in it i'm not saying i'm going to cook sourdough every day of the week but we don't eat a lot of bread anyway so i feel like it's quite realistic to kind of bake one of those freeze a bit do you know what I mean yeah so that would be nice what else is on the horizon well I did want

to just thank everybody because I've got some beautiful presents and the family have been amazing we've seen everybody obviously we are recording this on the 28. I've got lots of people over on New Year's Eve and I'm seeing all the little children that I've not seen yet, which I'm really looking forward to. So there's still presents to be done. Baby James and Elia and Jack and Ruby and Alfie and Amelia.

So they're all coming. And tomorrow, Tony's coming over, brother Tony, Evie, James, Sharon, her mum and dad, Tony's best friend, Johnny. and we're going to the pub and we're going to go and have lunch, which is also really nice because, again, that would usually probably be a day where I'm doing another roast dinner.

So it's nice that I said, let's go out, have lunch, get dressed, have a glass of wine, go out. So I feel like the next few days I'm really going to try and just really enjoy and not think about it all being over because as I say I genuinely mean this for anybody who does love Christmas like I do your heart breaks a little bit there's a couple of emotional moments you it really can be quite quite depressing so let's make it nice and let's look forward to nice things and I think if you've got children and they are growing up you know you're wondering about how long all the

magic lasts and all of that but you just have to yeah embrace it all enjoy it all don't get bogged down with it and then yeah just look forward to other great things, fun things. The girls' favourite, one of the favourite presents, what do you think we bought them? Oh. You won't get it. Well, funnily, it's weird because Mark and I, yeah, it's brilliant what you did.

I didn't know, but he wrapped up a family present for me and the girls and it was um monopoly the only fools and horses version oh you're big fans of that big fans so we've got that we've not played it yet so that's brilliant but he also printed the certificate because we are taking them to see only fools and horses a musical on the 2nd of jan oh oh amazing so we'll be uh we going to go and see a show. So that's going to be really good fun and a nice day out. Can't wait to hear how that is. Yeah. Yeah, it'll be great. And the kids love it.

And Joanie just couldn't believe it that she was going to go. And they know all the music because they've got the soundtrack. So I feel like it's going to be a really great day out. Really good day. Oh. Yeah. Super. Oh, great work, Mark. and where are you new year's eve

em just here i'm just chilling i'm starting starting the chill early i mean we had yeah there was some offers of like going to one of my mates who's got a fairly very very young baby um is having some have a uni mates over yeah sort of doing cheese and wine and a chilled one but i think just again it's the part of the let's just recoup and stuff so it's me and ed that's nice mine you can pop on the last leg lego yeah we've got got a little bit of that i have a little bit of that for your new year's eve because you know you don't really see or talk to me enough so why don't you put that on i've got that that's planned new year's New Year's Eve is last leg.

And then a bit of Hootenanny. We're a Hootenanny. Obviously. Hootenanny. Yeah, me too. I've got some Lego I want to build. I've got the big cat Lego I sort of dream myself to. So we've decided we're going to do that.

Joanie is currently downstairs. She's been at it for two days straight. And when I say at it, Emma, she's in front of the telly. She puts Mallory Towers on, her favourite series from CBBC, and she's got it all spread out. She has got the Lego mansion, Friends Mansion. Have a little look. It has so many pieces.

Bearing in mind, it's 14 plus, but she's sat down there. She's eight on her own. No help. She's already done two floors. I am so proud of her. pieces bearing in mind it's 14 plus but she's sat down there she's eight on her own no help she's already done two floors i am so proud of her is it andrea's modern mansion yeah great big thing with a pool it's got like a big glass yeah and yellow pink orange that's it and it's got a car little super car yeah sort of teal that's it oh that looks so fun so she's made the stairs and she's just done the swimming pool and the hot tub and then i think she's on to level three now but she's doing brilliantly oh it's really mindful i don't know good so good for kids talked about it with yes for kids

no for everybody but for these little ones because there isn't much around for them to do it and like yeah it's really really good and i feel really pleased because she she is eight but she's got this dolly and i was joking about it so just her favorite thing and she's just dressing him and putting him down and yes like i've always said yes my kids have the telly on in the background but they're always doing some but sorry she's always doing something eliza is just on a new ipad but that you know she needs it's nice she's getting older she's getting older but again she wants to still play games she still wants to sit around the table she had a friend over last night and her and her friend they're 14 they wanted to come and play with me they came into me and went oh mum oh mum why are you in bed I said

it's 10 to 10 my daddy's not at home I said I'm knackered I'm just going to get into bed with Joni she said oh we thought we were going to play more board games I felt really bad but I just said I need a bit of an early night but again how lovely that two teenagers still want to sit with me and play a game you know lovely have you done many board games yeah this i'm really i was just typing in the only fools and horses monopoly ones have a look yeah um the one that went down really well actually the carcasson have you did i talk to you about that one no went down really well when my parents built board game it's sort of little tiles you're building up cities and roads and fields sounds good sort of a little bit like dominoes type type thing where

you've got these different edges that you've got to match up in your building and building point it's not qatar isn't there one called qatar no qatan qatan sorry that one and i think it's qatar is what joni's got sorry i'm getting confused with the coffee. Yeah. Settlers of Catan, I've heard of, and I think possibly similar-ish, but Carcassonne. Okay. Like the French city, fortified city. There we go. Really good little ball game.

I played with some neighbours a while back, and I was like, I'm going to get that, because I think it would suit. Brilliant. So I'm taking that down to Ed's family. Oh, fantastic. Well, Joni got a new one, which I highly recommend. Very, very simple but fun. It's called Kerblam.

Kerblam. It comes with a bomb in the middle. Not a real bomb, obviously. A small plastic play bomb, which you put a couple of batteries in and you pull its fuse you have a few tokens each and you turn your card over and you have some dice and you have to if it's so it will say occupations you roll your dice and some of the dices are blank and you want to get down to all blank before passing the dice over and when the bomb goes off you lose a token really really simple really good fun uh good good for all ages i feel like it's going to be

good fun from the makers of scattergory which i loved k-a-b-l-a-b keblab oh sorry yes keblab oh there you go there you go. There you go. Lovely. You've got some blurting out items or catchphrases. Really good. Really good fun. Oh, great. A bit of a panicky one, you know, because you just want to get rid of the dice. But yeah, we're going to play that in a little while.

We're going to go down. I'm going to play that with Eliza in a bit. And it's also good for Joanie. It's 10 plus, but you can kind of help them a little bit. So you can get the little ones involved a little bit which is good what else have we played a classic of mine which I bought in WH Smith one year I love it it's a little like articulate but it's simpler we played it boxing night remarks family is forbidden words forbidden words you have your card you'll you'll have let's say at the top of the card you get into teams the card will say uh what did i have let me think me and uh nanny jackie one by the way

we're on the same wavelength you've got to be on the same wavelength uh and we are so we we're a good team i don't know it will say unicorn so unicorn at the top of the page, and then it will say six words you can't say whilst describing. So it will be horn, horse, magical, blah, blah, blah. So it's quite difficult. Yeah. And you have to really think outside the box to get the words, but highly recommend it. Really good game.

Really nice. Really good. I'm going to try. Also, I haven't played, but I'm going to try, also that I've got, I haven't, we didn't play, but I'm going to take it with me. Cards versus Gravity, which is, you get like, you have a little disc that sits on a bottle and you've got different colours and you've got to prop them in. It's a little bit.

Bit jengery. Bit jengery, bit. Bit kaplunk, kaplunk. Well, you're sort of stacking them up. You've like, they've got a prop on each other bit like um what's that donkey one that flips up oh um or like buckaroo buckaroo ish yeah you know you're balancing yeah it's a bit it sounds a bit domino bit kaplunk bit buckaroo it sounds like a mixture sounds good to me so looking forward to giving that a go as well i'll give i've got to give a massive shout out to auntie jenny so again mark's sister she was brilliant she

disappeared right and we've got a little um air hockey straight pool table in one of our rooms and she disappeared she said you can't come in i thought what's she doing setting up a game of i'm a bit confused we went in and she'd bought she'd set it all up paper cups paper paper cup in the middle with strings for everyone there so for us it was nine strings so nine strings coming out of the paper cup all with present bows on the end all different colors shapes and sizes so she's made this game right this is how good she is so you've got all of the bows and you all stand around and you pull a string you pull your string you see what you've got what bow and then underneath a cup is the matching bow

and you see what prize you've won oh so she said it all up. I won a tenner. Nice. But there was a pound, two quid, party rings, harry bows. Really, really brilliant. And then she brought a game that I think I've seen other people do online. Paper cups with cotton wool balls on top. Line them up, four on four, get into teams. Who can blow them off? Come round, put the Christmas hat on, go round. Just really good old-fashioned Christmas fun, really.

Really good. Yeah, I saw a similar one to the blowing the curtain off where lots of tea lights in a row and a line and you have to sort of say a phrase or something and try and blow as many of them out as possible right like loudly sort of but they're really good and that sort of takes time and takes a bit of organization and thinking but you know you really can create some fantastic games you know with stuff maybe that you've got at home you know if you can't afford a board game perhaps or you feel a little bit left

out of the game side look online there's so many things i think pinterest or tiktok or whatever loads of people doing them but if you look it up sort of with string and different bits and pieces or recyclable stuff you could really make your own games for new year's eve or you know this coming year have a little look at that because yeah there's some great things that we can do as adults by using our imagination so big shout out to Jenny for those games. They were brilliant. There's a great one I've done before where you just do three, two, one,

and you two people are trying to say the same thing. And then based off that word, you try and, so you'll say like nature, and then one says sky, one says river. Right. And then you've got to try and think of a word that relates to that and you're trying to get the same word oh that sounds good and it just even basically like that you just all you need is two people then yeah that's really good just a silly little perhaps we'll have a game of that oh shall we yeah oh uh yeah well then let's see if i get it though uh so do we say this the same word

first up uh we'll start let's start with nature yeah okay we're thinking of a word the first word we can think of that that's field and leaves. Okay. Three, two, one. Trees. Okay. Trees and crops. Trees and crops.

Okay. Three, two, one. Apples. Oh, yeah, apples is the word. I'm trapped on fields of wheat. Oh, well, but I like it. I like the game. Apples and wheat.

Oh, go on, apples and wheat. Three, two, one, tart. Apple-wheat-a-bix. Oh, apple-wheat-a-bix. I don't know if they do it. I don't know if they do it. Apple-wheat-a-bix, obviously. I've had an apple tart. I don't know if they do it Apple Weetabix obviously I want Apple Tart

Where do we go from there? I don't know if there is a Tart to Apple Weetabix crossover I'm not sure Maybe some sort of wonderful whore That eats it for breakfast After being clubbing or something Who knows There could be some sort of correlation there,

but we won't go there. Thank you. I know it's still your holiday, so thank you so much for doing this. But I didn't want to let everyone down. I hope everybody's brilliant, and I can't wait to speak to you next time. All about New Year, January, and fresh starts and what we're up to have a fantastic few days em you too it all sounds very exciting you've got lots lots of busyness still to go lots of busyness lots of family it's gonna be good you chill i'm gonna uh get jovial and i hope everybody does

exactly what they want to do over the next few days. Thank you for all your messages. Please keep sending them in 0778 20 1919. Any voice notes are more than welcome, even if they are over a minute long. Don't be scared of me. I'm not really that bad. Please subscribe, follow and tell all your friends about Life With Nat. Let's make 2025 a cracker. Let's make it bigger and better than ever. And that's it. Speak to you really soon. Bye.

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