In my life today

Not written on here for a while so here's a quick update. I need to go to bed soon as I'm struggling to keep my eyes open after my busy house worky type of day!

In the kitchen is a half eaten huge chocolate cake which I made for Talia's 11th birthday. Had great fun making it and even more fun eating it!! :-)

Pigs in a mud bath!

On the hob on a baking tray is a collection of polymer clay key rings I've been making for the stall i'm sharing with my friend at the school Christmas market and also for the grand opening of my Etsy or folksy shop (not decided which yet). I'm feeling very very excited about my new venture but also a bit nervous.

These little things will be keyrings...

I've already made these...

I will also be selling some crochet items (my new hobby)..

Wrist warmers in lilac sparkly yarn.

Black sparkly yarn.

Mine craft creeper wrist warmer.

Baby head band with a bow.

This last one will be a lovely bright rainbow pram blanket. So tempted to keep this one for F. 

Xxx

Life change? Spiritual transformation?

Just posted this on a forum I use... Thought I'd post it here too as I reminder to myself of how I am feeling...

...

I’ve been feeling a bit strange these past few weeks but I can’t put my finger on why. I’m not unhappy in the slightest. Maybe it’s a bit to do with dh getting his new job after being off for five months but it doesn’t feel like that. I got used to him being back at work really quickly so I’m sure it’s not that. My cat died the day before he started his job and our cat was a huge part of our lives (more like a dog than a cat as he was my little shadow, wherever I was so was he) but again, I don’t think it’s to do with that.
This is sounding all nonsense I know but just wondering if anyone else has ever experienced this.
I feel like I’m changing. Like I’m going through a life change but not quite sure what this change is going to be at the moment. It’s like I’m waiting for it to happen… But not sure what I’m waiting for.
I’ve made a few small changes myself recently in the way I manage money, I’ve learnt to crochet (something I’ve tried and failed at for ages) and I’ve started making my own jewellery… but it still doesn’t feel like it’s too do with that.
Oh gosh I’m aware I’m sounding quite insane right now but I guess this post is really just to air my inner thoughts… Whatever they may be!!
Does anyone have the slightest inclination of what I’m talking about?? (Feel free to just call me a loon and ignore my ramblings!!!) xxx

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Loving...

Loving that my baby boy is learning so much every day. He's nearly 15 months now and understands so much. This past week he's been understanding that it's not kind to bite other people and he now takes himself off to have a "think" at the back door and when he's ready he returns to give his victim a kiss to say sorry. His bites are getting less frequent to so something somewhere is sinking on.

Also loving the fact that just today we were looking at his book together and he began copying the animal sounds when we got to each page. :-) :-)

I also love how he's learnt how to go and collect his step if he needs to be that tiny bit taller!! :-) 

I love how close my three children are these days.

I'm just loving being a mama right now!!! :-) 

Day one of the big declutter

I am exhausted!! I started my mammoth chore of decluttering the kitchen today. And my goodness it was a mammoth chore too! My utility area is the space that not only houses the washing

machine but also houses all my craft supplies. These consist of clay, clay tools, acrylic paint, water colour paint, chalk pastels, oil pastels, paint brushes, canvases, art paper, tiles, jewellery making supplies, beads, shells, pebbles, glue, tape, felt, thread, wool, etc etc etc. I tried oh so hard to get rid of the stuff I haven't used for ages but I'm so so rubbish at getting rid of things. I'm such a hoarder and it pains me to throw things away. Especially craft things!

Anyway, the space above the washing machine did look like this (shameful photo):

Gosh it looks awful.

Now it looks like this:

Those two boxes need sorting still but at least I can now see what's there.

I forgot to take before pictures of the main kitchen but here are the after pictures.

It really was a tough job. I emptied out cupboards and cleaned the shelves. Threw away out of date flour that had been "saved" to make play dough with. Struggled to decide what needed to go and what needed to stay. And then I sat on the floor and sobbed. I sobbed because I find de- cluttering really hard. I want a lovely minimal simple house but I really struggle with throwing away things that I "might" need or which have sentimental value. So what I did today was a huge achievement. I managed to get two archive boxes of stuff to sell at the next boot fair and THREE bags of rubbish!! Three!! So, although the kitchen is not yet finished... It is much much better than it was and I am now feeling OK to carry on. 

.... and.... breathe!

It's been one of those days today where your blood rises to boiling point and you think you might blow! Various things triggered it but it all seems to boil down to one reason and one reason only. And that is the house. There's five of us living in this house. The living space isn't teeny tiny but we are quite rubbish at using our space well. I've read Simplicity Parenting over and over. I've read 101 Ways to make more space over and over but we still live on chaos. In five  years time we will have a 6 year old, a 13 year old and a 15 year old and if the house is still just as chaotic we will be in for a bumpy ride.

Some time ago I followed the advice from Simplicity Parenting and cleared out a huge amount of the children's unused toys. It made so much difference you would not believe. However over the past year or so "stuff" has managed to return and we are back to chaotic living.

So it's time to do it again... More so than ever now that F is with us. We live in a three bedroom house. N has the best deal so far. She has a double room all to herself and her goldfish. C had a tiny box room that fits a normal bed and nothing else (but he doesn't have a normal bed... He has a high sleeper with all of his things underneath). G and I share our room with F. FM's cot is beside or bed but more often than not he's in with us.

So its time to change.

Tomorrow I will begin my major clear out ... Beginning with the kitchen. In the hope it will help in us trying to live more simply... I'll keep you updated... Hopefully with photos! x

Our lovely boy.

R.I.P. Poo. xxx

October 2000-June 2013

Lost the rhythm of blogging

I'm not doing so well at blogging these days... Too much other stuff going on. So I'm just going to put a few pictures in instead...

Sunset on holiday.

Home baked wholemeal rolls.

Cheese tarts.

Honey and cinnamon cookies.

Our new veranda.