Blogger's block

I feel like I need to apologise, but I've no doubt you'll all forgive me anyway.  I have a bunch of excuses (starting work, trying to keep my house somewhat clean and orderly, computer dying and it's trickier on the laptop or tablet, Christmas, New Year....) but really, they're just excuses.

Reality is that I have "blogger's block".

I don't feel like I have anything to say that anyone would want to read, and when I do, I don't have the time or energy to put it together (hopefully coherently).

So, let's see if we can break the block by writing this little apology.  Actually, it's not really an apology, given that it's my blog and I can write whenever I want.  But I guess it is an apology in the sense that I know that when I read a blog regularly, I miss it when they take a break, so I apologise if you've missed me.

Okay, let's see if we can break the block by giving a quick recap of what's been happening around here then.

I finally started work at one of the big Australian banks and finally, after two full weeks, managed to balance at the end of the day without having to re-count and re-check all of my work.  I literally did a dance!

Working full-time for two weeks was great and really hard.  It was awesome to be working again - spending so much time around adults, learning, and using my head all the time.  And it was hard not being around my Little Big Fella, trying to keep my house up to scratch, trying to fulfill the commitments I'd made as a non-worker, sitting almost all day, trying to get plenty of sleep and keep up with my workout program.

There were Christmas parties and birthday parties, often on the same day!

And, of course, there was Christmas!

My grandparents were going to join us this year but unfortunately that didn't work out.  But we had a great day!  The Little Big Fella got way too many presents, again!  And we had a fun time playing with all of them :-D

The Big Fella had a sleep in the afternoon (he'd done a string of night shifts with very little sleep in between) and I got a little down, I think because I'm used to Christmas day being full of people.

In the evening we visited some friends.  They'd gotten together with others in their street to hire a blow up waterslide and the Little Big Fella had a good go on it.  There were a few drinks and lots of laughs.  It was a great, relaxing way to end the day.

Boxing Day saw us follow a tradition that began early in our marriage, with Lord of the Rings, actually.  The Big Fella, the Little Big Fella and I went and saw the Hobbit at the cinema, 2 hours away.  It was expensive, and mildly frustrating a couple of times, but I think it's definitely a tradition we'll continue whenever possible.

The days between then and now have been very quiet and homely.  We've caught up with a couple of friends who've remained in town, been to the local pool, avoided the few shops that are near (and all of the ones further away!), practiced on my scooter and the Little Big Fella on his little motorbike, put up our pool and hidden away in the airconditioning from the high 30s to 45 degree days, and slept our way into the New Year.

Do you remember last New Year where I mentioned that I don't like it?  Here's the link if you want to look it up.  I actually happened to wake up 15 minutes before midnight this year and during that time I remembered some of the really bad New Year's Eve "parties" I've been to.

One included being at church (not the bad part - I loved going to church and spending time with the people around me who I considered my family), where the guest speaker actually continued speaking through the countdown to the New Year!

Then there were others (probably most of them really) where, possibly because there was no alcohol involved, we were trying to stay awake until midnight so we could count down, yell "Happy New Year" and go home to bed.

But this year I've added another reason to not like New Year.  And I suspect there will be plenty of people who disagree with me, which is absolutely your prerogative.

Many people seem to think that just because we've changed the number that we write to designate the year, their life will change... without them doing anything differently.  Then they whinge their way through the year, get to the other end and complain about what a horrible year it was and how they can't wait for the new year to begin.

Ummmm, sorry folks, that's not the way it works!

If you want your life to change in any way, big or small, you have to make a change!  Whether it's a new year or not!  And change is hard!  Which is why you haven't done it yet.  And, not only change for a minute or a day, but consistently!  And that sometimes feels impossible!!!

Anyway, I guess I'm off on a tangent, but I guess that means I'm cured of "blogger's block"!

I had a quick look back through my 2013 posts, just to see what I've recorded about our year for you.

• We've had chickens,
• been flooded in,
• the Little Big Fella started kindy and turned 4,
• our house has been painted and we have new furniture,
• we've played with friends,
• the Little Big Fella has spent a lot of time in superhero costumes,
• I joined the CWA and was Treasurer for our playgroup,
• the Easter Bunny and Santa visited, as did my brother, and the Big Fella's parents,
• we visited our old town a few times,
• I rolled our car and we got a brand new one,
• the Little Big Fella and I flew to Melbourne,
• I went to my first "real" concert and P!nk was AWESOME!
• I got a 2nd and 3rd in the state CWA photo competition,
• we went to the local race day,
• I've (possibly excessively) considered various aspects of parenting,
• I cut my hair short (again),
• the Big Fella and I exchanged rings in a private (and moving) ceremony... in our car,
• I've gotten back into papercrafts with some of my friends,
• the Little Big Fella played his first sport (soccer),
• we went to the May Day Fair, and the school fair,
• we've been fishing and swimming and backyard camping,
• we've attempted a sleepover with the Little Big Fella's best friend,
• the Little Big Fella finally worked out how to ride his motorbike by himself,
• I've raised the concept of letting men be manly,
• the Little Big Fella gave some of his face-skin to the concrete, and shared his hand with a knife (thankfully not needing stitches),
• I had some bad days and some bad weeks,
• the Little Big Fella had his first visit to the dentist,
• we had backyard fires and front yard fires, and fires at friends' houses,
• the Little Big Fella played with (manufactured) snow for the first time ever,
• we got airconditioning in our living area!
• the Big Fella turned 40,
• we got a shipping container/workshop,
• the Little Big Fella learned how to teatowel fight,
• we did Halloween again, and ate too many sweets,
• I had a girl's night in,
• I re-learned how to tie balloons and got to do it at two different events,
• the Big Fella and I lost weight, and the Big Fella's kidney health has moved back to the "normal" range,
• we've been to local footy games,
• I ran my first ever fundraiser, and it was a success!
• I've found a million reasons throughout the year to be thankful for my friends and family,
• I totally got into the Christmas spirit in the lead up to Christmas,
• we've had LOTS of fun times with friends at the park, at playgroup, at their houses, at our house,
• we've laughed, a lot,
• the Little Big Fella had his Prep Transition days, and loved them,
• we've spent plenty of time splashing around in water,
• the Little Big Fella and I have done a fair bit of cooking,
• and I've returned to being ScooterShell.

No wonder I've felt so tired these last few weeks!!!!  That was a really big year, with lots of fun times.

Now take a deep breath because 2014 is going to have lots of big moments in it too!  The Little Big Fella is starting real school, we're going to Melbourne in March (as a family), in May (possibly just me) and September (just the Big Fella), I'll be getting my full motorbike license, there'll be birthdays and parties and playtimes and homework and events and competitions and Halloween and Christmas and work and love.  Put that together with whatever "deep" thoughts I dump on y'all, as well as all the random things that you never expect or plan for...

Can I go to sleep now?

In preparation...

I'm a little excited.  Okay, make that very excited!  The Little Big Fella and I are flying down to Melbourne on Monday.  I'm going to the P!nk concert with my brother and youngest sister on Thursday and we'll be visiting with family (both mine and the Big Fella's parents live there, and my sister and brother-in-law, his sister and her partner, and my brother) and friends.

In preparation, I've been looking on the internet to see what awesome activities are on that the Little Big Fella might enjoy, because hanging out with people who don't have kids, and being dragged around the shops isn't a huge amount of fun for him (I have no idea why not!).  He's really good about doing those kinds of things, but I want this to be a fun holiday for him as well.  And I'd imagine being spoiled by grandparents, aunts and uncles will definitely have some enjoyment for him too ;-)

My other sister mentioned ScienceWorks - a hands-on science museum I guess you'd call it.  They have all kinds of fun things to learn about, but also things to play with like a real digger!  Pretty sure that will be a hit!

I found out that there's a place in the city that has an ice rink.  (For those who don't know, there's very little snow or ice in Australia, even in the winter.  You have to travel to the mountains (even that is a debatable term compared to other continents), and they often use snow-makers on the ski slopes to supplement the natural snowfall.)

Anyway, the ice rink has an under 8's morning where they allow the kids on the ice with their shoes, and they have special learn-to-skate props/toys, and piles of snow to play in.  I think that might be a fun morning for us!

For those of you who know anything about Melbourne, it's a bit of a foodie city, so I'm very much looking forward to partaking of some deliciousness.  One thing we'll definitely do is go to the Queen Victoria Market.  It'll be weird going there without the Big Fella (he's a massive fan of the deli section!!!), but I'm sure we'll cope ;-)

Because we'll be flying, and the Big Fella's not coming, I decided to buy myself a suitcase (with wheels, of course!).  Normally when I travel, I have a bag of my clothes, a bag for the Little Big Fella's clothes, my toiletries bag, sometimes a bag with shoes, a bag of toys and things for the Little Big Fella and other clothes (like jackets) spread over the top of everything in the back of the car.  Obviously, that's not going to work on a plane!

So I bought a big suitcase in the hope that I can get it all into that plus my carry-on bag.  I've made my lists (you know how much I love lists!) and I think it will work.  I'm trying so hard to pack light though, because it's pretty likely we'll end up with more to bring back than what we take.

Now to remember to pack my tickets(!!!), chargers and all the other bits and pieces, make sure all the clothes we're taking are ready to go, copy my every day files onto my tablet, make sure the house is in good order before we leave... no problem!

I'm adding this a bit later in the day, just to show you another bit of "preparation" for the trip.  See, it's going to be cold in Melbourne (well, at least in comparison to here).  So, to add a little cheer when I have to pull my nice, warm socks off, I've put a little colour on my nails.

No doubt that will help me feel warm :-D

Random ramblings

I'm quite tired so I'm just going to put a few random thoughts together tonight.  I wouldn't be surprised if you don't want to read them, but I'll enjoy writing them and reviewing my day anyway.

I watched the final of The Voice Australia last night.  Most of it was pretty average for me.  But I quite enjoyed the top 16's rendition of John Farnham's, "The Voice".  And I absolutely LOVED Ricky and Luke's "Roxanne"!  What a brilliant performance!  And wonderful voices!!!  I've had that song in my head all day and I'm really enjoying it :-D

--------------------

I've discovered that I have several interesting parts in my emotional cycle.  There's the grumpy, keep-away-from-me-or-I'll-rip-your-head-off part, and the I'm-going-to-eat-everything-in-the-house part, and sometimes the bawling-my-eyes-out-because-someone-ate-the-last-of-the-mushrooms part.  But my favourite part, which I only realised existed in cyclical form yesterday, is the creative-and-excited part!  That's the couple of hours (or sometimes days) where I get all interested in a project and think up all the variations and possibilities.  I normally start planning and making lists (and lists of lists - I am a list girl, remember?) and setting timelines.  Ah!  It makes me happy :-)

And yes, you guessed it!  I had a creative day yesterday.  See, I just realised that this is the last week before school (read: kindy) holidays.  That's two weeks with the Little Big Fella at home with me 24/7.  No friends, no planned activities, no brain food!

Well, that just won't do, will it?!?

So we're going to have a mini vacation school at home.  With a jungle theme! The idea is to make jungle animals (masks, finger puppets, pictures etc.), decorate his room a little (kind of like our Under the Sea adventure a little while back), and maybe learn another letter or two in the process.  I'm also planning to have friends over (when the Big Fella is at work), and meet them at the park or whatever as well.  I suspect there might even be some cooking involved.

Today it sounds like a lot of work.  But last night it was true inspiration!  And meant I didn't get to bed until well after midnight.  Which probably explains why I'm so tired now (and why it took me several attempts to write each word in this sentence!).

------------------

It's starting to get cold here!  I know you southerners won't believe me, but we've had to start using the heaters!!!  And wearing long-sleeved clothing!  And multiple layers of clothing!!!!  I'm seriously in shock ;-)

Unfortunately, it's also introduced a bout of pants and bed wetting by the Little Big Fella :-(  I guess he's learning the important lesson that, even in winter, we still need to get to the toilet and yes, face the cold seat.

------------------

The Little Big Fella had photos taken at kindy this week.  Given the prices of having childrens' photos taken these days, I was surprised at how low the price was.  And I'm keen to see what photos they ended up taking of my boy (and if he did a nice smile or a super-cheesy one).

------------------

I don't think I've mentioned that the Little Big Fella and I are going to be flying down South in a few weeks.  I'm going to the P!nk concert with my brother and sister (excited much?????) and we'll visit with family and friends as much as we can while we're there.  The Little Big Fella is SO excited about finally going on an aeroplane, after all our visits to the airport and watching everyone else coming and going.

Okay.  This is probably one of the least interesting blog posts I've written in a while.  Sorry.  I'll try to be more awake and interesting next time ;-D

This IS my life

I always thought I'd be an awesome mum.  I thought I'd be the crafty, cooking, smiling, super-calm 50's style super-mum.  And while I think I'm a pretty good mum, I'm certainly not living up to my (original) expectations.

When the Little Big Fella was first born, there was a long period of time (about 2 years) where I would have said most of the time I hate being a mum.  Thankfully, that has changed.  Now I only hate it sometimes ;-)

I recently applied for a job that I thought I was perfect for.  I did an awesome application then... nothing!  No calls, no e-mails, no letters.  I didn't even get an interview.

I mentioned a week or so ago that the Little Big Fella received an enrolment offer for kindergarten.  As well as being so excited about him growing up, I wasn't sure how it would logistically work if I was working full-time, given the kinder hours.


I'm getting ready to do a challenge with Fit Yummy Mummy starting next week, and I've been thinking about my goals within that.  The side effect is that, between FYM and not getting a job I thought I was perfect for, I've also been thinking about my life and what I love about it, but also what I'd like to change.

And I came to the realisation that this is my life!  I am a stay-at-home mum. So if this is my life, shouldn't I live it instead of waiting and hoping for something else?  I mean, I won't get these years at home with my son again! I want to make the most of them!

You know, there are so many negatives about being a stay-at-home mum.  The household income is dependent on one person, you rarely get to go to the loo on your own, your life is consumed with bodily functions (bleuch!), there's a huge amount of pressure to shop well, cook well, clean, educate, entertain, don't use the TV as a babysitter, be happy when your significant other gets home, continue your education, be "present" in every moment of your child's daily life, look after yourself and on and on and on.  There is guilt lurking around every corner because, no matter what you're doing there's something else that you should be doing!

But I've been reading a couple of blogs lately that have reminded me of the privilege that I'm currently enjoying as well.

• I get to set my own timetable
• I get to do all kinds of activities with the Little Big Fella
• I get to be his best friend (for now)
• I get to make a home for my son and husband, I get to do things when it suits me (like exercise, shopping, random day trips when the Big Fella has days off)
• I can more strongly influence the health-i-ness of the food in our house
• I get to have "play dates" with all my friends (it has nothing to do with the kids!)
• I get to be silly and laugh and see the world through a little person's eyes again
• I get to be there for every milestone and achievement
• I get to cuddle and kiss away the hurts and fears of my little boy as soon as they occur
• I get to influence every aspect of his life and be the example of what he could be (scary but somewhat inspiring thought)
• I get to ride a motorbike and hear him laugh and giggle
• I get to tickle him and hear that wonderful sound all the time
• I get to plan awesome activities and adventures for us to do
• I have the time to spend with other people whenever they're available, which would be particularly tricky if I was working and had to "fit them in" around work, cooking, cleaning and "family time"
• "Family time" is all the time!
• I get the joys of having animals around the place - and it is a joy because the Little Big Fella loves them so much
• I appreciate the awesomeness of time alone, pampering, shopping for anything other than food, long, hot showers etc. much more when I get to have them

There's plenty more, but I don't want to make you all green with envy ;-)

In the next few days I'll be sharing with you one of the effects of all this thinking.  Both the Little Big Fella and I are pretty excited about it and I have other plans along similar lines for the future!

Suddenly I'm really excited about this life I'm living.  I feel like I'm in control of my own destiny again (I've been a little "blah" the last few weeks, and overly negative) and it feels good!  I'm looking forward to my journey again!!!

A day at home

Yay!  I feel like it's been forever but I finally had a day at home with no particular stress to do anything!  Of course, being a list person I had my own list, but there was no stress to do it all, or even any of it if the day turned out that way :-)


The Big Fella started work at 9 or 10 this morning (I actually can't remember which!) so my day started with breakfast for the three of us and ironing shirts.


I got the washing that's been sitting in baskets in the dining room folded and put away, a new load on the line and yesterday's load off and away.


I changed the Little Big Fella's sheets (he's trialing those flanny ones tonight mum).


I did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, which hasn't been tidy since we got home.


I got to epilate (kind of a combo between waxing and electric shaving) and wash my hair.


All the bins got emptied and the wheelie bin got washed out.


I've vacuumed the house.


I pulled a lot of weeds out of the lawn.


I did the first part of a craft project with the Little Big Fella (hopefully we'll finish it tomorrow).


And the little girl from next door came over to have a play... and stayed all afternoon :-)  It was great!  She and the Little Big Fella played really well together (although the dogs had had enough by the end of the day and Frankie growled any time the Little Big Fella came close enough to pat him), her mum had a chance to prep the house for visitors, and I spent time outside and just hanging around relaxing.


I really like my neighbours.  They're lovely and easy to get along with and they contribute to the community.  And a couple of times a week we'll have a chat over the fence that might turn into half an hour... or an hour and a half :-D  Really, we should just grab a cuppa and sit on a comfy couch though!


For the second night in a row the Little Big Fella has happily eaten his vegetables.  Our new secret is gravy!  He never used to like it but has suddenly decided he does.  And he even ate carrots, which used to make him gag every time.  Yay for the changing tastes of toddlers!


I got to sit down with my hubby tonight and have a scotch and watch some footy.  I love spending time with him - he's great company and can be immensely entertaining, even when doing something fairly mundane.


And I got to speak with my best friend on the phone tonight.  Although she wasn't having a great day, it was good to catch up a little.


So there you go!  A day in the life of this housewife (who is currently feeling happy with her achievements for the day and the relationships in her life).

Adding happiness to today

I get e-mails from The Happiness Institute every Monday.  Most of the time I skim over them and delete but today I read two of the articles it linked to.  One thing from each article caught my attention.


On the list of happiness killers, the one that got my attention was "focusing all your efforts on trying to fix your weaknesses - instead, spend more of your time working with your strengths".


As a girl who loves anything "how to", and being somewhat perfectionistic (I know, it's not a real word but I like it anyway), I know I am very aware of my weaknesses.  But I'd never thought of that being a happiness killer.  It makes sense, though, that focusing on your strengths and making the most of them would be more likely to foster a sense of happiness and well-being than focusing on your weaknesses.


I wonder what "working with your strengths" actually means though.  Is it focusing on them?  Thinking of ways to incorporate them into your daily life?  Or just trying to discover them and define them?  I'm guessing any of that would probably help build happiness.


I also read about some habits of happiness.  I never knew that doing kindness to others sets off the same pleasure centres in the brain as food and sex!  Actually, I never knew food and sex set off the same pleasure centres :-D


So what am I going to do with these two bits of information today?  I think I need to start with kindness to my son.  We're not having a great morning, mostly because he is a toddler and is still learning what needs to happen when Daddy's trying to sleep after night shift.


So, after Daddy's awake, we'll make cookies like he wants to.  And between now and then I might try a little crafty project with him.  Maybe the cookies could be the afternoon snack at the park today?  And of course, using my nice voice and trying to engage with him rather than telling him off all the time would probably be useful.


And I'll be trying to recognise my strengths today.  Other than organising and filling out paperwork correctly, I'm not really sure what my strengths are right now.  I think I've just forgotten them in the daily grind of parenting and housekeeping.  I'm sure they're there, I just need to rediscover them :-)


So there you go.  Two tasks for the day, aside from the standard.  Speaking of which, I should probably have a shower some time soon!  :-D

Out with the trees (or, hubby bought a chainsaw)

We had to go and get some things for the puppies today.  You know, collars, leads, dog shampoo, food...


The Big Fella took us to a farming supplies store first and we ended up with some cat collars (the dog ones were way too big), a couple of leads, some dog bowls, puppy shampoo, a chainsaw!


Yep, the Big Fella finally owns his own chainsaw.


I did know, but had somehow forgotten, that when he gets his hands on chainsaws the garden tends to get a severe haircut...

The front of the house when we first moved in.  Note the conifer on the left.

The right side of the house, again, a conifer and the mango in front of the little shed.

The left of the house.  Note the tall yukka type things and the papyrus looking thing.

The new front of house.  No conifers and a little line of rocks.

Here are the rocks a bit closer up :-).  We collected these from the side of the road.  They have some great colours and shapes and make the yard look like it's going to be a garden already!  Yay!

The right side of the house with the conifer removed, the mango trimmed so we can get into the shed a bit easier, and the neighbour's bush trimmed back to his side of the fence.

And here Frankie is showing the now cleared left side of the house.


Now we're ready to finish putting in our rock edging, kill the grass and dig it out, fill it with soil and plants, get rid of all the prickles in the lawn and make it green and lush, make a vege garden and herb garden, and build a chicken coop.  Phew!

We achieved a lot!

My awesome sister and her family came around today.  My brother-in-law helped me take our couch to be replaced (amazingly took less than 10 minutes and the rain pretty much stopped while we were out) and my sister looked after the three boys and cleaned and packed.  My bro-in-law also re-hung the wardrobe doors in my room when we got back (we had to take them off because we can't open them all the way with our bed in the room).


After lunch my bro-in-law took the three boys to their place for sleep and play, while my sister and I did almost all the rest of packing (except what we'll use in the next two days, the rest of the office stuff, and some of the outside stuff) and a bit more cleaning.


I'm absolutely knackered but feel like we achieved so much today.  The list that's constantly re-checking itself in my head is fairly calm, rather than somewhat overwhelming.  Yay!!!


You know that tip about accepting help?  I didn't do super well on that one.  Although I have accepted almost all the help that has been offered, I realised that when people offer, I need to make a time straight away because if I don't, when I work out that I actually need help, I feel that they'll be too busy, or were just saying it or whatever.  But people like to help!  And you get so much more done with someone else around!  And, of course, it's fun to hang out with your friends :-D


My sister and I went and bought dinner and drinks then took them to her place and ate with all the boys.  They'd obviously had a full day of play because they were a little hyper and very tired!  We put them all in the shower together then I brought the Little Big Fella home.


And tonight, instead of packing or cleaning anything, I'm going to have a shower and go to bed and sleep peacefully all night!  Happy sigh :-)

My top 10 tips for moving

I know!  There are tons of suggestions online to help you when you're moving.  But I figured I'd add my two cents worth anyway :-D


(I was remiss in not noting when I first posted this that these tips are my mum's and I am re-learning their importance.  Mum is the moving Queen!  When they move, they have everything clean, in place and unpacked by no later than the next day, and normally on actual moving day.  And she never seems flustered or stressed about it - just busy.  I love you mum - you're my hero!)


1. If you can afford it, hire a removalist and/or cleaner.  I dream of moving this way one day :-)


2. Start early!  No matter how organised you are, and how clean you think your house is, it will take longer than you think to get it all packed and clean.  I'd recommend starting everything a week earlier than you think you need to. Even if you're all done early, a quick dust/wipe is much easier and quicker than a full clean.

3. Make a list.  I know, I'm a list freak!  This post is an example.  And here are my current lists:

But even if you're not generally a fan of lists, I really recommend making a list of each room in your house and the things you need to do in that room for it to be "finished".  You may like to check everything off as you go or just read through it when you think you're done to make sure nothing has been forgotten.

You may also need a list of other things you need to do such as:

• Redirecting your mail
• Arranging for your utilities to be turned off/on
• Paying the bills in advance

4. Get rid of stuff.  We all do it.  We buy something on sale but never end up using it.  Or we keep that thing "just in case" and the opportunity to use it never arises.  We plan to fix that shirt/toy/frame but never get around to it.  We have old clothes in our cupboard for when we get back in shape.  But basically our house is just filling up with stuff we don't want, use, love or need.

Now is the perfect opportunity to get rid of it!  Why pack and move things that you don't want, use, love or need???  What a waste of time, energy and packing materials!!!

5. Invest in good packing materials.  There are lots of places where you can get free boxes (eg. Bunnings, supermarkets, recycle dumpsters), but it's really worth making sure you have good, strong boxes and that you fill them completely.  When you stack the boxes up you don't want them collapsing, or worse, spilling their contents everywhere!  Try to get ones that are the same dimensions so that they stack neatly - it'll make your job on moving day that much easier.


And don't forget the tape!  If you can afford it, buy a good tape dispenser (don't get a cheap one - they're not worth it).  But definitely buy the good quality tape.  It sticks to the boxes better and basically keeps everything much more secure.


You will also need a marker or two.  I got a little crazy this time and bought coloured markers.  I used a different colour for each room/area then stacked my boxes in room piles.  I'm hoping it'll make it easier at the other end but it's probably just me being overly organisational :-D


Also, don't forget to write exactly what's in your boxes and the room it is for. Writing "SHED" and "Tools" is probably not going to be especially helpful if you have 10 boxes of "Tools" and you're specifically looking for your battery drill so that you can get the beds together and the kids are screaming because they're completely exhausted.


6. Use quality cleaning products.  It's worth purchasing good cleaning products because they make the job go so much quicker and with much less elbow grease.  I highly recommend:

• Good quality microfibre cloths.  I especially love the ones that are designed for glass because they work with just water and they don't leave fluff everywhere.
• Liquid sugar soap is awesome for cleaning ceilings and walls.  If you have a flat mop (the ones with the removable pads), use that to make the job quicker and easier.
• Magic Erasers - these things really are awesome and work on almost all marks that I've tried.  You do need to be a bit careful though because they sometimes remove the paint so make sure you test them out (try inside the cupboard - scuff marks perhaps) first.

7. Take a break.  Yeah, there's heaps to do but if you kill yourself you won't make it to the end.  Take 15 minute breaks for drinking water, having a healthy snack or lunch, and going to the loo.  Sit down and rest while you're having your break so that you can recharge for the next attack.

8. Accept help!  When someone offers to help, make a time and date with them straight away.  Even if it turns out you don't need help, packing and cleaning with a friend is not only quicker, but way more fun!  And if you get everything done, you can go out for coffee :-D

9. Have a last/first box.  This is the box that you pack last and open first.  It will have:

• Clean sheets for each of the beds
• Clean towels
• The kettle and hot drink items (tea, coffee, sugar, milk - small UHT cartons can come in handy here, mugs, teaspoon/s)
• Things for breakfast (toaster, bread, plates, butter, knife, spread/s, and/or cereal, milk - again UHT is the go if you won't have a way of keeping your milk very cold, bowl/s, spoon/s)
• Anything else you need straight away even if you don't unpack any other boxes (for example, we'll need our curtains and rods at our new place)

10. Make it fun!  Moving can be seriously stressful!  But it can also be a great time.  I mean, it's the exciting start of a new phase in your life right?  So turn up some fun music (careful of offending neighbours of course), get others to help (many hands make light work!), and don't forget to have some food and drinks available for you and your helpers throughout the day (and the stronger stuff for when it's all done and you're just chillin' out in your new place with your mates).

A cleaning and packing kind of day

Yesterday afternoon the landlord dropped off a big ladder for me so that I could clean the outside of the upstairs windows.  So today I got to do that.  Yay!  (Okay, mild sarcasm in that yay... sorry.)


But, I have a little confession... I'm a little bit afraid of heights.  Not in buildings or rides where I feel fairly solid and safe.  But on ladders that have the potential to suddenly throw me to the ground I feel a little... insecure I guess.  And there was no one around to hold the ladder for me so I had a go by myself.

No doubt this was bad for the window but I didn't want to have to go up more than once, so I put it there and cleaned around it as best I could.  It'll probably drive me mad when I clean the inside of the window and see the bits I missed!

And then I needed to clean the Little Big Fella's bedroom window, but that little bit of shade-cloth-covered entry is right in the way.  So I got to climb up the ladder onto the iron-covered patio, then balance my way along the supports of the shade-cloth entry to his window... after testing that it would hold my weight of course!


There was no way to clean the dining room window though - it's above the stairs on the other side of the house and I couldn't work out how to do it.  If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them!


So I got the outside of the upstairs windows done, and the inside of the kitchen and Little Big Fella's rooms.  I also packed two more boxes of stuff from the shed, two boxes from the linen cupboard, cleaned the cabinet and blinds of the downstairs bathroom (I hate venitians!!!), and the disgusting dusty fan from the Little Big Fella's room (I'm so embarrassed that he used that all summer!).


Although I worked all day, it feels like I've hardly made a dent in the things that need to happen before moving day (only 11 more sleeps).  It's a bit disheartening really.  But then I remind myself that I still have over a week to go and the big jobs (ceilings, windows and walls) are half done.


I have 3 rooms of ceilings left to clean, 4 big windows and 3 little ones, all of the walls in 11 rooms, plus the rest of the packing and all the other bits and pieces and running around that will be required.  Plus food shopping and preparation, laundry, looking after and playing with the Little Big Fella and trying to get enough sleep.  It'll be a snap!  Ha!


Oh!  And in between cleaning and packing today (a girl's gotta have a break to eat, drink and get on the net!), I discovered this website (and several of the links) through Pinterest.  Turns out there are other organisational freaks like me in the world!!!  Oh to have cupboards and storage like that!


And on that lovely note, I'm going to bed to dream about pretty boxes and having enough space for everything.  Sweet dreams everyone!

We have a house!

Finally!  After nearly 6 months we will get to live together as a family again!  I got a call today from the Big Fella saying we've got the house that he thinks will suit us best and we can move in any time between now and May 5th.  The current thought is that we'll try to move on April 26th (that's only 3 weeks away people!)


So it's all systems go and I have to admit that, despite being fully aware of the possibility of moving around then, I really didn't believe it so kind of freaked out when it became an actuality.  See, I've wanted to move out of our current house for over 12 months.  I even applied for one around here in October of 2010.  And I've been planning and part-packing ever since then.  But almost every box we packed has been opened.  And downstairs is a bit of a mess right now so I don't have space to put the boxes that I now need to pack.


After freaking out a bit this arvo I finally had a chance to sit down and think about what needs doing.  It's a big job!  But at the same time, it's not.  I've broken everything down and made a massive list.  And I've been recalling that we finished packing and cleaned my sister's place in a day (with her finishing it that night and next morning), even with two little just-toddlers running around. And I've got 3 or 4 weeks!  No problem right?


You may or may not know that I'm a list person.  Very much so actually.
I now have a "master" list of everything I can think of that needs to happen before we move.
I have a "main goals" list to help keep me focussed on what needs doing each week before we move.
I have a list with things I need to focus on today and tomorrow.
I have a list of what's currently in my freezers and have done a menu plan up to the 29th based on that.
I am making a "Daily Routine" list to make sure I don't forget to make time for my son and the other "regular" things that need doing.
I have an A3 sheet for each week leading up to the move, separated into days so that I can add extra tasks/thoughts for those days as I get to them.
And I have a list in my phone of people I want to specifically thank or acknowledge before we go.
Oh!  And a list of things to try to help the Little Big Fella cope with the move too.


But the number 1 thing on my list at the moment is to make sure I get enough sleep every night, closely followed by eating well and drinking lots of water.  Gotta look after myself because moving when you're sick, yeah, that's not so much fun!