Fridayish

Wow folks, you do certainly know how to make a girl feel great dontcha?! Thank you so very very much for all the wonderful Ripple Love yesterday and for all your lovely comments. I really appreciated every word, and oh my, you are waaaaay too kind, I am not that youthful you know. But you should've seen my grin, it was ear to ear. It was especially appreciated as I am approaching something of a milestone in that the big Four-OH looms in nine weeks time. I feel ok about it I think. I am fatter than I feel I should be, have more saggy bits than I'd like, but overall, yes, I think I'm doing ok. But a little reassurance from you has gone a long way to making me feel Great. So please accept a colourful bowl of hearts with my love and thanks. And please try and ignore the dust if possible, I'm not big on dusting.

Cor, I don't know about you, but it feels like its been a heckava loooooooong week this week.  Its the end of our second week being at home during the holidays and I feel worn. Can't say we've done anything momentous this week :: we've visited friends, been to a family day at our little local museum, been to the park, paddled in the beck, walked along the canal, baked buns. There's been tea parties, water fights, bubbles, hopscotch, painting by numbers, scootering, flopping in front of the tv. There's been laughter and high volume squabbles. There's been creativity and  fun and play and there's been endless mess and an awful lot of dirty laundry. Wet soggy clothes and trainers. Chocolate icing all over the sofa. Crushed chalks trodden in. Its the average stuff of home life with a four and five year old I know, but Oh Dear, I am weary of the mess.

We don't have any plans for today :: the same as yesterday, it's a day of taking it as it comes, freewheeling according to the weather, who else is around to play with and how the Little People happen to be feeling hour to hour.
I did have in my mind that today really ought to be a tidying/organising sort of a day. We've got a couple of play-dates lined up for next week and it helps enormously if visiting children coming to play can actually set foot into the bedrooms to carry out the playing.
This morning I went to assess the situation and took these aerial photos of the floors so you can see the enormity of the task ahead. It's the teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy toys that cause the most mess, the stuff that accumulates but doesn't have a proper place to live. It just invades. And spreads.

There's a huge amount of sorting out to be done, lots of "donating" to charity shops me thinks. I know I'm going to meet resistance, but I can be strong. Forceful if needs be. Down right Ruthless if push comes to shove. It needs to be done. 

And truth be known, I'm as bad with the mess. If not worse. This box full of papers (one of four) still mocks me, months after writing "sort out files/paperwork" on my to-do list. Oh the shame of it, do you think there's any hope for me? Do you think I might ever be organised, might ever possess a neat and tidy Home Filing System?

Of course, I don't really want to be sorting kids mess. Or filing/shredding my own mess. What I really want to be doing is creating. Playing with fabric and buttons and bits of ribbon. I'm absolutely bursting at the seams with ideas and inspiration and things I want to have a go at. I need to make the last little bits to go in my Blog Candy Giveaway bags (haven't forgotten, its almost there). Need to chop and stitch tea towels. Need to complete the mysterious Twig Project. Need to start thinking of ways to make stuff in order to earn money again. Yes, its almost time for me to stop twiddling and start working again. Sounds serious.

Maybe I'll stay in my pyjamas and sit in the Attic24 window drinking tea, looking out at the changing weather rolling over the hills. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh yes, that's more like it.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone, hope you find yourself a little bit of bliss amongst the mess.

Comments

[not fake]

There are several solutions to raise your chances at engaging in that car of one's dreams not fake so fast approval leaves the financial institution somewhat vulnerable.

[keri]

Love the mess! It's a picture of a pleasant home to me! At our house, we judge the mess by, "minutes to clean". My older children and I look at a room and can determine - LOOKS FRIGHTFUL, but is only "10 minutes to clean" or "20 minutes to clean" -hmmm- sometimes "2 days to clean"...
Yours looks cleanable! The tricky part for us are those things that never establish place - to store them....ah..what do you do?
Thanks for your encouraging blog! I appreciate your perspective and ability to see the lovely things in everyday life! What a blessing to live that way!

[French Knots]

I am 'slightly more than 39' on Sunday, I don't mind too much but it does seem a bit odd - how did so many years pass? Does that mean I'm a grown up now?!
I don't mind a certain level of mess but it does seem a loosing battle here, my mess, the children's mess and there's always soemthing more interesting to do rather than tidying up!

[Kali]

haha...your dilema sounds familiar...like you sitting with a hot cuppa, staring across a beautiful view sounds much more appealing!
xo Kali

p.s. No way can I believe that you are approaching the big 4-OH! You look at least 10 years younger dear girl!

[Anna]

Thank god for the mess- just when i was starting to worry you were perfect!! I too have towering piles of paperwork/general crap that gravitates towards the kitchen table/ bulk buys of loo rolls on the bathroom floor with nowhere large enough for them to be stored (am blaming 'helpful' husband for that one though! Alas I have no childrens toys cluttering up the place, but we manage fairly well all the same!x

[attila]

I just wanted to say thank you for the fish cakes recipe. I've never really fancied smoked mackeral, or much fish really except cod or salmon, but I made the fish cakes yesterday and we both loved them!

[emma]

Have a car boot sale. We did we sold nothing for more than £1 and made £130. The children loved doing and when I showed them what I was getting rid of they went and got more to add to it! They had their own table and took their own money with supervision. It was a great way to help them understand money - playing real shops! Plus get yourself a bombay mix box. This is a box or several where you just chuck all those annoying things like you showed. Then on a rainy day get that box out it keeps the kids amused for hours as they dont get to play with that crap that often! Anyway, I know what you mean about the mess - love the kids being at home but am dreaming of white paint at the moment - shows how stressed I am! Love Emma xxxx

[Robyn]

Hi Lucy...me again!
I'm nominating you for a blog award!!
(Absolutley no probs if you choose not to)...
If you do to accept this, please have a look at my blog....and thanks!
hugs
Robyn xx

[michelle]

oh im glad im not the only one with a pile of washing and a little boys room i cant get into because the toys have taken over, im worrying about the big four oh too, but mines further away....16 months!
you shall be fab and 40!

[cathleen]

Lucy, I really like your blog. I read through your archives and I think your writing is very interesting and your photos are amazingly colorful and pretty. You are quite refreshing and I am glad I found you.

[Gill]

Blimey I can't believe you're approaching the big 4-0, I would have put you in your late twenties. In my mind I'd put you at 30 something but once I saw your photo yesterday I thought you were much younger than I'd assumed....you're looking good girlfriend as my daughter would say!
I can remember that pile of toys in my house not so long ago, my kids are 16 and 19 now so the days of tiny plastic toys are over than goodness...just make-up and clothes now. I used to be very ruthless and confess I often threw things away without telling them and they never noticed! Good luck with the clear-up operation.

[maria]

Have you been in my house taking photos of the mess? I didn't see you!
I know what you mean about the little toys. My son has boxes of them, I'm sure he doesn't play with most of them but never wants me to throw any away. He is spending a few days with his grandparents so now their floor is covered in lego.
When I saw the photo of you I didn't know the age of the person writing the blog and until I read further I honestly thought the photo was of their teenage daughter!
I was 40 last December and have realised I am nearer my 41st birthday than my 40th.

[Ali]

There's something totally familiar about your floor photos. And a bit late, but gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous ripple. Crochet is evidently the key to eternal youth.

[DEBBIES ENGLISH TREASURES]

I know exactly how you feel...
Two weeks gone and four more to go!
Be strong we can do this!
Yesterday I spent all day in pyjamas and I must to say, spending time on "blogland" has cheer me up a bit!
Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Kisses Kisses
Debbie Moss
xxx

[Lisa]

I've only just found your blog and am loving it.
Totally agree with the others who say you don't look 40. I was 40 a few weeks ago and do look it!
It's hard to get the balance right between spending time with the little ones and keeping the house in order, but whenever I get too stressed by it I just watch them playing and laughing, give them a cuddle and that always helps me to remember what is important.

[Rachel L]

I'm totally with you on the kids' mess problem! I've got that quote that Nat mentioned above and it is so true - however there does come a point when you really do have to do something about it. Unfortunately, I don't get to that point nearly as often as I ought to! I have another little plaque that says "This house is protected by a fine layer of dust" :) Loved your ripple blanket too, by the way!

[Jane]

Love your blog! Not only do you inspire me with your wonderful creations, but make me feel so much better when I glance inside the playroom but not when I glance in the mirror...good god, what potions and lotions do you use? and where can I buy them??

[Natalie]

In one of my home books there is a saying I like, it goes:-
"Cleaning the house while the kids are still growing, is like shoveling the path before its stopped snowing" - I like that, and its very true, I tidied my boys room last week very ruthlessly, when I looked under their beds I very nearly cried, little bits of 'stuff' everywhere, they did buy me a lovely card and a pressie though when they realised I'd been in there for 4 hours sorting out their mess! - Have a lovely weekend - Nat x

[Deb]

As I'm fast approaching 50, 40 doesn't sound so bad at all. Either way time goes by so fast,especially with children, too fast to worry too much about a bit of clutter and mess. I try to enjoy the time, not count it (although that is much easier said than done, it's very hard not to fixate on those numbers). Part of my enjoyment lately has certainly been your wonderful blog!

[kathy]

Hi, I did smile when I saw those bits of toys that just invade...we have piles of those too. Wow, you look great and certainly donot look as if you are nearly 40, no really. Anyway, it is not 40 but 34 plus VAT! kathyx

[Sarah]

god god woman you are so NOT nearly 40!! you look about 28 I reckon!

ooh I have a horrid pile of paperwork also, from our business, our properties and just general household mess... boo! wish the paperwork pixies would come, elves and the shoe maker style, and sort it out for me.

enjoy your weekend

S x

[Kajsa]

I would love to have a clean and tidy home and I think arranging stuff is alright. But I LOVE to dive into my buttons and fabrics and create more mess so usually I have no time for arranging our home. That's just how I am. So we live in a mess and clean the house like mad before the guests arrive... Better invite people on a regular basis...

Btw I love your Kaffe fabrics!

[Lisa]

Well of to florida this w/end so will do my upmost to find 5 minutes of ME time to read your blog.
Also my big 4 0 tomorrow how does it creep up on us like that when inside my head I still feels 18.(wish the body was)lol
enjoy your lovely view hun
lisa x

[simone]

I totally empathise with the mess/disorganisation thing. I cannot stand living in such mess and confusion but most of the mess is of my making. I let things build up and up until it becomes 'serious'. I am glad you are not 'too perfect' Lucy but you do seem perfect in every other way! Yuk! I sound like a right old creepy crawly! Once again you have bought us a post full of colour even if it is of piles of 'mess'! Have a lovely weekend.