Homefront Update

Life here at home right now is busy busy busy. With less then three weeks left until the end of the school year we have entered the annual Blue-Arsed-Fly phase of frenzied, school related activity. A hot, sweaty Sports day and exciting school trips, a very important Leaver's Assembly coming up (with many associated dramas, of which I am struggling to keep up with) and various end-of year transition days, teacher meetings, report days, open-days, celebrations and farewells. It's an emotional time (Little Lady moves on to secondary school in September) and to be frank we are all completely knackered. Roll on the Summer holidays.

I'm struggling with feeling exhausted and full of a chesty type of cold just at a time when I really could do with feeling aMAzing and full of beans. I am struggling not to moan about the fact that I feel like pants, when I am so very, very acutely aware that I only have a trifling cold, and that it could be oh so very much worse.

The weather has all of a sudden perked up and we are experiencing heat and summer sunshine and it is wonderful. My cut-price geraniums are waiting patiently to be potted into bigger pots, but I need a big bag of compost and that means getting J to purchase and transport so it hasn't happened yet. Maybe Saturday? Just maybe.

Thrilling Frilly news on the home front - we have some flouncy, frothy peony action at last!! Oh happy day!!! These flowers have been excruciatingly slow to unfurl but oh my goodness, soooo worth waiting for....

.....absolutely stunningly beautiful, they make me gasp with pleasure multiple times each day.

During the last few weeks I have been taking care of my housekeeping tasks in a surprisingly efficient and dedicated manner, which has made me feel bloody marvellous and accomplished when usually I feel like a complete failure. I totally blitzed the bathroom from top to bottom (be gone cobwebs!), then on a roll of productivity I moved straight along to Little B's room and gave it the same ruthless going over. But more than that, I have been doing a little bit each day to keep it all ticking over (I want to say "ship shape and Bristol fashion" here, but that makes me sound like my Mum). Anyhow, these little daily routines are making me happy I have to say, a little bit of swishing and swiping and I am happy. Who would have thought it?

Last week I managed a little bit of daily de-cluttering and tidying in my bedroom (Zone 4), and made it around about one third of the room. The top of the chest of drawers was hilarious of course, I am too ashamed to show you the "before" picture, but here is a rather gratifying "after" picture, with the 200+ stray objects evicted. It's the Living room this week, are you impressed by my dedication? I'll keep you posted.

I have been planning and writing lists and trying my hardest to keep on top of home, work and family life. All those dates and to-do's and reminders, crikey, no wonder I am under the weather. I've got a story to tell you about my newly discovered love of Planning Activity, I'll share that with you a little later in the week.....I'm ridiculously excited to do this actually (!)

And in amongst all the hectic activity and lengthy to-do lists and busy schedules I have been reminding myself to slow down every so often. To breathe in the gloriousness of summer and remember to walk around with eyes wide open and appreciate the here and now. Life is good. I need to slow down and remember that.

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Comments

[Jo]

Ooo, is that an Erin Condren?!? There aren't many of us in the UK, but I LOVE mine! Are you buying adorable stickers on Etsy that make you look forward to doing the laundry? Please share!

[Faye Faraldo]

I am now retired and more time than ever but I take classes and water aerobics and belong to a women's group, so you see what I mean. So I definately cannot declutter or even clean. And now I have started knitting and crocheting again, so oboy. But I am glad I can still do it all as I am 82yrs young.Making the jolly bag now and still doing grannys for my pillow. Glad to read your troubles as it puts everything in Perspective. Thank you

[Kay]

Have just purchased your lovely new blanket pattern and wool can't wait to get started. I also love the blanket on the back of your sofa in your latest photo, do you have a pattern and the wool that you used, it looks like a big granny square. Love your posts.

[Susan Oliver]

Hi Lucy
I would like to subscribe to your site but when I try all I get is a lot of information and no where to sign on.Help

[Alison Soulsby]

Looking forward to hearing about your planning- any inspiration helps. We've just had visitors and the stuff that has been 'tidied' to parts they weren't going to see... well, it's going to take ages to get on top of. Always interested in any new ways to help a crafter get organised- there are always too many ideas in my mind to distract me! I find lists help a lot to focus my priorities whenever I have a free weekend or few days off. Keep up the good work

[Melanie Almond]

Hi Lucy
I am inspired by your words....I just love my Attic24 page..at work , at home, on my phone...it is everything I love rolled in to one! I am also inspired to buy tickets for Yarndale in September....I do hope I can catch your eye there....

[Carrie B]

i LOVE YOUR eRIN cONDREN planner!! I used one last school year and loved it!!! I am working on keeping the house clean a bit at a time. Have a happy day!!
Carrie

[Rebecca]

Thanks for the inspiration Lucy, after your post I have been following flylady, I've a way to go yet but my sink is now always lovely and clean and this week I didn't have to spend my Friday tidying as I was on top of things 😃

[Heather]

~~ And now you are a Fly Baby too! I'm a fluttering Fly Baby (several years old). Sometimes I wonder if I'll get into full flight. Congratulations on your progress.

[Hope Owens]

Hello, Lucy. I am so happy to have found your blog. Your tales inspire me to learn new skills and understand the dynamics of color. I ordered some 15 delicious colors and hues of Stylecraft DK because I could not match them with the value and color ranges in the states.

I love your photographs and learning about flowers in your neck of the woods and your wonderful storytelling!

God bless, Hope

[OLGA]

Hi Lucy!! Hope you are feeling well. Yr home is turning astonishing with yr tiding up work. Keep on working! You are our North.
By the way, have I any chance of receiving the recipe for that short sweet bread which looks fantastic?
Thank you very much for all yr posts. They are so inspiring.
xoxo

[Joy]

You are doing fantastically Miss Lucy ... hope you are feeling better soon - lots of love Joy xx

[ANNE R]

So lovely of you to share and inspire with your tales of domesticity. You make dreary chores sound so much fun. Love all your posts. Hope your cold gets better. Wonderfulbto get on top of decluuttering before the hols.

[Piglettos]

Hope you are feeling better soon, nothing worse than a summer cold! Maybe there is, the chaos of the end of the school year - and you have both to contend with! We too are all ready for the summer holidays x

[Donna]

Hi Lucy, I hope you are feeling better soon. I wanted to thank you for sharing your wonderful insights about your life, and the beautiful pictures also. Both are of great comfort to me, during a time of loss, and I am grateful to you for taking the time to share them with your readers. Many blessings to you and your family.

[Susan]

Looks like Fly-Lady has really been a help to you. Your bathroom and bedroom look sparkling! I hope you're feeling better - sounds like you have tons to do.

[curvywitch]

Hi Lucy,

i hope you're feeling better soon - there have been some dragging colds going around this year.
Your glee at getting your bathroom bottomed made me grin as i girded my loins the other week and cleaned out the bathroom cabinet - oh the horror of before and the joy of after. :-)

[Sharon Izzard]

I hope you are soon feeling better, a cold in hot stuffy weather is no fun. x

[Anne Marie]

Yes, a cold can be a trivial illness but OMG it always makes me feel soooooo miserable! Plenty of fizzy vitamin C tablets help too.

[Gillian]

Yes, summer is short lived here in the UK so - as my husband always tells me - make the most of it for no-one else is going to care if the kitchen floor has been washed.

[TINA]

Hi Lucy,
My holidays start today and the first activity for me is to do some cleaning up at home and put things in a better order. Tiring though it may be, it is also very rewarding and good to see your home looking its best . It gives me a sense of inner tranquility in a way:)
I hope you get better soon and enjoy summer time.
Tina xxx

[Claire]

Oh wish I could motivate myself to do the cleaning and de-cluttering - I know it would make me feel in a million times better but only chance is the evenings and despite good intentions, I'm just too knackered then.

Can't wait to hear your story re Planning activity!

[Mary]

I am just beginning with FlyLady. I look around my place and can't believe how I have let it slip. I have a very demanding job and when I get home I am exhausted. Hoping that doing just 15-30 minutes every day will help. Seeing your accomplishments in a big encouragement. Thanks for such a great blog.

[Emma]

I'm also in the middle of decluttering and tidying up our tiny appartment! And I'm a huge fan of lists. Can't wait for your post, maybe you have some useful tips! :)

[Ali Whale]

Get out in that sunshine Lucy, it will be good for your cold. Sit in your back garden with a coffee and some cake and just relax....
All that rushing around will soon be over and you'll be ready for the six weeks and fit and healthy.
And a bit of cleaning is always good at this end, less clutter just makes me calmer.