Simplify my Homemaking

Housework never ends.

Even in our modern world.

Pass many hours of a day tiding, over many weeks, and you will not be surprised that many stay-at-home Mums feel bored and inept. It is monotonous and impossible (at least in my small children-at-home world) to finish. 

But for some reason, tidiness seems to have become a mother's success measuring stick.

I'm not going to buy into this any longer. I want to look after my house (I actually enjoy many aspects of cleaning, and my house is quite organised). But I don't want my days to be crowded with stress about the toys on the floor, or the height of the folding pile. So I will be content to do what I can today, and then do more tomorrow. I hope that this relaxing of the rules on how neat my house must be, will give me some more time to gather some broader homemaking skills. Skills that we have largely lost because of our craving for tidy. Soap making, composting, mending, bread baking, preserving, and cheese making are all traditional skills that I have always craved to learn and use. Sewing and crafting are already practices that I love. I can't wait to cheer up my Mummy brain with this variety of homemaking practices in my life! 

(Now, you might be wondering how adding extra things into my routine is adhering to my 'simplify' resolutions? To me, simple living is cutting back anything that overcrowds my brain, heart or life, and this in turn brings freedom and new opportunities.)

Simplify my Ordinary Day

This time I have really put time into thinking about my new year resolutions.

I've been thinking about it for weeks.

Be better at my job as a parent? YES!

Be better at my job as a wife? YES!

Be better at my job as homemaker, Jesus-follower, daughter, sister, friend? YES!

It's a bit overwhelming. A bit burdensome. A bit full.

A bit what-i-do-with-almost-everything-in-my-life.

I crowd it up with dreams of more and better and best.

What I really need is some pruning.

Some cutting back the excess branches.

Some simplifying.

So, less is more for my resolutions this year. And hopefully I will uncover some fresh, green life underneath.

First things to be cut back are a few daily time wasters: 

Facebook; Pinterest; Blog reading. Particularly on my phone. I check often because it is right there. Instead, I can wait till the kids are asleep, and spend a good half hour catching up then. Thinking of all the great kid moments I will no longer miss because I'm checking my phone, makes my head feel clearer already!

Singing a New Song 2013

I'm gonna race you to the fence, to the fence

I'm gonna race you to the fence

I'm gonna chase you round the block, round the block

I'm gonna chase you round the block.

Come on, jump out the door

You can't hold it back no more

I'll show you how the birds learned how to fly.

I'm gonna take you on a ride, on a ride

I'm gonna take you on a ride

I'm gonna race you to the sky, to the sky

I'm gonna race you to the sky.

I'm gonna race you to the moon, to the moon

I'm gonna race you to the moon

We're gonna get there real soon, real soon

Hold your breath, I bet we will get there soon.

Come on, jump out the door

You can't hold it down no more

I'll show you how the birds learned how to fly.

Don't mind leaving your nest

Don't mind making a mess

This might be the best day of your life!

Lyrics are "Best Day of your Life" by Katie Herzig.

Our Caribbean themed Christmas

 

Glitterized pineapples.

Jerk ham.

Pina Coladas.

Barbecued fish.

Fresh salads.

Christmas Carols.

An inflatable palm tree.

Key Lime Pie.

Family.

Christmas Plans and a Boy

It's a non conventional Christmas lead up for us.

I would like to be decorating the house.

I would like to be making and assembling gingerbread houses.

I would like to be catching up with friends and celebrating.

I would like to be writing lists and dreaming of food.

I would like to be making merriment and enjoying the children's anticipation of Christmas.

Oh I had plans.

But.

A trip to the ER happened. More than once.

Erythema Multiforme happened

and will be happening for a few more hot weeks.

Itching. Fever. Swelling. Bruising. 

And a boy who needs special care, happened.

So I have to lay down my Christmas plans.

Pare it back.

Love.

A baby boy.

Thankfulness.

And if that is what Christmas is all about then perhaps I'm closer than I thought.

She's like Neon

What colour describes my girl?
She is sweet and generous, but she's no pastel.

She is bright and original, but she's no primary colour.

She is a pop of happiness, a spark of brightness, a flash of fun.

She is cheeky, dramatic, radiant, and big-hearted.

(And she is occasionally so lively that it hurts the eyes!)

She is neon.
And today we celebrate 5 years of fluoro pink, orange, green and yellow in our life.

A Watercolour Party

Jump in and enjoy the cool of India's 5th birthday party...

 Watercolour invitations (painted by India).

 Blue and green fruit cups

 Salted malted blue macarons

 Dolphin biscuits

 Peppermint patties

 Swimming with friends

An ombre iced cake

 Making wishes!

 Very tall slices

 12 mermaid take home gifts...

...made with this free Wee Wonderfuls Mermaiden pattern

A happy gorgeous girl!