Decluttering

I have been really slack on the blogging front, haven’t I? Ok, so don’t answer that. I have, though, been rather organised in the home – partly due to not being on the computer.

This last month or so I have been decluttering and reorganising rooms. I am one who, as a child, would stress at Christmas time thinking about where I was going to put everything. I have not (until now) been a declutter freak. I never hoarded to the point of disaster, but close enough. It is easier than you would think to get rid of stuff, but it does require a lot of guts. I have been chatting with a few people lately about my decluttering and thought I would share.

The amount of stuff we accumulate over the years can make our homes fill up to the point of feeling cluttered. When you declutter the rooms in your home it will make you feel lighter and more free to enjoy the things you have.

Be honest when you ask yourself the 10 questions here. So much of what you have is not necessary for the present time. Let go of things from years gone by. You will then only surrounded by things that you love, use and are precious to you.

ROOM BY ROOM

BITE SIZE - When you declutter the rooms in your house do so in manageable bite sizes and don’t think you can do heaps of other stuff too. For me I found allowing the kids to stay in Pj’s and watch movies, and eating left overs for tea, was the best. Otherwise I’ll do it when Aj is about to help with the kids.

TICK OFF - Have a tick off list for each room.

BE TOUGH – ask yourself the 10 questions then put the stuff in piles for either passing on or taking to the tip. If you are unsure about items, put them in a box, date it and shed it. If in 6 months you have not needed it, pass it on.

CONSOLIDATION – Have one main area for things like books. Or instead of having lots of shared pencil cases, put textas and pencils together in a big tub and label it so. Labeling clear boxes keeps things neat and tidy and makes it easy for people to find what they are looking for.

CLOTHES

When my mum came over in February, after the girls were born, she helped me go through the kids' clothes. We changed the clothes up a size and as we weren’t having to save clothes for a baby boy, we got rid of those. When going through the clothes we had three piles: 

KEEP - how many of this item do I have/need?; is it in good nick?; do I love seeing my kids wearing it?

PASS ON – you only need a certain number of each item; the clothes just will not suit or fit the next child

BIN - Stained or out of shape clothes, and those needing fixing, went in the bin.

Think about what you are passing on - especially to Op Shops! - as they have to pay huge amounts in tip fees each year because people pass on their junk.

FOLLOW-UP

Decluttering is an ongoing process. Now that you have given your home a good declutter it will probably be a case (like my own home) of putting things away in their spot AND if you no longer need an item, don’t store it; pass it on.

All of this helps free you of unwanted things. It will open up your home and make it more inviting for people to come and have a cuppa with you. Yes, they come to see you but they need to feel comfortable and able to sit somewhere J

I hope this helps. My home is by no means spotless, in fact there is a mess of sorts in most rooms as I write this but decluttering has made the clean up process so much easier.

A TV-free month.

I’m sitting here, trying to list things on ebay while the girls have some floor time (enjoying Miss J’s goos and gars) and the other four play around me. Aj is hard at work outside spreading mulch and cleaning gutters.

The internet is being VERY SLOW so I am writing this while it loads each section.

At the start of the month the royal we (me with Aj saying ok) went on a month-long TV fast. We put the TV screen away and out of sight. Why you ask? Why not.

I was sick of being asked for the TV to be turned on and sick of the whining when I said no. Now my kids have never had the TV on a lot. Tired of the battle/tears when it had to be turned off. I was starting to be seriously annoyed by the noise, and repetitive noises, that it brought. If anything it makes life for me harder as the ‘babysitter’ is not about to entertain them while I get some jobs done. But it is a small loss. I notice my kids playing together more and more chatter about the house.

A cartoon I saw while at high school and thought
how true it was...I think as a society we have gone
one step further and we aren't sitting with our kids
anymore either.

A few things come to mind when I think about no TV.

Hippies, going back to all things ‘earthy’ – maybe, but is it such a bad thing?

Why do we need the TV?

Are the shows teaching our kids anything or is it just zone out time for them?

We have land and LOADS of space for them to be kids, ride bikes, swing, play with the animals.

Doing other things – notice how much longer it takes to get things done in front of the TV.

I am a better mum/wife for not having the TV on of an evening. It was pure ‘blah’ time for me. I would just crash after the kids went to bed, now I chat with Aj and do things that I then won’t have to do the following day. As for the kids, they are listening to more music – dancing and singing too.

They are outside more; I hear more chatting and interacting while playing with toys and drawing/creating together.

My house is messier – cut pieces of paper and lidless textas lay on the table. Puzzles and toys cover the lounge floor. But it is a more peaceful house.

I am not trying to tell you to get rid of your TV. For us out of sight meant out of mind. In fact we still watch movies but on the laptop and not everyday, as there isn’t a screen visible, and the kids just aren’t asking like they used to. I will have to return the TV at the end of the month but hopefully we will all have a new view on watching it.

Time to be honest

Time to be honest…please bear with me, I didn't realise how long the blog would be.

Both the midwife and health nurse mentioned something about the 6-week mark being a tough week. I thought, nah, I’ll be right but it has been rough. Never had it before but I guess I haven’t had six kids before either.

The housework is now much more. Finding it harder to keep up but I think I am managing it, just. The washing is now at a higher level due to the girls wetting through/spewing up on their clothes. I am very thankful for the second extra large clothes airer and the drier. 

The older twins are acting like close besties one minute and scrapping like nothing else the next. They are about to turn three in June and are needing more stimulation. That is fine when I am feeling on top of things and able to get outside and into the garden for example. I need to find things for them to do that helps me too, like putting washing in the machine (MrW loves doing this).

As for MissZ and MrT, they are starting to spread and test out their wings. They are needing to be guided more than ever with bringing home new thoughts and attitudes from the school yard. It is hard but I know that putting in the hard work now and developing a strong loving relationship with them now will get us through the teenage years. The blessing is that they adore the girls and I don’t have issues with jealously or with them competing for my attention.

I have been able to pull out the sewing machine and have made some cushions for The Brown Dog in Stanley. I have put them on etsy and madeit until I have enough to take to the shop. I need to make some more shoes and bibs too. I have felt the pressure to keep up with status updates and product photos on FB: other WAHM’s (work at home mum) can manage why not me? I have to remember that I have six children, four of whom are at home and at needy/dependant ages and I am not using any form of childcare. I also have to remember that the craft side of Providence Meadows is a hobby not a business that we rely on to put food on the table. In six years' time all the kids will be at school and I’ll be looking back saying ‘how time has flown by’. I need to do what I do as it happens, in my own time and not just to please others or live up to expectations.

Aj thinks that I’m a bit of a martyr as I won’t ask for help (especially while he’s on camps) but the help I need isn’t so much with the housework but help declogging my brain. Help that only he can give me (or my mum/sisters). Having said that a good chat/cuppa/down time with a friend does help too ;) Go back years and women weren’t expected to do as much as they do now. It was known that mothering young children is tiring and a selfless job. Mums didn’t go out much and when they did their kids went with them. Now, we seem to expect mothers to to look a million dollars, have a spotless house, kids under control and have it all together. Reality check, it doesn’t happen like that!!!

May this blog be an encouragement to you as a mother that everyone has their ups and downs - some just never let on. Be yourself and don’t let the pressures of this world get you down. If the house isn't tidy; you didn't get any makeup on; the washing on the couch still needs folding...so what. My favourite saying at the moment is God doesn’t give us more than we can handle – with His help. Know that you are doing a fantastic job and you are blessed.

Community

This blog was written on Monday but posted today due to internet connection issues. 

Community means so many things to different people.

We are blessed by those around us, often without realising it. It might be a meal, a jar of jam, or a friendly smile when you really aren’t feeling good. For me, someone who is happy to wait by the car with kids inside while I duck into a shop for 5 minutes; someone happy to drive me to Burnie with kids in tow for a ½hr appointment; happy to have my kids without question or just to fold some washing while they sit and have a cuppa.

Today’s community blessing.

Firstly, a couple we have only just met brought around a massive bag of broccoli, spinach and kale.* I have blanched and frozen it all as I do not know what the next few days/weeks will hold with regard to meals while the babies come.

Secondly, Mr T has been on my case about cooking him a lasagne. I just do not have the energy to do so. Well that was sorted this arvo when a friend came around with one and some cookies.

Community to me means giving, not asking questions, not expecting in return and giving whether or not you know the people. I think it also means not looking at things in monetary value. Do you need it? Do they need what you have? Yes? Done, be blessed. That is one reason we do not ask for money from our eggs. We are blessed by others so why not bless people with eggs? A simple thing to us, but rarely do people say no to fresh farm eggs.

*We purchased a lovely new couch and offered up the other one on a local FB page. It was a giveaway but they said thanks with a lovely basket of fresh home grown vegetables. Nice swap I reckon J

BLANCHING BROCCOLI (how I did it)

1.       Bring water in a large pot to the boil

2.       Place cleaned and chopped broccoli in boiling water for 2 min

3.       Remove broccoli, allow to drain (wash under cold water to stop the cooking process)

4.       Place in freezer on baking paper

5.       Once frozen place in labelled ziplock bags.

Broccoli will keep in the freezer for a year. Next time I will skip number 4.