How old!

So today I rolled up my sleeves and tackled the dreaded airing cupboard.

Now, of course because it's me, my airing cupboard isn't your traditional kind of cupboard with a door or where the hot water tank used to hide out.

No my airing cupboard is more of a box. A great big thing that's been built in between the wall space between the two front bedrooms. Imagine a chest freezer style wooden box full of years of sheets, towels, blankets. The lid doesn't stay open so you have to constantly hold the lid up and it's a blinking heavy.

I have tidied and sorted it several times over the years but now that I have finally been smacked around the head with the realisation that I don't have to keep everything just incase I decided it was time for a proper sort out.


So I emptied out the whole box and sorted and sorted and sorted.

Sometime later.....

I had

One big bin bag full of stuff to go to the charity shop

and

One big bag of things to be cut up and used for cleaning rags.


The box is now practically empty. There are two changes of duvet, sheets etc for all the beds in the house. One on and one off.
And two each for either gender of foster child I have staying.

I've kept the wee blankets that were handmade each for the smalls - one each.

I've also kept the two big crochet blankets my Nanna made and the big heavy duty blankets for those cold cold nights we tend to have up here.

The title of the post was for the two towels I found right at the bottom that my Mum made for me when me and the ex were setting up home many many moons ago. They will be used for the dog's next bath then disposed of.

I'm all fired up to keep going but this weekend I'm here there and everywhere running everyone around, oh and taking the smalls to see McFly.


Now where did I put those 'just incase' ear plugs?

Too much stuff

I'm on, what feels like, a constant decluttering spree.

When we moved into this house some 9 years ago we didn't have enough furniture to fill it.

9 years on and some pretty miserable times and it would seem I have surrounded us (with some help I might add) with too much stuff.

There always seems to be piles of things, everywhere.

I sort through things and make a pile, then move that pile to another place.

Then another pile materialises.

Then I take bags and bags of things to the charity shop, to the skip, to the recycling centre.

I come home...

There are piles of stuff still.

It doesn't help that the ex still has a lot of stuff here but I'm hoping he can be persuaded that after two years of us being apart it's time for him to get it shifted - either that or he'll be getting billed for skip hire. ;)

A psychologist would probably have a field day telling me lots of different theories as to why this is happening but I pretty much know why it happens, I just need to keep going so one of these days there will only be two small piles.

An In pile that is dealt with on a daily basis

and

An Out pile.

For my house and for my head let's hope this time I clear it all.

Eh up

Hello Walter's the name


The lady of the house has been routing about in the Charity shop again and bless her heart she rescued me from the shame of being reduced.


Apparently it was my face that made her heart go all oooooh. When she spotted my reduced label she had me turned this way and that trying to see why they would do such a thing to such a handsome chap as myself.


I mean what's not to love about this face? Eh?



Then she spotted this wee toadstool and she thought it would make a nice arrangement with the big one she already had at home.



So off we both went to a new home full of weird and wonderful things. The woman has heads on her mantlepiece you know? Not real, used to be attached to a body kind of heads but a glass one and a budda one and the like. Strange really but I'm too much of a gentleman to say such things out loud - oops!



Unfortunately the wee toadstool has since been consigned to the box in the hall waiting to go back to the charity shop. She says it's just not right and then starting mumbling something about not keeping too much clutter anymore, in, out, loved, used. I think she might be a bit odd but she's my hero and I now have a lovely new home in her fancy new bathroom. You should see it apparently it's not finished cos the man who did it STILL hasn't come back to fit the fan - yeah she went off on one of her rants again. Bless her.



Anyway nice to meet you, best be off. I can hear her coming down the stairs with yet another full bin bag. She obviously means business with this de-cluttering lark, I best keep in her good books.

Ladybirds with a twist

Source - www.kitschulike.com

You probably realise by now that I like things a bit odd, so finding this site means I lost another couple of hours of housework time. :)

Anyway I thought you might like to see what gave me a giggle. I probably have all of the books these cards were made from. :)

The sign of the times!

Source - www.kitschulike.com


Anyone with really wee one's noticed their tea parties have changed a bit?

Source - www.kitschulike.com


If mine had worked this well life would have been a lot different! LOL
Source - www.kitschulike.com


Hours of fun eh?

Chocolate or cleaning?

Happy Easter everyone.


I hope you've all had a lovely day. I was home alone today, big one is away at a Rally and wee one was spending the day and the night with her Daddy. So with nowhere go to and no one but me and the dog to entertain I set to a bit of Spring Cleaning.


3 bags of rubbish, 2 bags for the charity shop and several empties of the hoover later and they now both have tidy and clean rooms.
I've gained half my glasses and mugs back, the recycling bin is looking very healthy, the washing machine is groaning and would quite like a break and there have been one or two discoveries of things that have been lost for some time.

Now to just tackle the rest of the house.

Anyone wet?

This rain is getting ridiculous, I'm actually starting to think that I missed the build an ark memo somewhere.
There seems little point in wondering what you're going to wear each day as there is only the one outfit that is suitable.


Today I've done nothing, no seriously nothing. Well I am actually actively avoiding the ironing pile. I feel like it's that giant muffin in the Special K advert, it's creeping up behind me and I have a sense of impending doom knowing that I'm going to have to go do it. Well at least the small people's school uniforms and work clothes for me. Yes I know I was only just posting (moaning) that there is so much housework needs doing but I did spend time yesterday trying to find wee one's bedroom floor, the bathrooms are not toxic and the dishes were washed. So I'm taking today off, I've had my feet up and I'll go see if my local chemist has some flight socks in the morning. Thanks for everyone for your advice and support, not quite sure I'm ready for support tights yet though MrsB LOL

Well we're forcast for yet more rain so I guess I should invest in a new brolly as the one I used last night decided to acquire a very unusual tilt.


Right now...knitting or ironing, knitting or ironing?

Swollen ankles

and no I'm not pregnant. That would be a miracle beyound all reasonable doubt! LOL
I am however just plain exhausted. I work 7-8 hour shifts at the pub so am on my feet constantly for that amount of time, no I don't get breaks or a lunch hour and yes I know that is wrong. But it is what it is and my poor legs and feet are paying the price. Usually by the end of my shift my feet and ankles are throbbing but it's bearable, however this last week my ankles have rebelled and where my ankles were there is now just a straight line from my foot up to my calf :( Ouch, ouch and bloody ouch! So any advice, remedies will be gratefully received. I do try to sit down and put my feet up but invariably with the 2 small people, dog and the never ending housework that's not always something I can do within the first couple of hours of getting home.
And yes the housework


image source www.uglyhousephotos.com

Yep that's what I'll be doing this weekend....housework! No they are not actual images of my house but inside my head it feels like it could be.

But just like the news I'll leave you with a happy note, I'm crafting, knitting actually. Oh yes I am. I saw something that a friend made, thought oooh that's nice...I wonder. She said go, do! So I am and big one has already claimed it even though it's not even half way done. :) Oh and wee one has put in her order for the next one.

Having a non senior moment

I'm not even sure what that title means but of late I seem to be struggling again. Living in a house that seems to be in a constant unfinished state could be part of it, I can't even seem to get on top of simple household tasks..why do dogs constantly seem to moult, why don't bathrooms self-clean? I managed to smash two of my new plates this morning as the stack on the draining board was a tadge precarious to say the least. The state of the kids bedrooms has got to the point that I feel like calling Kim and Aggie in. I have so many unfinished wips and lists of things I want to make. Oh and for some reason today my computer has decided that it doesn't want to download any of my pictures from my camera and I have some great charity shops buys to share. Aaaagh! Ok feel better for that rant and am now going to arm myself with a dustbin bag and a forced grin.

Or maybe I should pin this guy on to their doors.

Hopefully I'll get a night out tonight with my friend and we can have a good giggle, that usually is a good fix. To anyone that has got to the end of this post without their ears bleeding (or especially if your ears are bleeding) have a great weekend. ;)

EDITED 15:38pm
Even more :( now. Night out is cancelled cos my mates 17 year old son has chickenpox.

All things bright and beautiful

but I can't get my camera to download onto my computer for some strange reason. :(
So all pictures today will be old ones that I've rooted around in my folders for and not the lovely pictures of the gorgeous goodies that Mrs TwiggyPeaSticks sent me Thank you sweetie! or what 20 years worth of magazines looks like stacked up in my living room OR the shelf that I cleared off the tv that no one watched and placed my pretty cake stand and lovely daffodils on. As Father Jack would say ARSE! or more likely something much ruder.



Thank you everyone for all your good wishes and good lucks. I'm trying to keep it all in perspective and I even went to sign up wee one at the breakfast and after school club this afternoon so I don't have to worry about her childcare for the day of my interview. She's very excited as she's been dying to go to the after school club for soooooo long.



Well as my camera is still not playing ball I thought I'd do something that I have done for a good while.


The ings


watching... The film Picture Perfect with Jennifer Anniston just started but I won't be watching it all, far too tired.

listening to... random bangs and slams coming from upstairs, eldest small person is getting ready for bed.

eating... A bowl of Crunchy Nut Clusters.

shooting... lots of pictures of all the lovely things Mrs TwiggyPeaSticks sent me.

buying... today I didn't buy anything :D but as you all know I've been on a bit of a button buying session lately.

selling... nothing just now got swapsie things to make.

gossiping... Me gossip? Nope.

completing... some clearing out, has the spring cleaning begun I wonder?

wondering... how I can fit 8 days worth of things to do into 2 days.

Fabric frenzy

Another cold snowy day. Look at my poor pansies.
and my barenaked Acer.


But while waiting and waiting for my coalman to arrive and bring me lots of lovely black gold, the postie arrived and look at the goodness she brought me today.

A close up darling...


Eldest small person chose this one, she's wanting to make up some bags so she can raise some spending money for a upcoming school trip.



Honesty how cute is this fabric?

Bring on spring cos I've got the wee birdies!
What's better than a skull fabric or a robot fabric? Well a fabric with both them on of course.


Did we say cute?

I really can't recommend FabricRehab highly enough. They have an amazing collection of fabrics and they are super fast. I ordered this little lot online on Monday and it arrived today - despite all the snow that seems to have ground everything else to a halt. :)

Despite several delays and one train breaking down my Mother arrived safely this evening. She's already emptied the washing that I'd put in on my way out of the door to collect her from the train station. LOL

This is my wee beast Oscar he was standing guard when the snow started.

Cosy sundays

My it's cold today so I was glad there was nowhere where we were supposed to be today but home with the fire lit and the soup on the stove. Though I did have to pop to the local shop late afternoon to get some milk but there you go someone had to do it.
The most energetic thing I've done today is feed the small people and iron their uniforms ready for school in the morning. Oh yeah and I washed all the dishes, sorted out some paperwork, put out the recycling bins, put more washing in the machine, emptied the dryer, emptied the bins... Oh man why do us women think that if we've not been on our feet for 12 hours we haven't done anything?


Tomorrow I have the joy of having to stay in waiting for a delivery, no nothing exciting for me. Well I guess it will stop me from utilising any avoidance tactics and leaving the house. :)

Ah now if only this prediction had come true.