The weekend, a messy shed, midlife crises and pretty views

We are at the last stretch of a two week long October break. I've enjoyed it to the full. This is the year of no plans so we've spent this school break at home. Luca Bo (who has started his four year long apprenticeship to become an awesome wood worker/carpenter/builder) has been working most days as he no longer can benefit from school vacations. I think he was a little bit upset when reality sunk in last week, being the only one who needed to get up at dawn while the rest of us slept in. I'm so beaming proud of my boy, who gets up at 5.30 am making himself a frothy coffee and grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast. He prepares his lunch sandwiches and get ready to leave the house an hour later to catch the bus before sun comes up. All by himself. As a mother with a built in supervising radar, I usually wake up about the same just to make sure he is up (without him even knowing... I just put my "Mama elephant ears" into practice and listen for noise from his bedroom or the kitchen and as soon as I hear him I turn around and fall back asleep...) and not one single time has he overslept. In fact, he has never ever missed a school bus or been late for school in his whole life. That is more than I can say about myself...

 

While Luca Bo has been working - learning how to set a tile floor, renovate a wooden chair and build a door (I love love LOVE that he has chosen this professional route, it is so him!!!) - the rest of us have had sleep in mornings and little on our agendas. As I work at an International school as an After School Carer, I have school break too and I've made the most of it by diving back into my crochet hobby. I've spent lots of time making slow but satisfying progress on my, for the moment, three WiP's:

• The Blanket Of Hope to stay sane

• The Cluster V-stitch baby blanket for unknown baby

• Some Thermal stitch potholders for my home

 

The weekend gave us fabulous autumn weather with crisp fresh air and sunshine. I decided to tidy up the shed, which was a complete disaster... Some of you might have seen it on my Instagram @myrosevalley. It was one of those spontaneous projects that you start on a whim with great enthusiasm and after 10 minutes you ask yourself: "Why on earth did I start this???" I stuck it through, dragged everything out, swept the floor, cleaned up all the mice poop, spider webs and dead bugs. Sorted, cleaned and re-arranged. I put up a number of big nails on the wooden walls to hang things. When all was done I was so chuffed with the result that I had to show it to every family member and get praised for my efforts (like a child... I know...)

"Oh Mama, you've done so well. It looks great. Bravo!!!" Bless my children for knowing I need praise just as much as they do.  

 

On Sunday Jay and I took a long walk chatting about future plans. As a couple in our early 50's and with only teenagers in the house nowadays (how did that happen?), things are changing dramatically for us all and you start to think about what is coming next... Who are we? What do we want to do? Where are we going? As much as our youngest Emmy Bo is having a challenging time with existential thoughts in puberty, I guess we are going through a bit of the same thing... It's all new to us and it is a bit of challenging times. I think they call it midlife crises... 

 

A friend once asked me:
"Annette, you - who always are in some sort of crises - can you help me because I think I'm having a crises and I don't know how to deal with it." 

 

Yep, that's me. And often I've been ashamed or annoyed of being that deep thinker, analytic person, questioning and putting to much thought into things... It hasn't been easy, it still isn't, but it is who I am and who I've always been. I guess you can say I've been in puberty crises, friendship crises, being single crises, changing job crises, love crises, moving country crises, getting married crises, becoming a mum crises, missing my home country crises, loneliness crises, who am I crises, low self esteem crises, I'm not good enough crises... Do you want me to go on?  Crises has such a negative sound to it though and I prefer to call all these things challenges of life. 

 

As we travel on this journey through life, obstacles will occur and we will find ways to get around them. We will find solutions. And if we didn't have these challenges that forces us to reflect upon where we are, what we are doing and what we really want, how on earth would we be able to grow and dare to open doors to new exciting paths that might, or might not, lead us to new places, people and personal growth? I'm not saying that it is at all easy, but I do believe we sometimes have to stop and reflect on which path to take next. 

 

So anyway, we went on this beautiful afternoon walk up the mountain above our house and chatted lightly about this next phase in life. "The middle aged couple with grown up kids" phase. What does that mean? I'm not sure. I can recall so many people telling me throughout the years to really enjoy and cherish the time I have with the kids because one day they will be big and wanting to leave the nest... And I guess I always knew that, of course, but even if I did it has kind of sneaked up on me. It feels like it has all happened so suddenly. I just didn't really see (with emphasis on that word "see"...) it coming. Now I am the one saying the same thing to other mothers with young children. So bizarre... Time passes so quickly without you even noticing. Today is coming to an end already and a new day is to arise... and so life goes on. Somehow it feels like time is passing quicker and quicker the older I get. Do you feel the same way?

 

At the end of the weekend I packed up my crochet, put away all my "bench time props" and closed the now tidy and organized shed. It really was an awesome, productive and relaxed weekend and although this week has been a bit hectic so far, I'm still making the most out of my "staycation", focusing on what I want to do instead of what I should do. And who knows... maybe this "staycation" will continue for a while... I suspect a new lock down might soon be reality... Corona is not giving in... quite the opposite. 

 

Take care my lovelies. Stay safe. But live. Don't forget to make the most of every day you have on this planet. And if that is making big changes, taking action on projects or just chilling with crochet, you decide.

 

 

Kärlek
Annette

FOLLOW  My Rose Valley HERE:

A Bathroom Make Over

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Back in January I cried out for help regarding my need to get organized. It appeared that I wasn't the only one crying out for some order in my life and home, it was so comforting to know. I received so many good advice, tools and examples from you. Your help on this topic has been incredible. Thank you for all your support.

Today I thought I would share my little Bathroom Make Over. I'm not sure if it is much of a make over or just a clean up... However, the result is 10 times better than it was before so the satisfaction of transforming this space to pretty, functional and nice bathroom, is reward enough for my efforts. I used as much as possible of what I have (although it was tempted to go out and spend a few hundred bucks on a total new bathroom set up!!! But the whole idea was to use what I have and be smart so...) And here is what I did:

TIME: I spent approx 2 hours
COST: Fresh flowers 15-20 dollars
BEST THING: The flowers transformed it all!
SECOND BEST THING: The cute containers for cotton pads and cleaning products. Even the razers look good in a glass jar with a lace trim on. :) The small jars and containers are great for neat storage and function.


ACTION:
1. I emptied the shelf unit, bathroom cabinet and baskets in a big box.
2. I took some soap and water in a bucket, a sponge and toothbrush and got scrubbing
3. I scrubbed everything down, wiped and cleaned
4. I sorted all the stuff in my box, throwing everything old/broken/not useful
5. I collected some cute bowls and glass jar from around the house to use for storage
6. I bought a flower. A real flower. We'll see how long it will survive with my "plant killer" hands...
7. I also added a vase of tulips. I think that was the most refreshing thing to do!!!
8. I pimped up my little dresser with a false flower and some cute soaps I had as decoration.
9. I vacuumed and dusted.
10. I changed to clean carpets and towels and the magic was done.


THINGS I STILL WANT TO DO:
• Add a drawer knob to the dresser I found at the garbage center and add a new decoration paper to it.
• Take down the bathroom cupboard and put up a nice big wooden framed mirror with a shelf.
• Crochet a new bathroom mat in blue and white!

My messy basket is still standing untouched in a corner though... I will get to that soon. One thing at a time... I'm getting there and after doing my little Bathroom Make Over I'm inspired to tackle some more nasty corners in my home. Wish me luck! :)

Kärlek
Annette

FOLLOW  My Rose Valley HERE:

I Want To Get Organized

Baskets full of everything. Drawers full of just "stuff". Cupboards where you have to dig yourself in to get what you're looking for. Cluttered benches and shelves... I have a basket in the kitchen full to the brim with everything from blinking drum sticks to precious Lego pieces, hair pins, pens, cat toys, flute cleaners, lost jig saw pieces, chap sticks, key rings, hooks to put up somewhere, measuring tape, gym shoes, purses, odd socks, brochures and just "stuff". I see that basket every day when I enter the kitchen and I think to myself "I need to sort that basket...". But I never do.

I think that basket has been there for almost 2 years now. Filling up only more and more. I can't even remember last time I actually looked for something in there. I'm pretty sure that if I just tossed it all, I wouldn't miss a thing of what's in there... When we occasionally have friends over for dinner I just simply move the basket into another room out of sight. And then it stands there for a few months, until we move it back into the kitchen again...

I can handle a morning when the alarm didn't go off or being alone juggling it all when Jay is working abroad. I can handle sickness, school work, birthdays, the family agenda and endless house chores. I can handle most things. But the clutter hidden behind doors, lids, in baskets and boxes... It really gets to me. This is the worst stress I live with, because it is constant. I would say my home has a clutter level of 8 or 9 on a scale from 1 to 10 right now. Still I do NOTHING about it. It is overwhelming. I don't know where to start...

I dream of a decluttered and well organized home. A home where there is a place for everything. A functional home that is easy to navigate, clean and store things in... Where there are no clutter and no digging around to find tape... I could swear I saw the tape in here somewhere or maybe it was up in someone's room, or in that other drawer... it should be in the office of course, or the kitchen maybe... ohhh... it's at the toilet behind the tooth paste and floss... Of course!

So to feel better, to be less stressed, I want to get organized. I need to tackle this. If I can take my home clutter level below 5 in 2017, oh what a dream come true that would be. I feel motivated. I think I've reached the bottom... I am ready to do this. Yes I am. I just have to figure out how I'm going to get there. Maybe I'll start with a list for ONE room and then take 15 minutes every day to tackle ONE thing on that list... That should help me move forward right? And if I tell myself I have the whole year of 2017 to deal with this, I should be able to succeed, right? Any advice, encouragement and well needed kind push in the right direction is welcome. Lets do this!

Kärlek
Annette

FOLLOW  My Rose Valley HERE:

How to organize your Christmas clean up

If I could choose I would probably tidy up Christmas as soon as all gifts are unwrapped. Throw it all into boxes in rapid pace and run maniac with the vacuum cleaner and dust rug in hand. But as everyone else in my family really loves the Christmas decorations, I leave them out for a while longer. And I have learned to like having Christmas for a while into January.

I find the build up phase of Christmas being my favorite part. Taking out the decorations step by step, one box at the time each advent. And as I'm not allowed to take it all down at once, this has also become my procedure when putting it all away. One thing at the time...

This weekend I took away all the bloomed out flowers, the advent chandeliers, the winter village and the shelf decorations. I take my time sorting and packaging it all in a structured way to make it easy for us to get started next Christmas. Dividing it all into Christmas Box #1, Christmas Box #2 etc... Because I know what it is like when first of advent is around the corner and the kids get eager to get it ALL out at once. Being proactive and a bit organized when packing it all away will help next year when I simply can tell the them, without feeling stressed:
"YES! Go ahead. You can take down Christmas Box #1. Lets do it!".

Because we all are a bit stressed around Christmas. We want to do so much, fix so much, decorate so much bake so much, indulge so much, socialize so much, craft so much... You get it. We want it to be perfect and it can just become a bit to much at times. To organize the decorations in boxes is a great way to reduce Christmas stress for next year, like this:

Christmas Box #1

In the first of all my Christmas boxes I put my beloved window stars, the advent chandeliers with their moss and mushrooms, the winter village houses and people and the shelf decorations.
Because these are the things that will be taken out FIRST next year.

Christmas Box #2

Here I put my Christmas wreath and outdoor decoration supplies, the curtain pole decorations and wall hangings, cookie tins and boxes, Christmas flower pots for flower arrangements and doilies.

The last Christmas Box

In the last box goes tree decorations and lights together with Christmas stockings, as those things
are the LAST ones to get out in our house. Usually just a week before Christmas itself. 

Packing up tip
I use old shoe boxes, glass jars and zip lock bags to store all the small things inside the bigger boxes. I label my boxes and carefully wrap all decorations of delicate nature in bubble wrap or gift tissue paper recycled from unwrapping gifts.

I have more than three Christmas boxes (!!! You don't want to know how many!!!) but at least this gives you an idea of how I'm organizing myself. And now I'm enjoying doing the Christmas clean up. Without stress and pressure. One thing at the time. My stars will stay up a bit longer as well as the curtain pole decorations, probably all the way to February. Just because we love them so much. But the rest will go into safe rest in a Christmas Box until next year.

How do you clean up after Christmas and organize your things? Please share. It's always fun to swap ideas and make improvements when organizing, isn't it? That is why the organizing chapter in the IKEA catalogue is proven to be the most thumbed part, right?

Kärlek
Annette

FOLLOW  My Rose Valley HERE: