I need to get my mojo back

It's become really easy to eat supper, potter around the house (really, after reading, my absolute favourite thing to do is potter - move this thing, tidy a little here, take a picture of a pretty corner there, organise something there, and so on), get my lunch bag ready, and come upstairs to read with my mug of tea, and sleep.

Divine.

Especially now that all the boxes are unpacked (well, all except about 3 of D's).

Did you notice what's not in there?



Computer time.

Was this what life was like 4 - 5 years ago?

So this blog and my organising blog are both sadly neglected.

I have kept up with Instagram though. In fact, about a week ago, followers of my @organisingqueen Instagram feed (which is 1 year and 2 months old) surpassed the number of followers of my personal feed, @marcia0608, and that feed is nearly 4 years old.

How's that?!

Too fun.

But I want to make a goal of writing 20 minutes a day, whether I publish anything or store up posts, because I need to get with it in August.

Too many months of being in limbo is catching up on me.

There may or may be photos :)

What does your evening routine look like these days?

Six on Saturday, the housing edition

So much to say, where do I start?


I've just finished morning gym class and I think I smiled throughout the class - I forgot how much I love the rhythm of my normal life.

 

Anyway, we were late and both D and Connor insist on a full hour so here I am, blogging.

 

I also realised that some of what has been putting me off blogging recently is the thought of crafting a post and selecting the "perfect" beautiful pic to accompany it. I'm usually only in the mood to play with photos at certain times when my energy is higher, and let's face it, lately I've had almost zero energy.

 

So, a post without photos about the housing situation:

1. We moved house last Friday. I know I said this before but now I really mean it and I am writing it down for posterity's sake. I am not moving again for at least 10 years. I find everything painful - directing movers, having people not read the sides of the boxes, seeing all the boxes, unpacking, figuring out new configurations, etc. Painful. If I were wealthy, I'd pay people to do everything and move in 3 days later (from a hotel) to a house beautifully set up.
2. I truly do hate having things out of place. The first two nights I woke up at 6 am one day (I'm an 8 am riser) and 3:29 the next day. These are clear signals that my environment is not working, so obviously I was working like a slave to restore order, because I really do like my sleep. Things have been "normal" since then except for one night of 4 hours of sleep - partially a book and partially unpacking til midnight....
3. The kids have been both happy and unsettled. I feel strange even writing that sentence. Why do we feel that things have to be one way or the other? They can be one thing and the other. K & C love that they can go exploring, playing and adventuring outside for literally hours without getting bored. They also have only slept in their own rooms two times in the eight nights we've been living there. They tell me there are bad people in the house whenever they hear a sound. These are new house sounds but I said to D we need more lights outside (which the old owner left us, she just didn't have time to put them up).
4. I have already scratched the side of my car reversing down the (very steep) hill so I feel very accomplished every time I drive into my garage without incident. I recognised years ago that I have many talents but parking is not one of them, yet the poor neighbours have to endure me revving that car to get up the hill to straighten out again and again, before going down safely. I can't wait til muscle memory kicks in and I don't have to think or concentrate so hard to just park or reverse my car.
5. I've kicked into Weird Bond Lady gear already. I go a bit mental when I have any debt. The bond was just registered in July so first payment 1 Aug but of course, I can't wait so I was nagging them to attach to my profile so we can start paying it off. Successfully paid first payment (which I'd budgeted for in case the bond went through a little earlier - the lawyers were scarily efficient) a week later, so now my goal is 59 months left :)
6. We still own the other (beautiful!) house as the other deal fell through. I'm debating between getting in a short-term rental because the thought of no income or current deal happening makes me a lot twitchy. Pray, send good vibes, send buyers my way, etc.

And that's it - time to get the kids.


What's happening with you? Housing situations? Life? Good and bad things simultaneously, etc?
By the way, are you good with moving, or like me?


(I honestly can't fathom how people move often. I think of my good friend who intentionally moved to a house to move again a year later. My sweet Lord!)

Pancakes and other holiday essentials

So we're on holiday.

D said to me when we arrived that it's so nice to know what to expect even on holiday.

(We come to one of two holiday units every time we're here, in the same building).

This one has an abundance of glasses - I think the original owners are huge drinkers of alcohol and entertainers. At home, I have about an eighth of the number of glasses they have here :)

Usually in a holiday flat, depending on how many people the place can sleep, you have exactly that number of plates, bowls, mugs and glasses. Which I personally hate, but let's move on. I feel like they should at least double up - I like to use a lot of crockery.

We're in a 6-sleeper but there are 13 plates, 10 side plates, 9 mugs, probably 100 glasses. They have glass glasses, plastic glasses for outside on the patio - and all shapes and sizes, which is fabulous. I use them for snacks, liquids, everything!



The one thing this flat does not have is a non-stick pan, which completely cramps my style. There is a stainless steel one which I used one day for French toast.... and decided not worth it. And another day, I used an oven tray to make toasted cheese sandwiches.  Also not going to happen again.

I forgot to pack my one-egg travel pan so I went to buy one for R110 (!) on day 1. It is very gorgeous (pastel blue) so I will enjoy it for many months to come, at home.

However, the non-stick pan or lack thereof means we have not had pancakes, a key holiday staple for us. The days have been perfect pancake days (cool weather) so maybe I'll make some egg-sized ones this afternoon.



And our standby for pancakes closed down. New owners are busy renovating, the shop next door told us.

I was so floored I couldn't even comprehend it. It's been a staple for us here for a good 5 - 6 years :)

But yesterday, the kids and I went hunting for pancakes and enjoyed some at a new place. Not up to my standard (I make great pancakes!) or that of the Milk Cafe, but it was good enough. And sometimes that's perfect.

How are you all doing?
What is your cold-weather comfort food?

Here is my other post about pans and knives :) Many feel as I do; one thinks I'm crazy.

PS these photos were taken in January 2014