Before I get onto today's post, I just wanted to give an update on those lost photos of mine. About an hour ago, I thought I'd have another go at locating them and like magic, there sitting in the folder that had been giving me grief yesterday were my missing shots!! I don't know how it happened or why they vanished but they're back and I'm so happy!
Anyway, today I thought I'd share some photos of how our living area typically looks lately. With the wintry, 'stuck inside all day' weather we've been having here, when we're not out and about, the girls and I spend the majority of our time in the open plan living / meals / kitchen area. After all, with our gas heater glowing away, it's definitely the warmest part of the house to play in. Here's what you would typically see if you were to stop by our place lately...
The 'clutter basket' on my bench is growing by the day. So much so, that Paul just emailed me a moment ago to ask if I could pay the electricity account that's sitting in the middle of this basket as he just received an SMS to say it was overdue. Oops!! The pretty irises however aren't a typical occurrence. Sick of seeing this end of our bench looking bare, I treated myself to a bunch the other day.
I am proud to say however that the rest of our bench remains clutter free these days. I have been making it a priority to keep our living areas tidy and even though there are currently beds unmade and shower screens that need scrubbing, having a clear bench makes me feel SO much better. It was becoming quite the dumping ground (one of the downsides of such a big benchtop) but usually it looks as it does above. As for the clothes drying rack in the background, that's typical around here lately too. We don't have a dryer, nor do we have the space to put one and so the rack above is frequently used on rainy days...
... Here's our other way of drying clothes. With our heater on come most afternoons, I rotate items I'm desperate to dry in front of it.
As for playtime, the girls are often in the warmest spot on our rug. Grace tips out all the baby toys and pleads for Sophie to be 'restrained' in her Bumbo so that she can build towers without her little sister destroying them. Our Bumbo is now destined for Gumtree though as Sophie wormed her way out of it for the second time yesterday.
As soon as there's been a spot of sunshine however, I've been encouraging Grace to head outside to play. Blowing bubbles on the patio has been a popular activity lately along with painting on her easel.
Enjoy your afternoon everyone! I'm off to make another cuppa and cosy up in front of our heater before the girls wake from their naps...
That's so great about your photos! Maybe there was just something weird going on yesterday, as I said, I had some go missing and then reappear as well.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe how tidy your kitchen is! We have a pretty big bench and I have real trouble keeping it clear. It is nice when I make the effort though.
Keep warm!
xx
As I said Sarah, our tidier kitchen means untidy bedrooms, lounge, study etc :) But it makes me happy knowing it's tidy seeing as we spend so much time in these rooms lately.
ReplyDeleteThings are the same at our place- two little girls playing on the rug, surrounded by toys, and arguments over lego towers being destroyed! xx
ReplyDeleteThat is so my house too Amanda. The living area are (relatively) tidy, but the only bed i made today is the cot, as I thought it was time to change the sheets!
ReplyDeleteHoorah! Thank goodness for the mystery of the returning photos. Oh, and your space - so clean!
ReplyDeleteI love love your kitchen bench. What a great expanse to bake, serve, cut out patterns etc. It looks like it would be the hub of the home. I am so happy to see a clothes horse in the photo, ours is permanently in the dining room over winter.
ReplyDeleteYes, such a good bench for sewing and it's the spot where I constantly find myself throughout the day. It's great that I can be preparing things in the kitchen and I'm still overlooking the girls playing too :)
DeleteWow.. that kitchen bench is amazing! Xx
ReplyDeleteOh, looks at your 2 sweet girls playing on the floor...LOVE IT! I too love sitting back & watching Ella & Ryder at play. Ryder isn't on the move yet....so Ella's toys are 'safe'....but I can only imagine the battles that will begin once he's into her creations & set-ups LOL!!
ReplyDeleteYour house is soooo tidy! And I know what you mean about having a clear bench space....it definitely makes me feel a little more relaxed when our main living areas are cluttered up. Our bedroom...is a whole different story though....I have about 4 loads of clean washing mounted in there screaming to be put away :)
Hope the weather clears up for you sooooon.
x
P.S. Hooorah for the photos reappearing! Sometimes technology can be such a bitch :)
I have to correct you, my HOUSE isn't tidy, just my living areas :) Our front lounge is shocking at the moment as I've dumped everything in there to sort through, same with the study. As for the bedrooms, I didn't even make the beds today :)
DeleteI just read your other post about the photos and was feeling awful for you ...so wonderfult hat you found them, i don't back up nearly as often as we should so am always afraid of losing the family photos!
ReplyDeleteI have a clutter basket on my bench at the moment too....however my bench is a quarter of the size of yours...so, so envious of your bench and heater!
I have lots of baby goods destined for Gumtree too but never seem to get the time to take the pics and organise them for sale!
Love those stools!!
yay for photos being returned! (how odd that they magically reappeared in the same folder where they were missing the day before...)
ReplyDeletei know exactly what you mean about having to have certain areas tidy and mess-free. i'm the same. but because my house is soooo small, i have to make sure that our bed is made, lounge is tidy and the bathroom clutter free. as for the kitchen & olive's playroom, they're destruction zones. :)
your home looks so peaceful and light and warm and comfy. what a beautiful space you have. and oh to have a backyard!
i love that grace pleads for sophie to be restrained in the bumbo...haha. olive destroys any tower i build too!
So pleased that you found your photos Amanda :)
ReplyDeleteIt's important for me too that our bench top stays clutter free, somehow it makes me feel more relaxed even if the rest of our home is in disarray.
I love the look of yor wooden floors. We have tiles and they are soooo cold at this time of the year. That rug you have is lovely, may I ask where you got it from?
Enjoy the break in the rain today.
x
We used to have tiles but had them pulled up a few years back and replaced with floorboards. It's amazing how much warmer they are. As for the rug, it's been one of our best decisions - I was hunting for something with more pattern but in the end decided that with two little ones and endless spills and dirt, it wasn't worth me getting an expensive rug for now and so our 'rug' is actually an edged piece of carpet. I went to a carpet place, stood on lots of samples to find one that felt nice underneath my feet, gave them our dimensions and they edged it all nicely - it's perfect and easy to remove stains etc. from :)
DeleteYes, a tidy bench top a tidy mind I say! And I don't know one person who can keep the ENTIRE house clean at once- oh yeah, I do know one person and she is a freak :-) You have a lovely home and I like the colour of your wooden stools. We recently painted the boys' activity table and chairs in that colour (along with orange and green), so I'm kinda biased LOL.
ReplyDeleteSo glad your photos are back, Amanda! That's great news. It's so funny to be reading about your cold weather when we're in the midst of very hot summer weather here in the US. I've never traveled to Australia (though my parents were going to move us there when I was four, but it didn't work out). I look forward to visiting one day when my hubby and I can get two weeks off from work, since it's such a long trip.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful kitchen bench (counter, as we call it) you have, and a very cozy-looking home. Have a great rest of your week.
Claudia
I am so glad to hear that your photos were found Amanda that must have been such a relief. You have such a lovely open living area Amanda which is such a positive things when you have little ones, making it easier to keep them in view. You must be enjoying having your nice gas heater at the moment, isn't it cold. Have a wonderful week my friend. xx
ReplyDeleteLove the kitchen, love the stools. Beautiful. And look at those girls playing, so so sweet. I fear our Bumbo will be making it back to the friends we borrowed it from very soon - Phiney has started leaning back with all her might and I think she's going to pop out of it any day now! x
ReplyDeletei call our kitchen bench the island of sanity. so long as it's clear and clean, i'm happy. even when chaos reigns (as it usually does) across the rest of the house.
ReplyDeleterachel xo
I can so relate to the tidy kitchen, dining, family room with the gas heater on while the beds remain unmade and grotty bathrooms. I thought it was just me......;o)
ReplyDeleteTania xx
I could look at photos of your home ALL, DAY, LONG :)
ReplyDeleteIt's so BEAUTIFUL!
& the two little girls in it?
Divine,
x