Regaining Clarity

I've felt a bit muddled and uninspired during much of February... a mixture of adjusting to a new school-focused routine, accepting my role as a 'school Mum', dealing with four-year old tears and two-year old tantrums and trying to get on top of things house-wise.  The combination of all of these happenings has seen me turn inwards more than usual and retreat from this space for a bit, something I tend to do when I'm overwhelmed and lacking energy.

Slowly as the weeks have passed, I feel as though I'm emerging from the fog.  I've dealt with things one by one, done a lot of reflecting on my priorities and goals and have more clarity for what I want and need over the coming months as well as a desire to 'make things happen'.

I'm looking forward to writing here again, sharing my thoughts and musings and recording the precious day to day happenings that occur in our family...

A post I came across yesterday on 'igniting inspiration' really spoke to me... I urge you to have a read yourself...

2014 Portraits: January

"Portraits of my children in 2014"


Grace: Despite the scruffy hair and Milo covered face, I just love this photo of my sweet-natured, gentle girl.

Sophie:  Those curls are growing wilder by the day, a good match for her little fiery streak.

Joining in with Jodi

The End Of Our Carefree Days

The past few nights in bed, I've felt desperately sad thinking about Grace starting full-time school in just under a week. There have been knots in my stomach and tears pricking my eyes knowing that our 'do as we please weekdays' are coming to an end and that a new kind of 'normal' is ahead of us in the not so distant future. Washing fresh uniforms, labelling books and stationery and reading through 'new student information packages' has made this reality hit home even more.

No longer will we have the luxury of a few days a week free of schedules and routines.  Our week will soon be filled with school bells, busy days and homework.  There will be lunchboxes to pack, reading books to work our way through and I am sure, one tired girl come Friday afternoons.

Of course, I have kept my feelings to myself.  Any talk of pre-school involving Grace has been filled with positivity as I don't want my emotions to interfere with her own expectations of what should be an exciting part of childhood.  Today I overheard her telling our neighbour, "I don't want to wait until after the weekend to start pre-primary, I want to go tomorrow!"

I've decided to instead focus my thoughts on how to best deal with this change. Rather than dwelling on how much I will miss my precious girl and grieving for our old weekly rhythm, I'm thinking of ways to better accept this inevitable next step and how to make our transition as smooth as possible. Things like slow afternoons enjoying an afternoon snack together, chatting about each of our days and sitting down to an earlier than usual dinner. Pre-bedtimes curled up together reading a chapter of our latest book. Weekends balanced between pottering about enjoying homely pleasures and small outings to parks and cafes and other favourite spots.

In time, I'm sure we'll settle into our new pattern... all that I can do for now is to trust that gradually, we will both adjust and come to love our days as much as we always have done...

The Great Magazine Cull

I still remember exactly when I bought my first 'Real Living' magazine.  We had just driven seven hours down to Esperance where Paul had to work for the week.  In need of some good reading material to keep me occupied, I wandered into town and made a stop at the local newsagent where I discovered issue number two on the shelves for the first time.  I curled up on the couch and read every word of it from cover to cover, returning home inspired and with a whole heap of ideas to try around our home.

Since then, I have religiously bought every issue of the magazine (for the past two years I’ve had a subscription) and have bookmarked many a page for future inspiration.  My pile of magazines on the coffee table beside our lounge gradually grew and grew into two and then three piles, weighing the room down visually with its clutter and creating a hoarder-like corner in our home.

Not one to usually hang on to unnecessary items, my collection was one area I was happy to overlook…

Until recently. 

Firstly, my magazine tower was a stark contrast to my simple living mantra.  Secondly, I have chosen not to renew my 'Real Living' magazine subscription. I’ve recently found myself drawn to other magazines with less of a focus on trends and style and more of an emphasis on lifestyle and homemaking articles.  Last year, I discovered 'The Simple Things' magazine. Stumbling upon it was like discovering a publication that had been written specifically for me.

As part of my beginning of the year de-clutter, I’ve decided it’s time to tackle and pare back my stash.  The pile has since been moved to our bedroom where I am gradually working through each issue,         re-reading and tearing out favourite pages and stories to be added to a ‘file of favourites’ and keeping only cut-outs that I really and truly want to refer to again.  I have a feeling this will be an on-going task for at least the next little while...

Is there a magazine you buy without fail each month?  Do you have a hoarder’s stash or do simply tear out pages which are ‘keepers’?

Savouring Our Summer Holidays

It’s taken me a little while to fall into the groove of summer holidays. When kindergarten finished up, there was Christmas to think about.  Between Christmas and New Year’s, Paul was home and it was ‘family holiday time’.  However now, with not long to go until school begins, my mind has been going over and over how to make the most of these final weeks… what to plan to make it memorable for Grace and what I can do to soak up this precious ‘end of an era’ myself.

A few nights ago in bed, sleep didn’t come as quickly as usual and I found myself mulling over my concerns.  The more I thought about it, the more I realised that  perhaps the best way I could spend these final three weeks of Grace being at home full time was to just keep on doing what we’re doing.  Perhaps lazy mornings with the girls lingering in PJs that little bit longer, swims in the neighbour’s pool on hot days, reading books or crafting after lunch and little outings here and there for milkshakes or picnics or playdates with friends were in fact the perfect way to be spending our holiday after all.  Perhaps this simple rhythm, dotted with the treat of a sleep over at Grandma’s or Nan’s and a few days spent at Paul’s Uncle’s beach house were exactly what we needed.  

Come February, Grace and I won’t have the luxury of our one on one time whilst Sophie is napping, outings will be restricted to the weekends and dress-up costumes will remain in their basket until the end of the day. I'm trying to savour these precious moments of ordinary days while I can.  

Holidays don’t necessarily have to be monumental or extraordinary to be memorable.  I've now accepted that simple days enjoying the comforts of home, sprinkled with outings to our favourite spots are the best way for Grace and I to enjoy our time together this January.