Day 4 of the clutter challenge... make that bathroom shine!

Day 4, the end of the week is getting closer. I left this one till after 7 tonight. I felt I might sit this one out and make it up tomorrow, but then... I thought of all of you, and figured I better just get off me bum and get something done.

And that is what I did... I got up and got something done. I did 15 minutes in the bathroom. (Sorry no before and after, I'm not big on toilet pictures!)

But, I took a selfie of me cleaning the mirror!

I cleaned the basin, and de-cluttered all the bottles of 'products' that we don't use everyday. I cleaned the mirror and wiped everything down. The toilet has been swished. I still have to do the shower, but that will take a bit of scrubbing while I'm in it!

The Fly Lady says to wipe down the bathroom everyday! Do you do this? I wonder if I could get into the habit. A clean shiny bathroom feels good, doesn't it!

Day 5 is Friday! What do you think I should do next?

See you soon,

Heather xoxo

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I've made it to Day 3 of the clutter challenge!

Does your dining room table end up being the catch all for all the family junk?

School bags
Hand bags
Notes from the teacher
Newspapers
Bills
Jumpers
Scarves
Pens
Playdough
Stuffed animals!

This is just a few of things that land on our table each week.

I have to admit it's much easier to sit down and have dinner in front of the TV every night when you can't even get to the table!

I know that it won't take long to fill up again. So, I created a new area in the  entry stairwell for the bags. I'm going to put mail straight into my office area, and I also created a hot spot for my keys so I don't lose them anymore.

I am making the commitment to have dinner at the table at least 3 times a week. (Right now, that is a lot for us!)

I felt overwhelmed doing this, especially withe paper work and art projects done by my five year old. It's so difficult to chuck it out and I need a better system for bills, etc.

Chime in with your ideas!

See you soon,

Heather xoxo

Day 2 of the clutter challenge!

Day 2 and still going strong! Did I want to... nahh, did I think, 'I just can't be buggered,' YES!!!

But, that is why it is called a challenge. :)

Today I tackled the main bedroom in much the same way:

One bag of rubbish

One bag of clothes to donate

One bag of stuff to be put away

I set the timer again for 15 minutes and just got busy. I didn't rush it, but stayed focused. The dresser, the chair and the blanket box seem to be a constant dumping ground for all of our clean clothes and anything else that hasn't got a home.

After the 15 minutes was up, I dug in a little more and swept the whole area. You wouldn't believe the dust that comes off those wooden floor boards! (A whole colony of dust bunnies were breeding under the bed.)

I started out slow, unmotivated and sluggish, but by the end I'd found my groove and got the job done.

The more I look around, the more spaces I see that need attention, but the point for me is to not focus on the mountain, and just tackle each hill one at time.

I hope this inspires you to have a go at one little corner of your house that is a dumping ground. If you decide to have a go, why not share a photo on our Facebook group! 

Join in on the fun and share in a place where you will find support, encouragement and inspiration!

See you soon,

Heather xoxo

Clutter be gone... one space at a time!

Today, I decided I'd had enough! There are so many spots in my house that are out of control with mess or clutter and it's really starting to affect my mental state. I spend the weekends procrastinating and even going out, just to escape the clutter!

I've always been on the messy side of the fence. The only time I can really pull it all together is when I have the pressure visitors coming over!

So, today, I've decided that I'm going to de-clutter, one space at a time!

I went around the house and counted about 14 zones inside the house that need to be tackled individually. So, I'm making this a 14 day challenge!

I also decided, since I get easily overwhelmed, I would only do what I could in that space for 15 minutes. I  have to be strict with myself to not go in to any other area. I get distracted easily and end up flitting around the whole house instead of concentrating my efforts.

My closet has been a disaster for weeks. I pulled out a suit case from our move and the dog decided to help himself and spread clothes around on the floor.

Then, yesterday Miss 5 pulled out her paper dolls and used our lovely closet to do her craft, completing the disaster zone.

I couldn't walk in to the closet without stepping on any number of things!

I set the timer and away I went. I had a bag ready for rubbish and I had a bag ready for clothes or any other items to give away.

15 minutes later and Oila!  I filled up the give away bag and the rubbish bag and also found odd things like a harmonica!

I also felt so proud of myself! I literally felt lighter and my anxiety melted away. I carried on for an extra 5 and made the bed. (See photo!)

So, for the next 13 days I'll be posting a photo of my efforts and transforming my house... and hopefully smashing those potatoes at the same time!

If you'd like to join me, comment below or post your photos in the FB comments under this post.

See you tomorrow! I'm so excited...

Hugs, Heather xoxo

It's ok to love yourself... it really is

I recently posted an article encouraging mums to wear their swimmers to the beach and actually get in the water with their kids. You know...  frolic and have some fun!

It seems that a lot of us are opting out of the fun because we don't like the way we look in a swimsuit.

At the end of the article was a link to some books about how we can be sending harmful messages to our daughters about body image when we make it obvious that we don't like the way we look in a swimsuit or diet constantly.

One of the titles that was recommended was: You'd Be So Pretty If...: Teaching Our Daughters to Love Their Bodies - Even When We Don't Love Our Own

At first I thought, that sounds like exactly what I need to read, but then the title started to bug me.

I thought to myself, how can we teach something we don't practise? How can we tell our daughters they are beautiful and give them a healthy sense of themselves when we don't believe it for ourselves?

It doesn't matter who I talk to, everyone big or small seems to hate the way they look. Skinny women are just as critical as those of us who aren't so slender anymore! It makes no sense to me.

The thing is, no one else cares what you look like or what weight you are or whether you are wearing make up or anything else.

I don't mean that in a nasty way. People care about you, but no one is thinking about someone else's weight and saying, 'Oh, I wish Dana was skinnier, her weight really upsets me!' Doesn't happen. We are just focused on our own rolls and moles and whatever other imperfections we obsess about.

Maybe it's the human condition. But I think its about time to undo this and recondition ourselves to think about things that matter.

I guarantee our kids think we are beautiful.

Feeling hatred for yourself or your body is a huge part of that potato sack that you are carrying around. It serves no one.

Stop holding yourself back because of the self-induced pain of thinking you are not perfect enough.

God made you. You are perfect. Right now.

Spend at least 5 minutes each day this week practising loving your body.

Nobody is going to come after you and ask for an explanation for this 'crazy behaviour'.

Think of everything you would tell your daughter or your friend if they came to you and said they hated their bodies. Think of the loving advice you would give them.

Now, give that advice to yourself.

People who love themselves carry themselves differently and they exude a certain inner strength that makes other people want to be around them. We all know these people and they also come in all shapes and sizes. They are fun to be around too!

So be kind to you, lovely people.

Accepting yourself and choosing to nurture your body and everything that God has given to you will be the greatest gift you ever receive and the greatest gift you can give to your family too.

See you soon,

Heather xoxo

Five ways to keep stress from sabotaging your good habits.

Whenever I get stressed, I get overwhelmed and something blows out.

I start eating more white foods. (Sugar and carbs)

My dishes pile up.

I grab caffeinated drinks instead of water.

All the new 'good' habits get replaced by old 'destructive' habits.

Why does this happen?

How can we take note of our stress indicators and avoid the landslide that follows?

Here are five ways you can get on top of bad habits that are triggered by stress.

1. Clear a space

My biggest stress indicator is when my 'dumping zones' get out of control. Places like the kitchen bench, the kitchen table or my dresser start to pile up with dishes, school notes, receipts and clothes.

Spending 10 minutes clearing off an area helps me to calm down and relax and start to feel in control again.

When the kitchen bench is clear, I seem to breathe easier.


2. Iron it out

Another effect of stress is paralysis. We can only see the mountain of things that we need to do, so we hide with a box of chocolates and do nothing.

I was feeling like this the other day but decided to do one task that needed to get done, the ironing.

As I started to press the wrinkles out of my husband's shirts, making them look crisp and clean, I began to feel better.

Something inside of me released, and I felt ... good.

Find one methodical task that needs doing it and do it.

Make the bed, clean the bathroom, sweep, etc.

Creative time spent painting, drawing and colouring can also be very therapeutic.  

Find what works for you.

Doing something is constructive, but sitting down and worrying with a bag of potato chips is not.


3. Do a meal plan 

I'm no good at just pulling meal ideas out of my 'hat'.

However, if I have a meal plan set up in advance and I have everything I need, it's easier for me to stick to cooking healthier meals.

I also look for things to snack on when I am stressed, so I fill up the fridge with fruit and veg so it's easy to grab. (Don't even buy that crappy food! It always gets eaten first.)


4. Forgive yourself

If you've fallen off the wagon in a big way, e.g. eaten the whole packet of cookies in one sitting...

Let it go.

It doesn't mean that you are going to do it again tomorrow!

My hubby and I have a saying when we know we've eaten too much, "We'll never speak of it again!"

If we hang on to the guilt, self loathing takes over and we just kind of give up.

If you have your coffee and cake or a packet of Tim Tams, enjoy and then go to the store and buy as many veggies as you can and gorge on them for the next day or so. It will be ok.


5. Zoom out a bit

There are 6 billion people on the planet.

Look at your life and then zoom out a bit. See your community.

Zoom out further and think about what is happening in your state, your country and then the world.

Where does your personal stress fit into these pictures?

Nothing stays the same. Good and bad times come and go.

Years ago, I heard some good advice. It went along the lines of , 'Will this matter in a week? Will this matter in a month? Will this matter in a year? Will this matter in 5 years?'

We get so wrapped up in our tiny little lives. There is a bigger picture. There is a point. The point is to see the bigger picture.



Please share your thoughts on what helps you to overcome stress.

Like and share this with your community!

See you soon,

Heather xoxo

Image from pexels.com