I know I've been quiet...

I've been very quiet lately and its all been hush, hush but I've been a busy little bee, building a new website...

I'm so excited to share it with you!

You can't see it yet, but you can go to www.potatosackproject.com to see my 'coming soon' page. :)

I'll be launching in about a week and on Sep 1, I'm revealing my first of 12 monthly challenges to learn to let go, one potato at a time. :)

See you soon!

Heather

xoxo

Chasing the Sun

It's cold right now. And I hate being cold. 

I'm a heat seeker, a comfort lover... so when I can't get warm, I get cranky!

Cold feet, cold nose... no thank you.

So, during this cold snap I've found myself chasing the sun.

It reminded me a bit about other things that I try to chase that are out of my control... like happiness. 

Have you ever noticed that sometimes a really great day is followed by a really crappy one? You find yourself thinking, "Why couldn't that moment last?" 

Imagine that we lived in a time where we didn't know that the sun sets and rises in a predicable pattern... We would go to bed wondering whether we would ever see the light again.

We'd chase the sun all day and then feel hopeless as it faded away, thinking the darkness was here to stay... and then rejoice in morning as we saw it poking up on the horizon, only to start the cycle again. We would wait, wonder and worry that the sun would soon sink again for good. 

But we do understand that the sun has a cycle. It's comforting and we can plan and predict our lives around this. 

But sometimes we can't see that life has a cycle... sadness follows happiness and then happiness comes along again. 

When life hurts, we forget that the sun will surely rise, we can't step back and see the predictabity of it all, but it's there. Study anyone's life, it is there. 

So, as I chase a bit of warmth this week, I'll try to relax... embrace the cold, and know that seasons are always changing, and the forecast is looking good. 

See you soon, 

Heather xoxo

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

You can join our Facebook Group here!

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