Being Grateful..

I never really stopped to question the number of times in a day that I've thought how much better life would be "When"...

"When the kids are a bit older..."
"When we have a bit more disposable income...."
"When we have our own home...."
"When summer arrives..."
"When we finally get rain for the gardens...."
"When I catch up on house stuff..."

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Also, the "If only's..."  If only we had more of this/less of that/had done this/not done that....
The endless search for something better.  Happiness, contentment, security, adventure...I'm so guilty of this, and over the last couple of months I've heard these 'If only's and 'Whens' come out of my mouth on a more than regular basis.

"If only the boys were a bit more independent..."
"If only we had a bit more money..."
"When the weather gets warmer it'll be better..."
"When the boys are sleeping better it'll be easier..."

And instead of living in the now, I've been living for the times when things will get easier/be more fun.  Instead of embracing the current loud/high impact/full throttle days with  my two little lads, I've been dreaming of days that don't require kiddy-locks and sleepless nights.  Instead of finding adventure in our own backyard, I've been pinning pictures of beautiful, exotic holiday destinations.  Instead of doing with what we have, I've been storing up idea's on what others have, and all that we will have and do when we have more money. 

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And then a couple of weeks ago I remembered something.

I ONLY HAVE NOW

That's all that's been given to me.  Right now.  There is no guarantee that I'll still be here when the boys are older, or when more money appears, or when the weather improves. 

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I have all I need already.  I just need to learn to embrace it and celebrate it.
  
I'm not giving up on my dreams, and I'm not giving up planning for the future.  What I am giving up is the thought that I will always need something else to make life happier or easier, or to bring contentment.

So my new mission is to post once a week about what I'm grateful for.  The little things, the mundane things.  The huge things, the exciting things. 

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And the next time I think about when things will be better/easier/happier, I'll remember that they already are.

Renee  :)

DIY Kids Bench seat!

If you didn't gather from the last post, my house can get pretty messy from time to time all the time.  My lounge is pretty much a battle zone from 6am til 7pm, and i'm totally fine with that (ask me again after i've tripped over my third truck) but i like to have a few quick and easy clean up solutions for those occasions when i have to pretend to function. 

Toy boxes are the obvious solution, but i wanted a neat way to store them....and then i saw This and it all made sense!!  After a wee chat to Hubby and a lil' bit of shopping and rummaging we got to work!

I was given the job of making the seat part! 

I used a yoga mat cut to size for a nice cushion base, followed by a layer that i cut from an old Duvet!

I was super lucky that Spotlight had a sale on all their fabric, and i was able to get a couple of meters of this 'Construction' upholstery fabric for a steal!
Also...I got to use a gun stapler! Wahoo!...(Clearly I don't get out much)

Meanwhile, somewhere outside, Hubby was getting the storage part sorted!  We made it to fit the 2 containers that we were already using to store toys :)

And on goes the seat!!  I'm exceptionally proud of myself for getting the fabric print in the right direction! (Yes, that is something i would stuff up!)

Given that this is a seat for small children we decided that painting the outside of the box would be a good idea, to make it easier to clean.  Construction yellow seemed like a good choice!

And here is the finished product!! 
Super proud of our efforts we are!!  And the boys just LOVE it!!!

The Official Seal of Approval - Two very happy boys!
 Lachy has taken to setting up his trains on top, and Olly will happily sit and just open and close the drawers, occasionally removing a toy or putting one away :)

We did get a few more crafty bits done (Love 3 day weekends!) but that can be another post for another day! :)  Would love to know how you store your kids toys away!! 


Renee  :)

The Kid Cave...

Sometimes when i get up in the morning i seriously have to stop and question whether our house has been ransacked overnight....And then i think, with the amount of toys spread 'strategically' around the floor, we'd be facing a law suit from the intruder for injuries obtained on the job.

You see, our house isn't a home, so much as a Kid Cave (Like a 'Man Cave' but considerably more dangerous) Toys really are intentionally placed all around the house in an attempt to bring the adults to their knees (occasionally to clean, but mostly in the agony only a Lego block can inflict).  Once the adult is down, they become objects of play, a jungle gym of sorts, and fair-game for anyone under 3 foot tall.
 

Washing that hasn't been put away will be spread far and wide, or used as dress ups for the other toys.  It pays to have your underwear folded and put away immediately to avoid having them handed to your next visitor to play with.

Plastics cupboard unlocked?  You can kiss those matching Tupperware sets goodbye.  Unused ice trays will serve their purpose as snail stalls, and any container large enough to fit on a head, can and will become a construction hat/bike helmet/fireman's hard hat....or a shoe.

Sometimes in my deluded state i will consider cleaning, but then i think about the hours of imagination and creative thought that my boys have put into their day.  The Lego towers built and demolished by a two-man construction team in their 'hard hats'.  The railway station that runs smoothly around the house, under the watchful eyes of two little conductors.  The tunnels dug through the laundry in search of the 'treasure' hidden in the couch cushions. Even the minutes spent exploring a new bug/spider that's been fortunate enough to find a crumb to eat, counting its legs, setting it 'free' into the garden (whole or in bits, depends which child grabbed it).

 For now, the mess can stay.
(Burglars beware)



Renee  :)

Monday Funday...On a Tuesday!!

It's that time again!! You know, the time in which i cant think of anything funny to write, so i steal Pinterest images and make you all gaze at the wit and charm of complete strangers for 5 mins...You're welcome :)

 

Seriously LOVE the last one!!  

Oh how i adore Pinterest!!!

I'd best go back to there now, you know, to prep for next weeks post and ummm....in case i missed stuff in all... :D

Renee  :)

A Fashion Post... :)

 I went shopping...AND BOUGHT STUFF!!!  For ME!! My excitement knows no bounds, and now you must all suffer through my first fashion post!!

This is how my first fashion post photo session went....

"Yusss!!  I have a new outfit! Lets take some pics so i can do my first real fashion post!!...Just let me put my coffee down..."

Aaaaand...my coffees gone cold.  I didn't really want to do a fashion post today anyway... :)



Renee  :)